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

CFP Merlin (A Roundtable) (in person) (9/15/2023; ICMS May 2024)

Sharing on behalf of the International Arthurian Society, North American Branch:

Merlin (A Roundtable) (in person)

Sponsoring Organization: International Arthurian Society, North American Branch (IAS/NAB)

Organizer: Molly A. Martin

The IAS-NAB is sponsoring a roundtable on Merlin at the International Congress on Medieval Studies in Kalamazoo next year. We are hoping to have a nice mix of short (5-10 min) papers that look at Merlin in different time periods, different language traditions, different media, etc. If you have thoughts about Merlin and plan to be in Kalamazoo (it is an in-person session), do consider submitting.



Submissions are through the official system (see the CFP here) and are due on September 15.



Let me know if you have any questions (martinma@uindy.edu).



Thanks,

Molly Martin

CFP History, Romance, Fantasy, and Others: The Blending of Genres in Arthuriana (9/15/2023; ICMS 5/9-11/2024)

ICMS CFP: History, Romance, Fantasy, and Others: The Blending of Genres in Arthuriana

Posted on August 5, 2023 by lhaught

Source: https://medievalisms.org/icms-cfp-history-romance-fantasy-and-others-the-blending-of-genres-in-arthuriana/.

History, Romance, Fantasy, and Others: The Blending of Genres in Arthuriana

Contact Person: Rachael Warmington; rachael.warmington@shu.edu

Delivery Mode: Traditional in-person

Principal Sponsoring Organization: International Arthurian Society, North American Branch (IAS/NAB)

The blending of genres in medieval Arthuriana signifies a crucial evolution in storytelling. These blended narratives resonate with contemporary audiences, fostering renewed interest in Arthuriana. As cultural norms shift, this intermingling of genres enables nuanced discussions of identity, ethics, and social roles. Additionally, these blended genres make possible reimaginations of the narratives that offer relevant and profound explorations of the human condition which foster a dialogue between the past and present. The diversity and hybridity of Arthuriana, particularly in chronicles, romances, and fantasies, align with contemporary literary tastes, enabling greater accessibility, relevance, and inclusivity.

Deadline for New Submissions: Friday, September 15, 2023; abstracts must be submitted through the ICMS website for consideration.

Last Call CFP: Revisiting a Racialized Camelot: Lesser Known "Knights of Color" and Addressing Lacunas in Our Approaches (A Round Table) (proposals by 9/15/2022)

Call for Papers ICMS 2023

Revisiting a Racialized Camelot: Lesser Known "Knights of Color" and Addressing Lacunas in Our Approaches (A Round Table).

Sponsored by: International Arthurian Society, North American Branch (IAS/NAB)

Co-Sponsoring Organization(s): Monsters: The Experimental Association for the Research of Cryptozoology through Scholarly Theory and Practical Application (MEARCSTAPA)

Keywords: Arthur, Arthurian, Camelot, knights, race and racialized, monstrosity.



This session contributes to ongoing discussions about "Race in the Middle Ages," focusing on minor "Knights of Color" in Arthuriana and how their characterizations might nuance scholarly perspectives of the racial dynamics at Camelot. We emphasize that the expected categories for determining race such as skin color, physiognomy, costume and, at times, religion remain insufficient and inconsistent when dealing critically with premodern race. Thus, the modifier of "Color" here should be understood to cover a variety of polities and geographical locations and not just epidermal difference. While a great deal has been written about Palamedes, Morien, and Feirefiz, we seek to forefront lesser-known, non-Latin Christian knights, including those with “monstrous” origins, present in Arthurian narratives. Additionally, given that the majority of medieval critical race frameworks come out of literary studies, this session seeks to create a crucial opportunity for other fields such as art history, performance studies, and philology, as well as more "global” approaches, to provide new lenses for understanding a racialized Camelot.

This session is especially interested in: the borders between race & monstrosity in Arthuriana, methodological lacunas in approaches to Camelot material, Arthurian enemies, the relationship between "Knights of Color" in Arthuriana and such knights in different traditions that appear in the same manuscripts, philological studies about the "garbled" names of “Knights of Color,” their linguistic origins, the presence of Arthurian narratives in non-Latin Christian contexts, teaching experiences around “Race in Arthuriana” and the roles “Knights of Color” play in medievalism when imagining a post-racial Camelot without having a post-racial present.

Please send an abstract (300 words maximum) to the ICMS Confex site https://icms.confex.com/icms/2023/cfp.cgi & Drew Narayanan at tnarayanan@wisc.edu by September 15th. The session will consist of 6 ten-minute papers followed by questions. The session will be In-Person at the International Conference on Medieval Studies, Kalamazoo 2023.