The Departments of History at Queen’s University and McGill University invite proposals for the sixth annual McGill-Queen’s Student Conference in History. The intention of the conference is to bring together Masters and Doctoral students working in a wide variety of fields in order to foster discussion in an interdisciplinary and bilingual environment. We encourage submissions from students working in all historical periods and geographical areas. The theme of the conference is ‘Forward Through the Rearview Mirror? Re-assessing History as a Medium.’

Our keynote speaker will be Dr. A.B. McKillop, Chancellor’s Professor and Chair of the Department of History at Carleton University. He is the author of several books on cultural and intellectual history, including A Disciplined Intelligence: Critical Inquiry and Canadian Thought in the Victorian Era, The Spinster and the Prophet: Florence Deeks, H.G. Wells, and the Mystery of the Purloined Past, and Pierre Berton: A Biography. His talk, entitled ‘Engaging History: Historians, Storytelling, and Self,’ deals with the oldest form of history as medium—storytelling and historians’ relationship to it.

Proposals must not exceed 500 words, be accompanied by a short biographical statement, and include a phone number through which potential presenters may be contacted by the conference committee. Proposals may be submitted in either French or English. The deadline for submissions is December 7th, 2008. Those submitting proposals are encouraged to suggest possible themes for conference panels, and indicate whether they are interested in chairing panels.

Please send proposals via email (*.rtf; *.doc; or *.wpd) to forwardmirror@gmail.com. Or via post to:

McGill-Queen’s Graduate Student Conference in History
Queen’s University, Department of History,
49 Bader Lane
John Watson Hall, rm. 212
Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6
Fax: 613-533-6298

As we are interested in exploring the nature, variety, complexity, and relevance of contemporary historical practice, we encourage a broad interpretation of the conference theme from a variety of fields and backgrounds. Possibilities include (but are by no means limited to):

Gender and Sexuality
Social History
Cultural and Intellectual History
The History of Medicine
Postcolonial History
Political History
Indigenous Peoples and Cultures
The History of Childhood, Youth, and Adolescence
Historiography and Historical Method
Labour History
The History of Science and Technology
Public Memory
Educational History
The History of the Body
Military History
Environmental History
Legal History