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Scholarship often eschews the popular, adhering instead to a culture of snobbery established over centuries. This conference seeks to explore the mainstream culture and objects of mass appeal that are so frequently marginalised by the academic community, as well as to offer some explanations for why this marginalisation might be.
We invite proposals for papers, reports, work-in-progress, workshops and pre-formed panels from all disciples on themes that could include, but are not limited to, the following:
The changing conceptualisation of canonicity;
Genres, subgenres and the process of genre-fication;
Queer fictions and alien concepts;
Low-, middle- and high-brow texts;
Critical acclaim vs. mass appeal;
Cult classics and forgotten classics;
Award winners, box-office smashes and bestsellers;
Taking theory where its never gone before;
Historiographies of gender, race and class.
It goes without saying that writers, texts or topics need not be canonical and we actively encourage papers discussing writers, texts and visual media from around the world.
Panels will follow the format of three 20-minute papers followed by questions. A lunch will be included on the first day, followed by a closing wine reception at the end of the second, where we hope all delegates and attendees will have a chance to mingle.
Abstracts of no more than 350 words are invited by 1 June 2012. They must include:
350-word abstract, including title,
your name,
affiliation,
contact information,
a brief biographical paragraph about your academic interests,
any technical support that might be needed
Please email submissions, in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats, to organisers Brittain Bright, Sam Goodman and Emma Grundy Haigh at
marginalisedmainstream@gmail.com
Acceptances will be sent out by no later than 16 July 2012.
Conference website: http://marginalisedmainstream.wordpress.com
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marginalised-Mainstream-Conference-2012/259522867458369
Please note: we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence.
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