Conference Details

2024 Conference

Schedule

Call for Proposals

We welcome proposals for academic papers in English or Comparative Literature, or creative writing. We seek proposals for writing on any topic related to the study of literature, narratives in all genres and media, poetry analysis and appreciation, or literary/critical theory. Students submitting for creative writing also will be asked to upload the full document of the proposed work. 

Our committee will accept proposals (up to two proposals, one creative and one academic, per student) until 30 November. 

Please use this form to submit your material for consideration.  

Student committee members will vet all proposals and respond to all applicants in early December.

Location

For location information, visit our Contact Page.

Food Preferences and Accommodation Requests

We strive to provide a maximally inclusive environment for all panelists and attendees. If you plan to present at or attend the conference, and you have specific food requirements or require other forms of accommodation, please email us to let us know at hollandk5@mymacewan.ca. Please note: we require at least one month's notice to guarantee accommodation of these requests.

Information for Presenters

Once your paper is accepted, you should do the following:

1. Respond to your acceptance email by confirming your participation, along with any special requests for AV requirements, accommodation, or dietary preference.

2. Make your paper as strong as possible! Work through multiple drafts; ask your professors for help; and get it as polished as possible. Once the written text is in place, PRACTICE READING IT OUT LOUD! Make sure it takes no more than 15 minutes to read.

3. If you're coming from out of town, make arrangements for accommodations; MacEwan Residence is a convenient option.

4. See the Contact page for specific information about the conference location, including directions to campus and specific rooms where the panels will take place.

5. For parking information, see MacEwan's Parking Services website.

What to Wear

Conference presenters and panelists should plan to wear business casual attire.

Audience members can choose to wear a range of clothing from casual to business casual.

Academic Conference Norms

Academic conferences are for sharing ideas and engaging in dialogue with other scholars and students in your field. Reading Identity is organized into panels, consisting of 3-4 paper presentations, based around a single, unifying topic or theme. Individual student scholars will read their papers, each about 15 minutes long, and then there will be a Q&A period afterward.

During the Q&A period, audience members will ask questions based on the information you presented in your paper. A MacEwan faculty member will moderate the panels, which means they will introduce each panelist and then facilitate discussion during the Q&A period.

Similarly, Creative Writing panels will consist of readings of creative work, followed by Q&A from the audience.

Suggestions for Paper Submissions

Students are welcome to submit up to two proposals, one academic and one creative. The proposal(s) that you submit do(es) not have to be about new work produced exclusively for this conference. On the contrary, it would make sense to submit one(s) about material you have already written for a class--maybe one(s) that you feel particularly proud of, and would like to share. You can, of course, write a paper especially for your conference presentation--for example, if you have an idea or text that you've been wanting to explore in paper format, but which you haven't been able to do in any of your classes. However, keeping in mind that you probably already have several papers that are either already written or need to be written, be mindful of your own time and commitments when choosing which paper you'd like to present.