Gothic Spaces: Boundaries, Mergence, Liminalities

Gothic Spaces: Boundaries, Mergence, Liminalities 21st to 22nd January 2015 Sydney, Australia The Gothic Association of New Zealand and Australia (GANZA) welcomes proposals for its biennial conference, to be held at Novotel Darling Harbour, Sydney, on 21-22 January 2015. Recent developments in Gothic Studies have highlighted the importance of 'space'. Here, 'space' is not only an abstract locus of meaning, but is also a loaded term that incorporates the interconnecting dimensions of cultural, geographical, and textual studies. As matters of spirituality and location, style and representation, chaos and order intersect, the Gothic continues to be moulded and re-moulded in relation to ever-changing understandings of both division and fusion. As such, the Gothic refuses to occupy a single space, and, as it interweaves and merges with multiple disciplines, readings, and interpretations, it also puts on new masks that change and mutate over time, societies, and cultures. The Gothic inhabits a space that is as liminal as it is demarcated, ambiguous as it is defined. The aim of this conference is to revise, revisit, and question the meaning and impact of 'Gothic spaces' not only in aesthetic terms, but also in relation to their physical, psychological, and cultural scopes. The conference will be interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary in nature. Topics may include, but are not limited to: Gothic genres Liminal identities Hybridity and trangression Gender boundaries and definitions Gothic Bodies Post/in/un-humanity Narratives of ab/normality Gothic geographies 'Gothic tourism' Haunted spaces In/between spaces Digital Gothic: reality/virtuality Public/private nightmares Dead/alive dichotomies Sanity and insanity Food and consumption Gothic writing: canon and innovation Gothic visuals and styles Urban/rural spaces Gothic forms (literature, film, poetry, comics etc.) Theories of the Gothic Proposals for panels are also welcome. Abstracts (250 words max) for 20 minute papers should be emailed to the attention of the conference organisers at: conference@ganza.co.nz. Abstracts should include your name, affiliation, e-mail address, and the title of your proposed paper. The deadline for submissions is 31st August 2014. Enquiries: conference@ganza.co.nz Web address: http://www.ganza.co.nz/conference Sponsored by: Gothic Association of New Zealand and Australia