CFP There and Back Again: Tolkien in 2015 (10/1/14; Ohio State 2/20-21/15)

More Tolkien outreach:


Call for Papers
There and Back Again: Tolkien in 2015


The submission deadline for abstracts and panel proposals is October 1st. Submissions after that date will be happily received, but cannot be guaranteed full consideration. Abstracts may be submitted via email to cmrs_gaa@osu.edu or via our webform at https://cmrs.osu.edu/events/pcdp/2015-tolkien/sign-up.

Contact email: cmrs_gaa@osu.edu

February 20-21, 2015

The Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the Ohio State University invites abstracts and panel proposals for its second academic conference on Popular Culture and the Deep Past, devoted this year to the works of and world surrounding J.R.R. Tolkien: "There and Back Again: Tolkien in 2015." In keeping with the PCDP idea, this will be a full-fledged conference, itself nested in a broader 'carnival' of popular and traditional cultural events and activities, including food- and culture-ways demonstrations, exhibits of artwork, books, and manuscripts, combat, gaming, and cosplay. (If you wish to submit a proposal for a non-academic presentation or activity, or otherwise participate in 'Tolkien Day' as an organizer or volunteer, please see our separate 'Tolkien Day' CFP at http://cmrs.osu.edu/events/pcdp/2015-tolkien/carnival.)

Given the release in December 2014 of Peter Jackson's final Hobbit movie, we will be particularly receptive to proposals that draw on themes evoked in or growing out of Tolkien's 1937 novel; but we invite submissions involving research on any topic related to the Tolkien phenomenon, ranging from historical and cultural identities to linguistic, writing, and media systems, folkways and cultural expressions, fantasy and gaming, and popular or artistic manifestations of all kinds. As with last year's PCDP conference on the Game of Thrones, this one aims to explore the interface between historicity and contemporaneity: preference will be given to proposals in which this element is manifest.

Conference papers will be limited to 20 minutes' duration, followed by 10 minutes of discussion; they will be organized thematically into two-hour sessions of 4 papers each, ranging across two days. Submissions for entire conference sessions are welcome, in which case a session title and abstract should be submitted, along with individual paper titles and abstracts for the session from the different presenters.

Abstracts for sessions and individual papers should be limited to 250 words. Please contact us with any questions you might have; note that the submissions deadline is October 1.

CFP Commemoration of 60th Anniversary of Lord of the Rings at University of Maryland College Park (7/20/14; 9/1-10/17/14)

This sounds like a worthwhile endeavor:

Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of Lord of the Rings (The Mithril Turtle)
Location: Maryland, United States
Call for Papers Date: 2014-09-01
Date Submitted: 2014-06-25
Announcement ID: 214675
CFP:  Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of Lord of the Rings (The Mithril Turtle)


2014 is the sixtieth anniversary of Lord of the Rings.  The Mithril Turtle is the University of Maryland College Park’s commemoration of this important literary and cultural milestone.  A variety of events are planned for September 1 – October 17, 2014.

Among these is an interdisciplinary discussion series.  Tolkien's created world is realistically and compellingly realized, making it ideal for creative exploration of a wide range of disciplines.  We invite proposals that use the lens of Lord of the Rings and Middle-earth to focus attention upon cutting edge research and scholarship.


Topics might include (but are not limited to):

• Does formal education exist in Middle-earth? [Higher Education]
• Tolkien as poet [Literature]
• Jackson’s films or other adaptations [Film Studies]
• Middle-earth, Tolkien, and the internet [Media and Pop Culture Studies]
• Tolkien’s contemporary art world and its influence on his art [Art]
• Tolkien-inspired artists and artwork [Contemporary Art]
• Tolkien’s cartography and medieval maps [Geography]
• Would Aragorn need an EPA?  Land use in Middle-earth [Ecology, Public Policy]
• The economy of Middle-earth [Business and Economics]
• Tolkien’s medieval sources [History]
• Tolkien’s invented languages [Linguistics]
• Hobbit holes and earth homes:  energy efficiency in Middle-earth [Architecture]
• Shelob, balrogs, and giant eagles:  physiology in Middle-earth [Biology]

Short proposals (~one page) are welcome.  For best consideration, send materials to Michelle Markey Butler (mbutler5@umd.edu) by July 20, 2014.


For more information about the LOTR Research Discussion Series, possible topics, or the Mithril Turtle event schedule, see mithrilturtle.umd.edu.  Or contact Michelle Markey Butler (mbutler5@umd.edu).

Michelle Markey Butler
Email: mbutler5@umd.edu
Visit the website at http://mithrilturtle.umd.edu