The coal industry has had a profound and far-reaching impact on people's lives at the regional and global levels. Despite the energy transition from coal to petrol in the mid 20th century, many industries, such as the steel and energy industries, remain heavily dependent on coal, and the positive and negative influences brought about by the industry have still been retained in the former mining communities, as well as in countries where coal mining remains a significant contributor to the economy. The influence of the coal industry on human relations is multifaceted and pervasive, manifesting in various forms, extending beyond economic, social and environmental conditions to encompass virtually every aspect of a whole way of life. This is evidenced by a wealth of historical documents and analyses, literary works, criticism and theoretical analysis related to coal. While academic studies across diverse areas of the humanities have been conducted to analyse this impact, there remain broad areas that have yet to be explored, especially from an intersectional perspective that includes literary studies, gender and queer studies, ecology, (post)colonial studies, history, and social studies, among others.
In the light of the aforementioned considerations, a series of symposia was held in Japan, organised on the basis of an academic collaboration and friendship between Daniel Williams and The Raymond Williams Society in Japan, with financial support from JSPS KAKENHI . One such event was the symposia entitled “After Coal: Symposia on Post-industrial Culture and Society in Wales, Appalachia and Japan,” which was held in Tokyo and Osaka in 2018. The participants included Tom Hansell (Appalachian State University), Daniel Williams, Simon Brooks (Swansea University), Shinsuke Furuya, and Hideo Nakazawa, who were invited to present their papers. The second symposia, entitled "International Symposia: the Cultures of Coal," was held in 2019. The symposia were comprised of two sessions: The symposium, entitled “Diversifying the Culture of Coal,” was held in Nogata, a former coal field, while the symposium, entitled “Disabilities and the Culture of Coal,” was held in Tokyo. The lecturers were Danil Williams (Swansea University), Steve Thompson (Aberystwyth University), Hiromi Ochi (Senshu University), and Yukari Yosihara (Tsukuba ), while discussants were Shintaro Kono (Senshu University) and Ryota Nishi (Chuo University). Following the success of the symposia, further discussions and collaborative international academic events were planned. However, the advent of the pandemic of COVID-19 prevented their realisation.
The term "Cultures of Coal" was coined by synthesising a range of analytical perspectives to examine the influence of coal on human life. The most significant element of this synthesis is Raymond Williams’ cultural analysis, in which Williams broadens the scope of the term “culture” to encompass “a whole way of life.” This approach aims to demythologise art works, and situate them within the contexts of society. It enables us to analyse both cultural oeuvres and their social context without either molding them into the reductionist analysis nor divorcing art from society. Another element of this synthesis is derived from a literary study conducted by Hiroshi Ikeda, a Japanese literary scholar. Through detailed readings of a vast range of literature in English, German, Japan, and Taiwan, Ikeda maintains the importance of his unique term “the whole life of coal,” which encompasses a comprehensive and long-term perspective, beginning from the Carboniferous period, through the mining process, and to the myriad impacts coal mining has brought about for human society. In his scope, “ the whole life of coal” is an ongoing phenomenon, as the repercussions of coal mining are virtually perpetual. The title of this international symposia, “Cultures of Coal,” inherits Williams’ cultural materialism and Ikeda’s long term scope, and incorporates a comprehensive range of topics within the humanities.