2011 CONFERENCE

CONFERENCE CALL – SEPTEMBER 2011

MELOW

(The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literatures of the World)

&

MELUS-India

(The Society for the Study of the Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States)

Venue: OUCIP (formerly known as ASRC), Osmania University, Hyderabad

Date: September 22-24, 2011

IN SEARCH OF SOLUTIONS: THE CONVENTIONAL, THE EXPERIMENTAL AND THE BIZARRE

In a world that is rapidly changing it is inevitable that our parameters for the study of literature, culture and society are forever being re-defined. There are emerging spaces that cry for attention, black holes that have remained undetected for too long, alternative solutions that may provide an answer to many of our problems, and novel ways of negotiating issues related to the multifarious aspects of human life.

MELUS-MELOW 2011 focuses on these new approaches that (a) move away from the beaten track to clear fresh ground; (b) advocate the use of fresh critical / theoretical approaches to questions faced by human society; (c) focus attention on areas that have been under-represented; or (d) provide new insights into prevalent issues.

Abstracts not exceeding 250 words may be submitted on the following sub-themes:

1. A Transcultural World: Emerging issues in a global approach to literature and culture

2. Global Solutions: From the national to the transnational

3. Strange and Unfamiliar ‘Other’ Worlds – the Fantastic, the Supernatural and the Surreal

4. Off the Beaten Track: Not-so-popular culture and cinema

5. Cyborg literature

6. The Old and the New: Re-interpreting the Classics

7. Lessons from History: The Fictionalization of Fact

8. Changing Seasons: Lessons from Ecology, Terror Strikes, Natural Disasters

9. Watchdog Media: Journalistic Literature, Yellow Journalism

10. A special MELUS-India Panel will be devoted to “Re-visioning the United States: The Re-emergence of US Studies outside the Americas”

The Conference will be held in Hyderabad at the OUCIP (former ASRC).

Prospective delegates will please note that we are focused primarily on literature but our attempt is to go interdisciplinary. We welcome approaches to literature from other perspectives.

The following information, in the given format, should be sent along with the abstract:

Title of Abstract

Name of Delegate

Official designation, Address and email id

Home address and Phone number

MELUS/MELOW conferences attended earlier (in which year and where)

Are you currently a member of MELUS or MELOW? Or do you need a fresh / renewed membership? Please specify.

• The subject line of your message should read “ABSTRACT 2011: [YOUR NAME] and [If applicable - state if you are an Indian citizen below 40, competing for the ISM award]”

Send the abstract with the necessary information by email (as part of the TEXT message, and NOT as attachment) to mjaidka@gmail.com with a copy to aneelraina@gmail.com

•Deadline for receipt of abstracts is 30 November 2010.

All abstracts will be peer-reviewed before they are accepted. Once acceptance letters are sent full papers (approx 3,000 words) will be invited.