Stories of Survival

This year’s conference is titled "Stories of Survival" and will take place in person on the UMass Amherst Campus in Western Massachusetts, March 27-29, 2026.

History is both the study of objects and stories that survive the past, and the work of unearthing what has been lost. This year’s conference aims to bring together an interdisciplinary group of graduate students to consider the theme of survival across history. How, for example, are the survival of people, documents, narratives, environments, and communities connected? What tools can historians use to revive stories that have not survived the passage of time? How can engaging with history help people survive and thrive in an increasingly perilous modern world? We encourage proposals to engage with the question of how we might connect these topics to modern-day issues of social justice, democracy, and community.

The GHA is pleased to welcome speakers from various disciplines and several different universities in the United States and abroad.

For questions, please reach out to the GHA at ghapage@umass.edu.