CFP: Two-Day International Seminar on Mirroring Change: Literature and Social Transformation 3rd & 4th October 2024 ~ Pondicherry University

The Department of English at Pondicherry University has been an important educational destination for research scholars and students, ever since it commenced functioning in 1986. Over the years, the department has produced innumerable PhD and M. Phil scholars, in addition to a large number of postgraduate students. The faculty of the department with their different specializations and academic interests are at the forefront of innovative teaching and advanced research varying from contemporary literary, cultural and language studies to theoretical explorations. The department also runs a Post Graduate Diploma in Professional Communication in English, an add-on program, in much demand among students and employees.

Furthermore, the department has also sought to enhance the language and communication skills of students from across the University through Functional

English and other communication-oriented courses. Another hallmark of the department is the Research and Cultural Forum (RCF) which acts as an avenue for scholars and students to showcase their research work and creative abilities. The department has also been at the forefront of organizing seminars, workshops and faculty development programs.

 

 

 

 

About Research and Cultural Forum (RCF):

Conceived thirty-five years ago as Research and Journal Alert Forum (RJAF) at the Department of English, Pondicherry University, RCF is a platform for research scholars and students of the department to discuss their research findings in various areas related to literature and culture and also present their creative talents. Run exclusively by the research scholars of the department, under the guidance of the faculty members and the support of MA students the forum hosts invited talks, workshops and interactive sessions by experts of national and international repute in the emerging areas of English Studies. The forum was recently renamed Research and Cultural Forum to integrate the department's research and cultural outputs. Now, it proudly undertakes the mission of bringing together and highlighting the role of literature in social transformation through this two-day International Seminar.

 

About the Seminar:

 A Two-Day International Seminar has been planned by the Department of English on the 3rd & 4th of October 2024, with the focus area “Mirroring Change: Literature and Social Transformation”.

 Theme:

 Literature has been able to predict, analyze, and critique social, economic and political change for a long time. This, in turn, has contributed to understanding social and political transformation through a medium that has been conventionally seen to be largely imaginative and fictional. While Orwell’s cautionary tale, 1984 predicted the effects of totalitarian regimes and surveillance, Harriet Beecher’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin “helped lay the groundwork for the American Civil War” (Kaufman, 2006: 18). If Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath brought into full view the travails of America during the Great Depression, Munshi Premchand’s Godaan brutally exposed poverty and the evils of the zamindari system in India. Literature has thus been constantly in sync with the changing silhouettes of society.

 The conference aims to explore how literature has closely interacted with and mirrored the intricate matrix of the social and political milieu. This interaction has resulted in innumerable texts that have reflected these significant changes and helped us understand an ever-changing world. The wide gamut of social, political, economic, cultural, sociological and anthropological change has prompted the writer to ask questions, show up the mirror and sometimes even offer prescriptions for ills, thus making literature a vehicle for social transformation.  The conference aims to investigate and explore the significant role that literature has played in reflecting these changes, therefore acting as truth-seeker, sentinel, chronicler, and critic, all rolled into one.   

 The conference aims to explore the interchange between literature and social transformation across varied arenas and can include, but is not restricted, to the following areas:

•           Political upheaval and social movements

•           Caste, class and hierarchy

•           Reigns, regimes and democracy

•           Marxism and literature

•           Changing dimensions of gender

•           Queer narratives

•           Geographies, borders and migration

•           Indigenous literatures

•           Anthropocene, Ecocriticism and Ecofeminism 

•           Dalit literature and social justice

•           Technology and literature

•           Popular culture and subcultures

•           Medical imperialism and illness narratives

  Registration Fee:

 Faculty Members:      Rs. 2000

Research Scholars:     Rs. 1000

PG Students:               Rs. 500

Co-authors are required to pay individually.

 UG students (participation only): Rs 200

 Abstracts:

 Abstracts can be uploaded through the Google form link

below on or before 30th August 2024.

 Registration Link: https://forms.gle/CA78DHY86yfQtzhW9

 Your queries may be addressed to rcfseminar2024@gmail.com

 Important Dates:

 Last date for sending abstracts: 30th August 2024

Confirmation of acceptance will be communicated by: 2nd September 2024

Complete papers are to be sent by: 27th September 2024 

 Address for Communication:

 Drishya K.

Steward  C.        

Research Scholars                                                     

Department of English                                              

Pondicherry University                                             

Puducherry-605014                                                   

8589825788, 8270410154                                  

CFP: International Conference(Hybrid Mode) on “Posthuman Condition in the Anthropocene” on 02-03 March 2024. -Centre for Research in Posthumanities, Bankura University

CFP & Concept Note:

Humans are no longer biological agents of this planet. They have become geological agents in the Anthropocene era. What does this agentic transmutation imply? Since a ‘geological force has no sense of purpose or sovereignty’(Chakrabarty 2023: 33), how, then, are we supposed to re/configure ‘the human’ who is attributed with autonomy and freedom-seeking agency? Critical posthumanists, who argue for an inclusive way of thinking, might be tempted to rearticulate the normative conception of the human in the first place: who or what is anthropos? Perhaps, the ontic problem rests with the European Enlightenment modernity’s projection of the human, which now stands on an increasingly slippery ground. Bernard Stiegler, Bruno Latour, Michel Serres, Dipesh Chakrabarty, Donna Haraway argue for locating human in entanglements with nonhumans. Many of them even view human autonomy as the mankind’s self-created myth; and also argue that the human is always already entangled with nonhumans. 

Despite the heated debate surrounding the term Anthropocene for promoting the return of white universal man, naturalizing tendency, colonial outlook and exclusivity, the term is nonetheless being used as an operative critical tool for interrogating and re-assessing our understanding of the existing relation between humans and nonhumans. Rather than pondering too much on the term’s limitations, it would be more profitable to think of the future produced by the mingling of human history  and planetary history. It will be worthwhile to think about collaborative survival with other planetary cohabitants. As the humanity’s ecological footprint affect the trajectory of the Earth System, ‘humans now unintentionally straddle three histories (the history of the earth system, the history of life including that of human evolution on the planet, and the more recent history of the industrial civilization) that operate on different scales and at different speeds’ (Chakrabarty 2023: 89).

The collision of human and planetary temporalities calls for a new totalizing framework and requires a new way of thinking in the social sciences and humanities. In the Anthropocene, socio-cultural and political world orders get entangled with material and energy cycles of the Earth, which eventually co-produces a new (post)human condition. The Anthropocene pushes the boundaries of our existing disciplines to their limits and makes the social-only understanding ineffective.

The proposed conference also seeks to cite India’s G-20 presidency (2023) as an articulation, on a diplomatic level, of the theoretical premises of this conference. The pro-planet theme of India’s G20 presidency – “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”(the world is one family) – significantly seeks to recognise the entangled planetary existence, which embraces both the human and non-human. The emphasis on green and sustainable development, climate finance, ‘net-zero’ carbon reduction testifies to the fact that social-only understanding of human politics is no longer tenable. Incorporation of green elements in its conceptual construction was long overdue.

The proposed conference seeks to focus on, though not strictly limited to, the following areas:

• Re-figuring the anthropos in the Anthropocene

• Problems in Nomenclature: Anthropocene or Capitalocene

or Plantationocene or Homogenocene or Chthulucene?

• Anthropocentrism and its Discontents

• Thinking Through Harman’s ‘OOO’ in the Anthropocene

• Configuring New Onto-Epistemic System in the Anthropocene

• Planetary Crises and Planetary Solidarity in the Anthropocene

• Future of the Humanities and Social Sciences in the Anthropocene

• Greenhouse Culture in the Anthropocene

• Non-human Turn in the Anthropocene

• New Materialisms and the Anthropocene

• Posthumanities and the Anthropocene

• Animal Studies in the Anthropocene

• Plant Humanities and the Anthropocene

• Greening Democracy and International Relations

in the Anthropocene

• (Re)writing Cli-fi in the Anthropocene

• India’s G-20 Presidency and Green Diplomacy

• Plastic Pollution and E-/Waste Management in

the Anthropocene

• Populism and Climate Change Denial

• Re-thinking Carbon democracy in the Anthropocene

• Blue Humanities and the Anthropocene

• Global Climate Activism and Climate Solidarity in

the Anthropocene

[Suggestive Bibliography:

Chakrabarty, Dipesh. One Planet Many Worlds: The Climate Parallax. Brandeis UP, 2023.

Haraway, Donna. Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene. Duke UP, 2016.

Latour, Bruno. We Have Never Been Modern. Translated by Catherine Porter. Harvard UP, 1993.

Stiegler, Bernard. The Neganthropocene. Translated by Daniel Ross. Open Humanities Press, 2018.

Serres, Michel. The Parasite. Translated by Lawrence Schehr. U of Minnesota Press, 2007.]

Key Facts and Necessary Information:

Abstract might be sent to crpbku2.0@gmail.com in within 25.02.2024

(Participants are advised to send an abstract of about 200 words and a short bio-note in single word file. ‘CRP Conference

Submission 2024’ should be mentioned in the subject line of Gmail.)

Registration Form (Mandatory):

Time & dates of the conference: 02-03 March 2024; 09 am to 4 pm IST

Registration Fees:

Faculty: 2000 INR

Researcher and Students: 1500 INR

International Participants: 50 USD

Participation Fees: 800 INR

Fee Payment Details

G-pay/PhonePay: 9832850405
HDFC BANK
A/C- SUKHENDU DAS
Account Number: 50100174070610
IFSC: HDFC0002505, Branch: BANKURA, Account Type: SAVING

Registration fees cover conference kit, tea, snacks, working lunch on both days.

Publication Prospect: Select papers will be considered for an international publication after double-blind peer review process. However, the

discretion and recommendation of the peer-board will be considered final in this case.

Participants are advised to attend the conference in person. Virtual presentation slots are very limited and not open to all.

All queries relating to conference might be directed to the email id mentioned above.

CFP: Two-Day International Conference TRANSFORMATIONS AND TRANSITIONS: EMERGING TRENDS IN LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE STUDIES -KL University-11-12th March, 2024

ABOUT THE CONFERENCE

The Department of English is holding a vibrant and joyful two-day event to share the pleasure and power of language and literature on 11th, &12th of March 2024 in a glorious scenic and invigorating atmosphere at KL University campus. We are delighted to place on record that this International Conference shall be an exciting mix of research discourse and debates. This is a programme of educational and inspiring events in our esteemed university involving students, scholars, expertise professors and critics. In short, this International conference is deliberately planned to mark stimulating dialogue and discourse to provide a rare opportunity to the academics to meet and interact with eminent personalities.

ABOUT THE ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

The Department of English is headed by Dr. K. V. Divya, Associate Professor. The Department has 42 faculty members out of which 39 are Doctorates and 3 are pursuing P.hD. The sister Department, Communication and Soft skills has 6 Soft skills trainers who are vital to the University in achieving 100% campus placements in Campus drives. Two-year Post graduate course in English has been in progress since 2018. In 2023 it is restructured as M.A. in Digital Humanities and Language Studies. Research guidance to Ph.D scholars is actively in progress with 85 scholars and 35 scholars are awarded till date. The Department has published more than 500 publications in various reputed Scopus, WoS, International & National journals with high impact factor. The Department has also organized many workshops, seminars, National & International conferences including Literary Festival.

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY

KL(Deemed to be)University is situated in a sprawling 100-acre campus on the banks of Buckingham canal of the river Krishna, 8 kms from Vijayawada city. Built within a rural setting of lush green fields, the University is a virtual paradise of pristine nature and idyllic beauty. The campus has been aptly named ‘Green Fields’ and the splendid avenue of trees and gardens bear testimony to the importance of ecology and environment. The campus ambience is most befitting for scholastic pursuits. The mission and vision of the University is to be in line with international universities in imparting quality-based

education with moral excellence. The University takes pride in achieving a rich bounty of Awards for Educational

CALL FOR PAPERS

Well-researched and unpublished articles are invited on the theme of the conference. The following are some of the sub-themes

Anthropocene and Literature

Petro fiction

Blue humanities and Nautical fiction

Energy humanities

Pandemic Literature

Digital age: Cyber Literature and Digital Media

Digital Pedagogy & Digital technologies

Research creation in Digital Humanities

Graphic and Twitter Fiction

Revisiting Indian poetics

Gender studies in the Era of technology

Gender and Queer Studies

Biopolitics

Pain Studies and Trauma Studies

Intersectionality: gender, class, race and LGBT+ representation

Marginality in Cultural Texts Feminist /Postfeminist voices

Feminist histories: memory and trauma

Women empowerment: Breaking stereotypes

Masculinity Studies

Urban and Suburban Studies

Comparative literature

Translation and Diasporic literature

Kitchen literature

Multiculturalism and Diasporic perspectives

Revisiting the Mythologies

Dalit Narratives

Ecofeminism & Ecocriticism and Green Cinema

Climate Fiction

Animal Studies, Zoo criticism and Phyto criticism

Posthuman Studies

Crip Theory and Disability Studies

Green ELT

Renewable English

Latest trends in English Language Teaching

Digital Language Teaching

Flipped/blended class rooms

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Task-based Learning

Trends in Teaching ESL

IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES

Abstract Submission: 25th February, 2024

Abstract Acceptance: 29th February, 2024

Registration:5th March, 2024

Conference Dates:  11th - 12th March, 2024

PUBLICATION

Selected Papers presented at the Conference will be published as book chapters with ISBN. Full-length articles received by 29th February 2024 will only be considered for publication.

ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

An abstract of 100-150 words should be submitted along with the information in this order: a) author b) affiliation c) email address d) title of the abstract, and e) the abstract. Send the

abstract to: kluenglishconference@gmail.com

ACCEPTANCE

Acceptance will be sent by the Convener & Registrations Committee, within a week from the receipt of the abstract.

ACCOMMODATION

Accommodation will be provided in the Guest House and Students' hostels of the University. Vijayawada /Guntur is moderately warm during the month of March. The temperature is expected to range from 30 to 32 degrees Centigrade during the conference days

Registration link

https://forms.gle/Dcb2DydfW5dcjftdA

For More Information Contact

Dr. K. V. Divya, 9866839934 | Dr. K. K. Sunalini, 9849942819

Dr. M. Suresh, 8500219841 | Dr. K. B. Glory, 9849592241

KONERU LAKSHMAIAH EDUCATION FOUNDATION

(Deemed to be University, Estd. u/s 3 of the UGC Act, 1956)

Green Fields, Vaddeswaram, Guntur Dist., A.P., India, 522 302

Phone: +91 - 8645 - 350200

CALL FOR PAPERS : #Environmental #activism, #Decoloniality and #Literature of the Global #South - #Springer, #Duke #University #Press, #Cambridge #University Press

Goutam Karmakar, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa

Sule Emmanuel Egya,  Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Nigeria

The frequently discussed topics of environmental degradation, increasing issues with climate change, and planetary hazards in modern times can be traced back to the historical contexts of colonialism and capitalism. Within the framework of colonialism, which flourished due to the dominant circumstances surrounding capital's production (O’connor, 1994, p. 8), the environmental domain became structured only within the context of commodification. The civilizational aims of colonialism considered the ecological world as an inorganic and immaterial entity, functioning solely to supply affordable raw materials and serve as territories for colonial ‘markets’ (Krishnaswami, 1992, p. 81). The widespread impact of the epistemology of Western modernity, which promotes Eurocentric interpretations of capitalist advancement, has resulted in the implementation of an objectifying ethical framework. This framework has led to the systematic disintegration of the interconnectedness between humans and nature, as well as the marginalization of indigenous epistemic structures that prioritize the importance of the natural world and its integral role in the interconnectedness of all life forms. The exploitation and destruction of nature and ecosystems have occurred within the framework of colonial capitalism, where the subjugation of the “savage state of nature” (Simpson, 2020, p. 58) has been a notable characteristic of European civilization, with a ‘rationale’ that this process has been seen as essential for the progress of both the economy and culture. Thus, the prevalence of exploitation, extraction, and commercialization was pervasive throughout settler colonies and countries of the Global South (Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Oceania) during the era of European colonization, leading to the exacerbation of severe forms of colonial ecological violence.

Given this context, it is edifying to delve into the discussion surrounding the notion of the "Anthropocene." This term refers to the period starting in the nineteenth century when human activity began to exert significant influence on the ecosystems of the planet, leading to detrimental effects. The concept of the Anthropocene, often known as the "age of the humans," as explained by Crutzen and Stoemer (2000, p. 12), may primarily be attributed to the First Industrial Revolution. The advent of industrialization, the emission of greenhouse gases, and the extensive utilization of coal throughout this period disrupted the equilibrium of the ecosystem, leading to a steady deterioration of the planet across various dimensions. It is the indigenous communities and individuals residing in rural and socioeconomically poor regions of the Global South who are disproportionately affected and suffer the most severe consequences, like facing environmental hazards, living with environmental toxicity, and climate-induced migration. According to a 2018 report published by the World Bank Group, failure to carefully consider and implement appropriate measures to address climate degradation could result in the displacement of millions of individuals in developing regions such as the Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Latin America within the next two decades. In many cases, these communities experience ‘climate colonialism,’ which denotes the utilization of resources and authority by countries in the Global North when addressing climate change, environmental regulations, and ‘climate apartheid’ (Bandera, 2022) which pertains to the inequitable impact of climate change on affluent and non-affluent individuals and nations.

Indigenous and marginalized communities worldwide, along with youth climate leaders and activists from various countries including Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Brazil, India, Peru, Senegal, Togo, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Namibia, the Philippines, and the Marshall Islands, among others, engage in open discussion with those in power, sharing their narratives and advocating for epistemic, economic, racial, and environmental justice. Individuals residing in the Global South, encompassing regions such as Argentina, Asia, and Africa, are urging others worldwide to participate in a collective global endeavour aimed at advocating for equitable climate change policies. Initiatives such as the 'Debt for Climate!' programme, round-table discussions and summits focusing on the intersection of environment and development, as well as various environmental movements within countries of the Global South, serve as evidence that activists from these regions are dedicated to addressing environmental injustice and the climate crisis through the perspective of human rights. This symbolizes how this commitment persists despite the considerable challenges that lie ahead. While these instances of ‘collective action and environmental activism’ (Lubell, 2002) deserve greater attention, public intellectuals and writers from nations in the Global South endeavour to raise awareness about these matters through their literary works, public lectures, and academic involvements. In particular, writers have, through the instrument of literary aesthetics, historicized ideas, practices, and incidents of environmental activism, resulting to a growing archive of decolonial literary discourse in the Global South.

The critical cognitive necessity of our current era includes the exploration of the archive of literary discourse from the Global South that addresses issues such as environmental racism, injustice, extraction, toxicity, the climate crisis, colonial ecological violence, and forced migration resulting from climate catastrophes. This exploration seeks to situate the deterioration of the environment in relation to social and epistemological inequities. Furthermore, it promotes the adoption of decolonial ecological praxis as a means to effectively address and combat these pressing issues. Within this particular framework, literary narratives serve as a means of actively engaging with the environment, while decolonial ecological practices seek to restore neglected indigenous knowledge systems, foster diverse initiatives aimed at mitigating global ecological challenges (Ferdinand, 2022, p. 175), and cultivate a sense of "collective ethics" (Serres, 1995, p. 78) in response to the vulnerability of our world.

This volume aims to examine the interconnectedness of environmental activism and decoloniality within the context of literature from the Global South. It seeks to challenge the dominant knowledge systems imposed by Western powers and capitalist interests while also recognizing the diverse and multiple forms of ecological knowledge. By doing so, this volume would promote a collective and sustainable approach to planetary survival, and we invite chapter proposals that address the following (but not limited to) issues in respect to the literature of the Global South:

• Environmental activism and decoloniality
• Activism and sustainability
• Environmental ethics and planetarity
• Subaltern environmentalism and decoloniality
• Extractive ecologies and decoloniality
• Decolonizing eco-imaginations of the Global South
• Decolonial ecologies and indigenous knowledge systems
• Colonial ecological violence and activism
• Environmental activism and (in)justice
• Eco-precarity and decoloniality
• Environmental activism and human values
• Climate change and decoloniality
• The coloniality of Anthropocene
• Decolonial marine ecology

We solicit abstract/chapter proposal of 400 words along with a bio-note of 50 words in a single MS Word file, which should be submitted by February 15, 2024 to goutamkrmkr@gmail.com and  seegya@ibbu.edu.ng 

We are in contact with Springer, Duke University Press, and Cambridge University Press regarding the publication of this volume.

CFP: #Virtual Graduate Conference on #Lawrence & Ecology: D. H. Lawrence Studies (May 18, 2024)

  

The D.H. Lawrence Society of North America is pleased to share the CFP for the next Virtual Graduate Conference in D.H. Lawrence Studies. It is scheduled for Saturday, 18 May 2024 and will take place over Zoom. The theme for the event is “Lawrence & Ecology.” Please circulate the poster (attached) and the information below widely. 

The DHLSNA welcomes abstracts on approaches to the theme of "Lawrence & Ecology." Papers may address any "ecological" aspect of D.H. Lawrence's fiction, poetry, essays, travels, and place in the wider discourses on modernism and/or ecology. We are especially interested in papers that address Lawrence's work in the contexts of the Anthropocene, human/animal difference, resource extraction, theories of relation or interconnection, new formalisms, the history of science, and new materialism.

Please email abstracts of 200-300 words (plus bio of 100 words) by 29 February 2024 to Benjamin Hagen, Associate Professor of English at the University of South Dakota and Vice President of the DHLSNA (Benjamin.Hagen@usd.edu). Notices of acceptance will be sent by 15 March 2024. There is no conference fee, but DHLSNA membership is required for presenters ($10 USD student rate). 

Learn more about how to join the society here: https://dhlsna.bravesites.com/join.