Call for papers

Wings of Ink: Manifestations of Fantasy in Literature

International Conference

Literature has always found its most fruitful and unrestrained source of creativity in fantasy. When imagination runs wild and boundless, it creates fresh and wild ideas that are not limited by the realism that prevails in other subgenres, which sometimes ends up stifling creativity. Many novels, short stories and poems are filled with fantasy: castles in the sky, dragon riders, warrior princesses, mysterious gates to imaginary worlds, swordsmen, sorceresses, and all manner of mythical creatures. Since the dawn of time, dreamers everywhere have found fantasy in the form of myths, fairy tales and superstitions. Even when reason seemed to prevail in a society increasingly obsessed with science, fantasy found its place in literature. During the 19th century, hundreds of traditions that had been forgotten for decades were rediscovered. The 20th century, for its part, witnessed the revival of those imaginaries in the form of important and famous books: The Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Neverending Story, The Books of Earthsea, Harry Potter, etc. These stories defied reality and resulted in the creation of new identities and worlds. Today, their heritage has given rise to a whole literary genre that never ceases to inspire new plots. From fairy tales and epic poems, fantasy has evolved in many directions, seeking new ways of dreaming and creating that fit the taste of 21st-century readers: dragons no longer destroy cities nor kidnap princesses, but are ridden by brave heroes; princesses do not wait for their Prince Charming, but escape their prisons by themselves; knights wear clothes from faraway lands which differ largely from the garments of medieval Europe.

The purpose of this interdisciplinary conference is to encourage a debate, both from a theoretical and comparative perspective, about fantasy in 21st-century literature as the heir of a canon and the promoter of new stories. Generally speaking, the goal is to spark a debate about the current situation of Fantasy and its new forms of expression, both in literature and in other media, and in contrast with other artistic expressions. We wish to stimulate a discussion between tradition and change where every young researcher who wants to delve into this genre can take part and find new approaches and perspectives. 

We would like to extend a special invitation to undergraduate, master’s and PhD students and young researchers to send their proposals and participate in this conference.

All proposals must be adjusted to at least one of the themes explained above. In addition, they must be original and unpublished, and they need to be written either in Spanish or in English. There is a form available on our website that needs to be filled in by those who wish to participate. Please find this space open for panel proposals (3 or 4 participants). Abstracts of each of the members shall be sent individually via the enabled form, indicating their panel proposal in the “remarks” section below. Proposals will be evaluated individually and may be accepted or rejected independently of the rest of the panel’s proposals. Registration is free for all attendees, whether  a proposal is sent or not.

Furthermore, those who require a certificate of attendance need to fill in the form specially enabled for this purpose, which can be found on our website. In addition, the attendance sheet must be signed for every conference that they participate in. Minimum attendance to obtain the certificate is established at 80%.

A selection of proposals will be published after a double-blind review process has taken place.