CFP Arthurian Mini-Conference at the Symposium on Medieval and Renaissance Studies (SMRS) (Saint Louis University, June 8-10, 2026)

Sharing on behalf of the International Arthurian Society-North American Branch.

CFP for the Arthurian Mini-Conference at the Symposium on Medieval and Renaissance Studies (SMRS) at Saint Louis University, June 8-10, 2026

The IAS-NAB invites proposals for individual papers, sessions and roundtables on all Arthurian topics at the Arthurian Mini-Conference held within the SMRS.



All proposals for the Arthurian-Mini-Conference must be made at https://www.smrs-slu.org/arthurian-conference.html. The portal to submit proposals opens on November 1 and closes December 31, 2025.



Melissa Ridley Elmes is organizing a session of papers on “Arthurian Queens.”

Their names are as familiar as Arthur's: Gwenevere, Isolde, Igraine, Morgause, Elaine, Celia .... the Queens of the Arthurian legend are essential figures, though they are typically relegated to secondary status in relation to the knights and kings they partner and serve as wives, consorts, and mothers. Magical female figures like Morgan le Fay and Nimue are investigated by scholars for their agency, strength and power, and how deeply they affect the narrative, but is it the case that only the magic-wielding women have agency, authority, and power in the Arthurian legend, while its quotidian Queens are relatively nonagential by comparison? This session seeks papers examining the role, representation, and/or legacy of Arthurian queens through any discipline or theoretical lens.

Please send abstracts of 250 words to Melissa Ridley Elmes at melmes@lindenwood.edu by 28 December 2025.



Evelyn Meyer is organizing a session of papers on “Arthurian Materiality.”

Materiality is the suggested focus of exploration at the SMRS, so I would like to contribute a session on Arthurian materiality. I invite proposals that engage the question if there is such a thing as “Arthurian materiality,” and if so what it might be; how medieval and modern notions of (Arthurian) materiality differ from one another but can offer new and intriguing insights into the Arthurian objects we study, be those images, manuscripts, stories, physical objects, legends and myths that spread around the world, that find themselves in modern adaptations and materiality, etc. What is the agency or the symbolism of these material objects? I am intentionally keeping the definition of Arthurian materiality vague to allow for a widest possible take on the subject and am seeking papers that address these ideas through any discipline or theoretical lens.

Please send abstracts of 250 words to Evelyn Meyer at evelyn.meyer@slu.edu by 28 December 2025.



We will have our own two plenary speakers, The Annual Loomises Lecture and The Annual Tolhurst Lecture. More information on these will be shared later.



The two SMRS Plenary Speakers are

Kathryn Starkey (Stanford, Professor of German in the Department of German Studies and, by courtesy, Professor of English, History, and Comparative Literature. Her work focuses primarily on medieval German literature from the eleventh to the thirteenth century, and her research topics encompass visuality and materiality, object/thing studies, manuscript illustration and transmission, language, performativity, and poetics.)

Robert Pasnau (Colorado Boulder, Professor of Philosophy, he has particularly devoted himself to the history of philosophy, especially the end of the Middle Ages and the beginnings of the modern era.)

Again, we can create connections with their research areas and our sessions, if there is interest.



Please share this CFP with interested colleagues outside the IAS-NAB as well. We look forward to receiving your proposals.

Sincerely,

Sîan, Molly & Evelyn