Othello’s Island 2017 – Call For Papers

Othello’s Island 2017
The Fifth Annual Conference on Medieval, Renaissance and Early Modern Studies, Nicosia, Cyprus
CVAR, Nicosia, Cyprus (STC)
5-8 April, 2017
(with optional coach trip on 9 April, 2017)

Conference Website

We welcome applications to present papers at the 2017 edition of Othello’s Island. This will take place in Nicosia, Cyprus, in April 2017. We are interested in hearing papers on diverse aspects of medieval and renaissance literature, art, history, society and other aspects of culture, and these do not have to be specifically related to Cyprus or the Mediteranean.

It is worth looking at the range of papers from past conferences to see that previous speakers have covered topics ranging from slavery in medieval Cyprus and Malta, to the impact of Italian Renaissance art on Cypriot Byzantine painting, to the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf.

That said, given our location, Cyprus, the Levant and the Mediterranean do impact on the conference, not least because for anyone interested in medieval and renaissance history Cyprus is real gem, full of architectural and other material culture relating to the period. This includes museums filled with historic artefacts, gothic and Byzantine cathedrals and churches and a living culture that has direct links to this period.

Othello’s Island has developed a reputation as one of the friendliest medieval and renaissance studies conferences in the world today, and it is also genuinely interdisciplinary. In part this is due to the relatively small size of the event, which generates a true sense of community during the conference.

Full Papers (20 minutes plus questions)

If you are interested in giving a talk at the conference please submit a proposal for a paper. Standard papers are 20 minutes long, followed by 5 or 10 minutes for questions. The basic theme of the conference is mediaeval, renaissance and early modern art, literature, social and cultural history, but we are very open minded on the topic of papers, so please feel free to submit a proposal, or contact us first to discuss the idea.

Topics in the past have included art, medieval and renaissance literature, architecture and archaeology, religious experience and belief, relations between different religions and ethnic groups, slavery, the position of women, trade routes and even the influence on western Europe of medieval food from the middle east. We have also had papers looking looking beyond our core historical period, looking at the continuing use of medieval and renaissance history and imagery to justify colonialism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the impact of Shakespeare on the Indian film industry.

Proposals for papers should comprise a cover sheet showing:

  1. Your title (eg. Mr, Ms, Dr, Prof. etc.) and full name
  2. Your institutional affiliation (if any)
  3. Your postal address, e-mail address and telephone number
  4. The title of your proposed paper

With this you should send a proposal/abstract for your paper of no more than 300 words and a copy of your CV/resume to info@othellosisland.org with the subject line OTHELLO 2017. All papers must be delivered in English and in person by the author of the paper. We cannot accommodate speakers wishing to present using Skype (or similar), or proxy presentations.

The deadline for submissions of proposals is 1 January, 2017. Early submission is strongly advised. We aim to have a decision on the acceptance of papers within four weeks of submission.