Conference 2024: Gakushuin University Tokyo – August 5-9, 2024

Aftermaths

The annual IASIL Conference will be held at Gakushuin University in Tokyo from the 5-9 August 2024, organized by IASIL Japan. The conference theme will be ‘Aftermaths’.

‘Aftermaths’ is a complex and multifaceted theme, especially in relation to Irish literature. Essentially, ‘aftermath’ refers to the consequences or effects of an historical event, usually one that has had a significant impact on society, culture, and politics. Ireland has experienced numerous historical events that have had a profound impact on its society and culture, including the Great Famine, the Easter Rising, and the ‘Troubles’, the post-‘Celtic Tiger’ period, the abortion referendum, the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandals, and more recently, the Covid and post-Covid period. These events have left a lasting legacy on Irish society and culture, a legacy explored time and time again in Irish literature.

Many works, for instance, have explored the impact of the Great Famine, including the long-term effects of emigration and the dislocation of rural communities. Works that explore the Troubles have focused on the impact of sectarian violence on Northern Ireland, including the long-term effects on communities and individuals. Another key area within this theme of aftermath is the idea of memory and commemoration, how societies remember and commemorate significant historical events through the creation of memorials or other cultural forms. This theme is particularly relevant in the context of Ireland, which has a long history of commemoration and memorialization, including the annual remembrance of the Easter Rising and the construction of numerous monuments and memorials to commemorate the country’s historical events.

The significance of the concept of the ‘Aftermath’ in relation to Irish literature cannot be overstated. By exploring the impact of historical events on Irish society and culture, Irish literature has provided valuable insights into the ways in which societies remember and understand their past and imagined their futures.

The hope is that ‘Aftermaths’ will be a thought-provoking and engaging theme, enabling the conference to delve into the impact of significant events on Irish society and culture, and to explore how they have shaped, and continue to shape, Irish literature.

Plenary Speakers: Mitsuko Ohno, Michael Cronin, Tina O’Toole, Moynagh Sullivan, Clair Wills

Guest writers/artists: Lucy Caldwell, Stephen Sexton, Stano

Possible themes and topics addressed by the conference include:

• Consequences in Irish literatures
• Memory and commemoration in Irish literatures
• Unions and Partitions in Irish history and literature
• Irish literatures and Asia
• Japan and Irish literatures
• Korea and Irish literatures
• China and Irish literatures
• Ecocritical approaches to and in Irish writing
• Ireland and the Anthropocene
• Critical frameworks and Irish social change
• National narratives and the Irish literary canon
• History and story in Irish writing
• Northern Ireland’s ‘aftermaths’
• Irish- and minority-language writing
• Diasporic identities
• Irish Gothic
• Translation and Irish literatures
• Scandal and/in Irish literature
• Ireland and Science Fiction
• Ireland and Murder
• Law and Irish literature
• Sexualities and gender
• Migration and Ireland
• Ireland’s imagined futures
• Linguistic identities/Linguistic change
• Race and diversity in Irish literatures and culture

In keeping with IASIL’s general practice, papers are also invited in other areas of Irish literary studies.

To propose either a conference panel/roundtable (3 speakers), please send an email to conference2024@iasil.jp

Submit proposals for individual papers via this link

The deadline for proposals is March 15, 2024.

Proposals should include: name(s), institutional affiliation(s), paper title(s), a 250-word abstract (500 words for a panel) and a brief biographical sketch of up to 50 words for each participant. Prospective speakers will be notified of a decision by April 15, 2024.

Proposals and papers may be presented in either the Irish or English language./ Cuirtear fáilte roimh pháipéir i nGaeilge nó i mBéarla.

The IASIL Japan website has more details – click here.

Postgraduate Scholarship:

IASIL is pleased to invite applications for a postgraduate scholarship to attend the conference in Japan. Please CLICK HERE for details,

IASIL Japan Postgraduate Scholarship:

1. IASIL Japan offers a scholarship for a postgraduate student, which subsidises a part of their travel expenses to attend the IASIL conference.

2. Eligible applicants must:

(a) be a member of IASIL Japan.

(b) have a full and active affiliation with an academic institution as a postgraduate student.

3. The application for the scholarship will be considered by the Executive Committee of IASIL Japan.

4. The successful applicant will be awarded 50,000 yen for travel expenses.

The successful applicant will be asked to send the IASIL Japan office a report of travel expenses and

a photocopy of receipts for air tickets.

5. Applications and referee forms must both be sent to the secretary by 31 January 2024.

Applicants will be informed of the results at the end of March.

* With regards to IASIL 2024 Conference, in addition to the 50,000-yen scholarship, IASIL Japan will offer IASIL-Japan student members, 2-3 places where the registration fee is waived. Participants attending both in person and online are eligible.

Note: The IASIL Japan scholarship is independent of the IASIL scholarships in the sense that applicants can apply to both scholarships, using the same application format. Also, applicants, if they wish, can apply for the IASIL Japan Scholarship alone. However, successful applicants for the IASIL scholarship cannot also receive the IASIL Japan scholarship. In that case, the IASIL Japan scholarship goes to next most qualified candidate.

PhD Forum

Applications are invited for the annual IASIL PhD Forum, at which postgraduate students have the opportunity to present their work in progress and receive feedback from established scholars. The Forum will take place on Monday 5 August 2024, 9:00-14:00, prior to the opening of the conference of the association at Gakushuin University in Tokyo. For more click here.

Registration:

Registration Fee Band

Registration (For May and June 2024) 35,000 yen (250 Euro approx.)

Early Bird (Up to end of April 2024) 30,000 yen (200 Euro approx.)

Online Presentation 15,000 yen (100 Euro)

Early Career (within 3 years after completing PhD and untenured)/Unwaged/Retired/Student : 15,000 yen (100 Euro)

For information on Accommodation, and Travel and Local Information CLICK HERE