Literary Worldbuilding / Literarische Weltschöpfungen
14th Tolkien Conference
Deutsche Tolkien Gesellschaft e.V. (DTG)
Call for Papers
Augsburg University
27 to 29 October 2017
and
Walking Tree Publishers Volume
Literary Worldbuilding
Mark J.P. Wolf, in his Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Subcreation (Routledge, 2012), which constitutes the to date most comprehensive study on the topic, refers repeatedly to Tolkien’s achievement as both author and theorist. Although Tolkien’s literary cosmos may not be the most elaborate of the imaginary worlds in existence, it is certainly the most influential. The posthumous editorial work of Tolkien’s son Christopher has also shown that Arda remains unrivalled in its consistency and complexity. Additionally, the re-publication of Tolkien’s Andrew Lang lecture On Fairy-stories (originally delivered 1939) and its interpretation within the discourse of literary fantasy have further strengthened his position as one of the foremost proponents of literary worldbuilding or, as he himself preferred to call it, (literary) subcreation.
While we expect Tolkien’s theoretical concepts as well as his literary work to play an important role in this conference, we would also welcome contributions on other ‘literary worldbuilders’ such as George R.R. Martin, Mervyn Peake, Robert Howard or H.P. Lovecraft (to name only a few), whose imaginary worlds have attracted readers and scholars alike.
Contributors may choose between submission of their proposal for conference participation and subsequent publication as part of the proceedings in the bilingual (English and German) DTG yearbook Hither Shore, or submission of their proposal for publication (without conference participation) in the English-only volume Tolkien and Literary Worldbuilding (to appear in the Cormarë Series of Walking Tree Publishers). The conference and the Hither Shore volume welcome contributions to other authors than J.R.R. Tolkien, yet essays for the Walking Tree volume must have at least some connections to Tolkien or the Inklings.
The University of Augsburg is hosting the 14th Tolkien Seminar of the Deutsche Tolkien Gesellschaft (DTG) from 27 to 29 October 2017. The seminar is supported by Walking Tree Publishers.
Please, send a short abstract of your paper (either for “Tolkien Seminar” or for “Walking Tree Volume”) together with a short bio-sketch (both together no longer than one page) until 30th March 2017 to Thomas Fornet-Ponse:
DTG Conference Scholarship
The DTG proudly announces the creation of the annual conference scholarship for junior researchers in the field of Tolkien studies. In order to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the DTG in 2017, there will be two conference scholarships.
The following specifications apply:
- Applicants must be students, PhD candidates, or PostDoc researchers with (at the time of application) no more than one academic publication in the field of Tolkien studies, and be no older than 35 years.
- Applications, consisting of a brief CV and a short presentation of any Tolkien-related research or other activities, can be submitted together with the abstract for the conference presentation.
- The Board of Editors of Hither Shore, in consultation with the Board of the DTG, awards the scholarships. The Board of Editors of Hither Shore decides about the acceptance of submissions for the conference independently, so that applicants who did not succeed in securing a scholarship may still be invited to present their paper at the conference.
- The scholarships are meant to cover all travel- and accommodation expenses connected to the conference, as well as the conference dinner costs, up to but not exceeding Euro 500. The scholarship holders are reimbursed after the seminar and once the receipts have been submitted. Each scholarship holder receives a certificate of achievement at the conference.
- The scholarship holders are to submit their papers for publication in Hither Shore. They undergo the same peer-review process like all other submissions.
Credits
Teaserimage: kevron2001 (Adobe Stock: 119184512)
Drawing: Anke Eißmann: Treebeard introduces Bregalad (2000)
