CFP In a Conference Far, Far Away…Traversing Forms of the Folkloric (3/1/2026; New York 5/1/2026)

In a Conference Far, Far Away…Traversing Forms of the Folkloric

deadline for submissions:
March 1, 2026

full name / name of organization:
NYU Comparative Literature Graduate Conference

contact email:
nyufolkloreconference@gmail.com

source: https://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2025/12/15/in-a-conference-far-far-away%E2%80%A6traversing-forms-of-the-folkloric

In a Conference Far, Far Away…Traversing Forms of the Folkloric (Graduate Student Conference)



New York University: Friday, May 1, 2026



Since its formation in the nineteenth century, Folklore Studies has been seen as an inherently comparative and interdisciplinary field to the point where some are left wondering whether it would be better housed as a subfield of anthropology, ethnography, or literary studies. Part of the reason for this uncertainty may lie in both the breadth of materials categorized as relating to folklore studies (oral or written folk tales, myths, songs, jokes, articles of clothing, etc.) as well as the longstanding difficulty of defining “folklore” itself.



“In a Conference Far, Far Away,” brings together graduate students to present work that engages with and problematizes the category of folklore. We invite graduate students (MA, MFA, and PhD) to submit proposals for 15-20 minute presentations that explore and critically reflect on the myriad dimensions of the folkloric.



Organized by NYU’s Comparative Literature Department, with the aim of fostering interdisciplinary conversations, we welcome submissions from a variety of fields and disciplines. Topics may include, but are not limited to:


Memory

Oral history and embodied history

Speculative fiction (horror, fantasy, science fiction, apocalypse, etc.)

Mythos, magic, and fairy tales

Revolution

Repression of folklore

Adaptation, repetition, and appropriation

Material cultures

Museum studies

Religion

Ritual and performance

Musicology

Nostalgia

Nationalism

Eco-criticism



Please submit an abstract of 250 words and a short bio of 100 words to nyufolkloreconference@gmail.com by March 1, 2026.

Participants will be notified by April 1, 2026. We look forward to reading your proposals.



Last updated December 18, 2025

CFP Sea Literature, History & Culture Area (10/1/015; PCA Seattle 3/22-25/2015)

Of potential interest:

Call for Proposals, Session, and Panels on SEA LITERATURE, HISTORY & CULTURE

Announcement published by Stephen Curley on Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Type: Call for Papers
Date: March 22, 2016 to March 25, 2016
Location: Washington, United States

For the joint national conference (22-25 March 2016 in Seattle, WA) of the Popular Culture & American Culture Associations (PCA/ACA), we invite proposals of individual papers or special panels.

Presentations related to fresh-water or sea-water may include topics like

 Literature, comics, art, music, television & movies
 History, politics, war & peace
 Culture, anthropology & ecology
 Folklore, mythology, legends & hoaxes
 Ships, boats, etc.
 Aquatic life
 Recreation, travel, tourism & festivals

DEADLINE: 1 Oct. 2015 to submit your 100-250 word proposal or abstract online to http://ncp.pcaaca.org

Contact Info:
Stephen Curley, Area Chair
Sea Literature, History & Culture
Dept. of General Academics
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Galveston, TX 77553-1675
(409) 740-4501
Contact Email:
curleys@tamug.edu
URL:
http://pcaaca.org

CFP Encyclopedia of American Folklore (7/15/2015)

CFP: American Myths, Legends, and Folktales
Sunday, June 14, 2015
https://networks.h-net.org/node/13784/discussions/72545/cfp-american-myths-legends-and-folktales

ABC-Clio is publishing a three-volume reference collection titled American Myths, Legends, and Tall Tales: An Encyclopedia of American Folklore in early 2016.  The editors seek contributors from fields of literature, history, anthropology, sociology, folklore, and allied subjects to write entries ranging from 750-2500 words on a wide range of topics.  The purpose of the encyclopedia is to introduce students and general readers to the key myths and legends in North American culture, and to provide extensive, easily accessible coverage of the multifaceted American folklore tradition.

ABC-Clio intends to offer an up-to-date, attractive resource based on current scholarship in the field, including useful illustrations, selections from primary texts, informative sidebars, and references for further reading and research.  Entries will provide coverage of diverse traditions within the genre of folklore and mythology, including Native American traditions, and include treatment of newer traditions such as urban legends and UFO stories.


Contributors will receive publication credit in the encyclopedia and may choose from several options for compensation.  The editors will send information about compensation upon request.


Deadline for the FINAL round of submissions is July 15, 2015.


Writers should contact the editors to request a list of available entries.  Send name, title, institutional affiliation (if applicable), mailing address, email address and a current CV to:



Jeffrey B. Webb
Edwina Patton Chair in the Arts & Sciences and
Professor, Department of History
Huntington University
2303 College Avenue
Huntington, Indiana  46750

email: jwebb@huntington.edu

Contemporary Uses of Fairy Tales in Popular Culture CFP (6/19/13)

Here's one more I just came across:

Contemporary Uses of Fairy Tales in Popular Culture
Publication Date: 2013-06-19 (in 26 days)
Date Submitted: 2013-03-18
Announcement ID: 202344

I invite submissions for an edited collection of essays on contemporary uses of fairy tales in popular culture. The collection will focus on recent reinterpretations and reboots of classical fairy tales, ways the contemporary texts address the original tales and narratological implications of the repetitions and adjustments of these stories. In essays that explore the functions and consequences of fairy tale reboots, remakes and updates, authors will consider the ways fairy tale generic conventions have been revised over time, representations of race, gender, class and sexual identity, the roles of archetypes, mythic tropes and patterns and the emergence of self-referential and meta-tales within these texts.

Essays may also address fan culture influence on contemporary tales, opportunities for interactivity and the roles of stars in fairy tale reboots. Text focus could include television series, feature-length films, comic books and graphic novels, games and animation.

Possible topics include but are not limited to:
• Fables (Bill Willingham/Vertigo, 2002-present)
• The Red Shoes (Kim Yong-gyun, 2005)
• Lost Girls (Alan Moore/Top Shelf, 2006)
• Hansel and Gretel (Yim Pil-Sung, 2007)
• Sydney White (Joe Nussbaum, 2007)
• Bluebeard (Catherine Breillat, 2009)
• The Sleeping Beauty (Catherine Breillat, 2010)
• Red Riding Hood (Catherine Hardwicke, 2011)
• Hanna (Joe Wright, 2011)
• Beastly (Daniel Barnz, 2011)
• Once Upon a Time (ABC, 2011-present)
• Grimm (NBC, 2011-present)
• Snow White and the Huntsman (Rupert Sanders, 2012)
• Mirror, Mirror (Tarsem Singh, 2012)
• Hansel and Gretel (Anthony Ferrante, 2013)
• Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (Tommy Wirkola, 2013)
• Jack the Giant Slayer (Bryan Singer, 2013)

Submit a two-page proposals by the deadline of June 19, 2013 to Dr. Melissa Lenos at melissalenos@gmail.com; questions may be addressed to the same. Please also include a short bio. If your proposal is selected, the final essay (5000-8000 words) will be due on December 1, 2013.

 Melissa Lenos
 Email: melissalenos@gmail.com

Sociology and Neil Gaiman Collect CFP (6/1/13)

Still catching up. Here is the first of 3 calls for papers with upcoming deadlines.

Magic and Dreams and Good Madness: Sociology and Neil Gaiman
Location: Ireland
Call for Papers Date: 2013-06-01 (in 8 days)
Date Submitted: 2013-03-12
Announcement ID: 202210

Neil Gaiman is considered one of the most popular authors of science fiction and fantasy alive today. He has written novels, short stories, film and television scripts, comic books and graphic novel series; and maintains an extremely prolific online presence through his blog, tumblr and twitter accounts. Some of his most popular works include The Sandman comics, the novels Coraline, American Gods, and Stardust, and two episodes of the popular British science fiction series Doctor Who. Gaiman has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, and The Bram Stoker Award. In 2009 he was awarded The Newberry Medal for children’s novel The Graveyard Book and the following year was also awarded The Carnegie Medal, becoming the first author ever to win both awards for the same work.

This collection will contain 20 essays inspired by the work of any of Gaiman’s publications over his career. His books, graphic novels and the movies they have inspired, provide endless possibilities for sociological analysis. This collection will be unique, encouraging the publication of chapters by those beginning their academic careers. It will prioritise submissions from graduate students currently working on their MA and PhD programs.

Suggested topics include, but are in no way limited to:
 - Society and its portrayal
- Sexuality and the Erotic
- Prejudice
- Bodies and Embodiment
- The Law and the Criminal System
- Government and Politics
- Education Systems
- Gender, Race and Class
 - Relationships (sexual, friendship, the family, magic, etc…)
- Human and Non-Human Rights
- Conformity and Deviance
- Socialisation
- Mental Health

Please submit proposed abstracts of 500 words, along with a 250 word biography in Microsoft Word format to goodmadnesscfp@gmail.com by June 1 2013.

Gráinne O'Brien and Alexandra Dunne
Email: goodmadnesscfp@gmail.com
Visit the website at http://goodmadnesscfp.blogspot.com/

Popular Preternaturaliana Now Online

We've just launched a new endeavor called Popular Preternaturaliana: Studying the Monstrous in Popular Culture at http://popularpreternaturaliana.blogspot.com/. The site is sponsored by the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Legend Area and (like NEPCA Fantastic) hosted by The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages in the hopes of providing a place to promote further study and debate of the preternatural where ever and when ever it may appear.

In the future, calls for papers and other postings relating to the monstrous, gothic, and horror can be found on the new site. 

Michael A. Torregrossa
Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Legend Area Chair, Northeast Popular Culture/American Culture Association
Co-Founder, The Virtual Society for the Study of Popular Culture and the Middle Ages

Vampire Diaries Collection CFP (5/1/13)

Almost missed this one (though I'm starting to feel like I'm advertising for supernaturaltelevision@gmail.com). The Vampire Diaries (2009-) is a very popular series and a spin-off on The Originals has recently been announced for the fall.


Essay Collection: "The Vampire Diaries"
Publication Date: 2013-05-01 (in 4 days)
Date Submitted: 2013-01-22
Announcement ID: 200642

Articles are invited for an edited collection on issues related to any element of The Vampire Diaries (either the original books or the CW’s television series).

The following categories suggest possibilities but are by no means exhaustive:

• Monstrosity
• Fandom and/or Reception
• Transformation and/or Adaptation
• Gender
• Race
• Vampirism
• Shapeshifters
• Hybridity
• Witchcraft
• Heroism
• Villainy
• Adolescence
• Desire
\• History
• Memory
• Domesticity
• Power
• Possession and/or Mind Control

What to Send: 300 - 500 word abstracts (or complete articles, if available) and CVs should be submitted by May 1, 2013. If an abstract is accepted for the collection, a full draft of the essay (5000 – 8000 words) will be required by October 1, 2013.

Abstracts and final articles should be submitted to supernaturaltelevision@gmail.com. Please include “Vampire Diaries Submission” in your subject line.

 Dr. Margo Collins
Email: supernaturaltelevision@gmail.com

Essential Supernatural Out Now

Insight Editions has recently released the following:

Knight, Nicholas, and Christopher Cerasi. The Essential Supernatural: On the Road with Sam and Dean Winchester. Foreword Eric Kripke. San Rafael, CA: Insight Editions, 2012. Print. 978-1-60887-145-2

Profusely illustrated, this over-sized book serves as both a guide to and celebration of the first seven seasons of the Supernatural television series. The book includes a wealth of photographs from the show, commentary by the cast and crew, and a variety of extras for the fans. The book concludes with predictions for the upcoming season eight and a short episode guide devoted to seasons one through seven.

Upcoming Fantasy Films

The blog is in need of much updating (especially a post on NEPCA last month), but, in the meantime, I've been intrigued by some of the latest trailers featuring innovative takes on fictional and legendary heroes:

Film and History 2012 Conference

The 2012 Film and History Conference meets later this month from 26-30 September 2012 at the Hyatt Regency Downtown in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are a number of papers and emtire sessions devoted to the fantastic. The complete program can be accessed at http://www.filmandhistory.org/conference/conference2012.php.

CFP Folklore and Fantasy Conference (UK)

(There is no posting date, so this may be a repeat to the blog.)

FOLKLORE AND FANTASY CONFERENCE 2012


The Folklore Society and the Sussex Centre for Folklore, Fairy Tales and Fantasy are delighted to announce a joint conference on “Folklore and Fantasy” at the University of Chichester on Friday 13th to Sunday 15th April 2012.

CALL FOR PAPERS

Deadline 27 January 2012

Many folktales are closely related to the fantastic – through subject matter, content and impulse. Folklore often deals with the fantastic, or turns to the supernatural to provide explanations for extraordinary events. Similarly, folklore has long been a major source of inspiration for fantasy literature, from authors like Kevin Crossley-Holland and Angela Carter and graphic novelists like Neil Gaiman and Bill Willingham who take on and re-present traditional stories, to authors like Lloyd Alexander Susan Cooper, Kate Thompson who draw on established tropes, to authors such as J.R.R. Tolkien, Susanna Clarke and Terry Pratchett who invent their own folk traditions. This three-day conference will explore, investigate and celebrate the relationship between folklore and fantasy. We welcome papers on all aspects of folklore and fantasy from the medieval to the modern and the post-modern. Topics may include but are not limited to:

Folklore of the fantastic

Invented Folklore in Epic Fantasy

Graphic novels

Urban Legends

Superstitions

The Gothic Tradition

Monsters, Bogies and Boggarts

Real and invented folk history

Medieval and Modern Travellers’ Tales

Folklore in Children’s Literature

World Folklore in American Fantasy

Celtic folklore in Popular Culture

Folklore on the Stage or on the Screen

The Commodification and ‘Disneyfication’ of Traditional Stories

Folklore in Art

Abstracts of 250 words for 20-minute papers should be sent by 27 January 2012 to enquiries@folklore-society.com and to b.gray@chi.ac.uk