Writing As Spaces

Writing As Spaces 4th Global Meeting of the Writing Project Call for Participation 2016 Saturday 2nd July – Monday 4th July 2016 Mansfield College, Oxford "We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect." – Anais Nin Writing as Spaces is open to anyone who writes or who is interested in any aspect of writing. We welcome papers and presentations dealing with writing, writing workshops, interactive demonstrations and panel explorations of what it means to 'be a writer', 'taste writing in the moment' and 'realizing what writing is through reflection'. However, this project is just not limited to exploring these aspects, as writing can also be a social or cultural voice or voices, that are global, visual in nature and layered through multimedia connectivity. In what could be a polar opposite to this, writing can also be writing with a stick in the sand on a beach. Ultimately, writing is in a place, on a place and for another place. Linked to the last point, another set of critical ideas that this conference seeks to develop is the idea in the shifting nature of what writing means. The idea of what constitutes writing in a very practical sense has begun to move through a change in perspective in recent times. Even the most cursory glance at the internet, a quick walk through a book shop (if you can find one) or meander through any newspaper reveals that writing has taken on numerous forms and purposes. Indeed, many writers now use all of the previous tools, process and media to create a single pastiche of writing formats with a multiplicity of purposes. No matter the form or process through which it was created, writing is also mediated or filtered through a set of what has been termed 'spaces'. Spaces can mean external or internal spaces where writers find support for their imaginings and creations. These 'spaces' can be hubs of activity or escapes into solitude where the writer finds connection to transcendent experiences. This conference is also interested in delegates who can unpack, explain and explore writing in regards to the personal and social spaces and places they, or others find them in. Thus, sites of writing, cultural perspectives and cross-cultural lenses could also become a set of frameworks through which writing could be explored. To this end, delegates may wish to submit abstracts for this conference as well as the project related to this theme. Papers, presentations, reports and workshops are invited on, but not limited to any of the following focus areas: How do various spaces influence the process of writing as a whole? How do physical and psychological spaces influence the writing of fiction and non-fiction? What are the origins of writing? What are the personal and interpersonal relationships between creativity and writing? How do various spaces engender or inhibit the creative or inspirational drivers for writing? How is effective and creative writing developed and nurtured? How do various disciplines understand the pragmatic elements of writing and the thought processes and concepts of space that underpin writing? In regard to the related research disciplines what are the similarities/differences in understanding of writing and the spaces of writing? How can creative writing be fostered in a world dominated by measurement, outcomes and benchmarks? How do authors in all the forms of writing actually write? Is there a space for pen and paper writing in a world dominated by technology? Further details can be found at the conference website: http://www.inter-disciplinary.net/at-the-interface/education/writing/call-for-papers/ Call for Cross-Over Presentations The Writing as Spaces project will be meeting at the same time as a project on Humour and another project on Love Letters. We welcome submissions which cross the divide between both project areas. If you would like to be considered for a cross project session, please mark your submission "Crossover Submission". What to Send 300 word abstracts, proposals and other forms of contribution should be submitted by Friday 29th January 2016. All submissions be minimally double reviewed, under anonymous (blind) conditions, by a global panel drawn from members of the Project Team and the Advisory Board. In practice our procedures usually entail that by the time a proposal is accepted, it will have been triple and quadruple reviewed. You will be notified of the panel's decision by Friday 12th February 2016. If your submission is accepted for the conference, a full draft of your contribution should be submitted by Friday 3rd June 2016. Abstracts may be in Word, RTF or Notepad formats with the following information and in this order: a) author(s), b) affiliation as you would like it to appear in programme, c) email address, d) title of proposal, e) body of proposal, f) up to 10 keywords. E-mails should be entitled: Writing as Spaces Abstract Submission Where to Send Abstracts should be submitted simultaneously to both Organising Chairs: Organising Chairs: Phil Fitzsimmons: phil.fitzsimmons@avondale.edu.au Rob Fisher: was4@inter-disciplinary.net This event is part of a new emerging inclusive interdisciplinary research and publishing project which overlaps projects working in the areas of Writing, Letters, Graphic Novel, Storytelling. It aims to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore various discussions which are innovative and exciting. A number of publications have emerged from the work of the project. All papers accepted for and presented at the conference must be in English and will be eligible for publication in an ISBN eBook. Selected papers may be developed for publication in a themed hard copy volume(s). All publications from the conference will require editors, to be chosen from interested delegates from the conference. Ethos Inter-Disciplinary.Net believes it is a mark of personal courtesy and professional respect to your colleagues that all delegates should attend for the full duration of the meeting. If you are unable to make this commitment, please do not submit an abstract for presentation. Please note: Inter-Disciplinary.Net is a not-for-profit network and we are not in a position to be able to assist with conference travel or subsistence.