MONSTERS & THE MONSTROUS: myths & metaphors of enduring evil

7th Global ConferenceMonsters and the Monstrous: Myths and Metaphors ofEnduring Evil

Monday 14th September 2009 – Thursday 17thSeptember 2009Mansfield College, Oxford

Call for Papers This inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary project seeks to investigate and explore the enduring influence and imagery of monsters and the monstrous on human culture throughout history. In particular, the project will have a dual focus with the intention of examining specific ‘monsters’ as well as assessing the role, function and consequences of persons, actions or events identified as ‘monstrous’. The history and contemporary cultural influences of monsters and monstrous metaphors will also be examined.

Papers, reports, work-in-progress and workshops are invited on issues related to any of the following themes: * The monster through history* Civilization, monsters and the monstrous* Children, childhood, stories and monsters* Comedy: funny monsters and/or making fun ofmonsters (e.g. Monsters Inc, the Addams Family)* Making monsters; monstrous births, childhood* Mutants and mutations and freaks* Technologies of the monstrous* Horror, fear and scare* Do monsters kill because they are monstrousor are they monstrous because they kill?* How critical to the definition of monsteris death or the threat of death?* Human ‘monsters’ and ‘monstrous’ acts? e.g,perverts, paedophiles and serial killers* Revolution and monsters* Enemies (political/social/military) andmonsters* Iconography of the monstrous* The popularity of the modern monsters; theMummy, Dracula, Frankenstein, Vampires, Cannibals* The monster in literature* The monster in media (television, cinema,radio, internet)* Religious depictions of the monstrous* Metaphors and the monstrous* The problematic attraction and admirationof monsters* Gothic Monsters

Papers will be accepted which deal solely with specific monsters. Pre-formed panel proposals are also encouraged.

The 2009 meeting of Monsters will run alongside our project on ‘Madness – Probing the Boundaries’ and we anticipate holding sessions in common between the two projects. We welcome any papers considering the problems or addressing issues of Monsters and Madness for joint project sessions.

Papers will be considered on any related theme. 300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 17th April 2009. If an abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper should be submitted by Friday 7th August 2009.

300 word abstracts should be submitted to the Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats, following this order: author(s), affiliation, email address, title of abstract, body of abstract.

Please use plain text (Times Roman 12) and abstain from using any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline). We acknowledge receipt and answer to all paper proposals submitted. If you do not receive a reply from us in a week you should assume we did not receive your proposal; it might be lost in cyberspace! We suggest, then, to look for an alternative electronic route or resend.

Organising Chairs

Sorcha Ni FhlainnHub LeaderSchool of English, Trinity College, Dublin, IrelandE-mail: snf@inter-disciplinary.net

Rob FisherNetwork Founder & Leader, Inter-Disciplinary.NetFreeland, OxfordshireUnited KingdomE-mail: m7@inter-disciplinary.net

Stephen MorrisHub LeaderIndependent ScholarNew York, USAUSAE-mail: smmorris58@yahoo.com The aim of the conference is to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore various discussions which are innovative and exciting. All papers accepted for and presented at this conference are eligible for publication in an ISBN eBook. Selected papers may be invited to go forward for development into a themed ISBN hard copy volume. Some papers may also be invited for inclusion in the Journal of Monsters and the Monstrous.

Please note: Inter-Disciplinary.Net is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position at this present time to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence.

For further details about the project please visit: http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/at-the-interface/evil/monsters-and-the-monstrous/

For further details about the conference please visit:http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/at-the-interface/evil/monsters-and-the-monstrous/call-for-papers/ —————————————————————-

The CAMBRIDGE CENTRE for the study of WESTERN ESOTERICISM is independent of any academic or esoteric communities, the directors share an interest in the need for a wider dialogue between scholars and practitioners in the field of Western Esotericism and in the establishment of a secular space in which an interdisciplinary network can thrive.. From 2009 CCWE has operated within Lighthouse editions Limited, a small publishing company Directors: Dr Sophia Wellbeloved, Jeremy Cranswick – see http://gurdjieffbooks.wordpress.com

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