September 21, 2008
The International Shakespeare Association (ISA) has extended the deadline to submit proposals for papers for the Ninth World Shakespeare Congress from 30 November 2008 until 28 February 2009. The congress will be held 17 - 22 July 2011 in Prague, Czech Republic. Prague’s Charles University, founded in 1348 by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, will serve as host.
According to the organizers, “Prague, where Shakespeare’s plays were most probably performed during his lifetime, provides the opportunity to approach Shakespeare’s theatre in the context of cultural and political relations between Elizabethan and Jacobean England and Central Europe under the Habsburg Emperor Rudolph II and later on the eve of the Thirty Years’ War.”
“Delegates will be able to trace the steps of Dr. John Dee, Edward Kelley, Edmund Campion, and Elizabeth Weston as they tour the Baroque theatres and Rosenberg castles of South Bohemia.”
The theme of the congress is Renaissance Shakespeare/Shakespeare Renaissances. Participants are encouraged to interpret the theme in terms of geography, history and culture and to consider text and performance in a full range of media. The plenary lectures, seminar, workshop and short paper programs along with the supporting cultural, social, and community activities will all reflect the theme.
Proposals should be as detailed as possible and include a rationale along with a list of problems or questions that the seminar, workshop or short paper (panel) session seeks to explore. Brief academic biographies of the proposed leaders and contributors of short papers should be included in the proposal.
Staying true to its name, the International Shakespeare Association will give preference to proposals that reflect the international nature of the World Congress. The association also encourages geographical diversity in seminar, workshop and panel leadership.
All proposals will be reviewed by members of the ISA Programme Committee. Anyone submitting a proposal should make sure that his or her ISA membership is current.
Proposals should be sent to Dr. Nick Walton, ISA Secretary, preferably by email at isa@shakespeare.org.uk. Proposals can also be sent by postal service to: The Shakespeare Centre, Henley Street, Stratford-Upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6QW, United Kingdom. All proposals are due by 28 February 2009.
The International Shakespeare Association was formed in 1974 to offer opportunities for individuals and institutions to join together to further the knowledge of Shakespeare throughout the world. The ISA is headquartered at the Shakespeare Centre in Stratford-upon-Avon.
This is at least the second time the deadline has been extended. Earlier this summer, the deadline was extended from 30 June to 30 November 2008. No reason for the new deadline was given in the revised call for papers.
Web Resources:
The International Shakespeare Association Ninth World Shakespeare Congress - Revised Call For Papers
