In an era characterized by unprecedented technological advancements and escalating ecological crises, the fundamental assumptions of what it means to be human are undergoing a radical reassessment. The traditional framework of humanism, predicated on a singular, anthropocentric worldview, is increasingly challenged by the rise of artificial intelligence, biotechnologies, and global ecological interdependence. This interdisciplinary conference aims to explore how various forms of cultural production, including literature, film, and digital media, function not merely as reflections of the posthuman turn but as active agents in shaping and articulating it.

Narrative, in its myriad forms—be it textual, visual, performative, or digital—serves as both a critical mirror and an experimental ground for contesting established paradigms and exploring alternative modes of being and knowing. Cultural narratives offer significant ontological alternatives to human-centred thought, often depicting the boundaries between human and non-human entities as fluid and interconnected, as seen in mythological and philosophical traditions. This approach fosters a non-dualistic perspective that critically engages with and challenges the Western concept of the Anthropocene.

Drawing on diverse intellectual traditions, we recognize the value of revisiting indigenous epistemologies and ancient Indian thought, which emphasize interconnectedness and the impermanence of the self. The concept of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — “the world is one family” — offers a powerful ethical framework for posthumanism, advocating a holistic view in which all beings are part of an interconnected whole. This perspective resonates deeply in literature, where narratives can transcend anthropocentric viewpoints and explore complex relationships among humans, technology, nature, and other life forms. The conference aims to foster a dialogue on how these philosophical insights can help envision a more inclusive, empathetic, and expansive understanding of identity and ethics in a posthuman world.

We are particularly interested in how narratives articulate, complicate, and resist dominant discourses surrounding technological progress, ecological decline, and human exceptionalism. Submissions may address questions such as: What new conceptions of consciousness and being emerge when the human is no longer the sole measure of meaning? How do literature and media represent the fragmentation and de-centring of the human subject in the face of posthumanist thought? What new subjectivities emerge from these representations? How do cultural texts navigate the bioethical concerns of autonomy, subjectivity, and agency in a world where human and non-human systems are inextricably intertwined? How do narratives explore the relationship between human bodies and technology, particularly through concepts like cyborgs, genetic engineering, and virtual reality? What are the ethical and ontological implications of technological enhancement and disembodiment? How do literary and media texts move beyond anthropocentrism to represent interspecies relationships, ecological crises, and the agency of nonhuman entities (e.g., animals, plants, or even planetary systems)? How do digital media, video games, and virtual environments embody and reflect posthumanist ideas? How do they create new forms of interactive storytelling that complicate the human/nonhuman divide? How do filmmakers and visual artists use imagery, special effects, and cinematic techniques to depict posthuman bodies and worlds? How do they challenge the viewer's anthropocentric perspective? How does the posthuman turn influence narrative structure and literary form? Are there new narrative strategies, such as nonhuman narrators or decentralized perspectives, that challenge traditional modes of storytelling? How are posthumanist ideas and representations shaped by different cultural, national, and postcolonial contexts, particularly in the Global South? How do they challenge Eurocentric notions of humanism and progress? What new ethical and political dilemmas arise in posthumanist narratives? How do they address issues of power, exploitation, and social justice in a multispecies world? This critical inquiry enables us to consider both the dystopian possibilities and the transformative potential for ethical living in a posthuman reality.

Conference Tracks & Themes

We invite scholarly and creative-critical proposals that engage with the narrative dimensions of posthumanism. Submissions are welcome across the following thematic tracks, though this list is not exhaustive:

• Track 1: Posthuman Aesthetics and Narrative Forms

• Posthuman aesthetics/ethics in literature, film, and visual culture

• Techno-Gothic imaginaries, monstrosity, animality and uncanny affects

• Posthuman mythologies and the reinvention of the sacred

• Silence, sound, code, and gesture as narrative languages

• Track 2: Bodies, Identities, and Hybrid Subjectivities

• Cyborg bodies and synthetic identities

• Queer, feminist, and decolonial/postcolonial posthumanisms

• Indigenous cosmologies as critiques of Western humanism

• Track 3: Ecologies and the More-Than-Human World

• Multispecies and ecological narratives

• Solarpunk and the reimagining of planetary futures

• Track 4: Machines, Memory, and the Digital Future

• AI-generated literature and algorithmic authorship

• Digital memory, archives, and speculative futures

Selected high quality papers will be published in an edited volume by a reputed publisher. Publication charges will apply. 

Submission Guidelines

We invite proposals from scholars in literature, cultural studies, philosophy, media studies, the arts, and related fields. We also welcome submissions that adopt creative-critical approaches and experimental formats, including hybrid presentations, performances, or digital installations.

1. Abstracts (max 300 words) should be submitted via email and must include the title, author(s) and affiliation(s), five keywords, and the track of interest.

2. A brief bio-note (100 words max) should also be included.

3. Full papers must be submitted as a single MS Word file with the track number and name in the subject line to engconference@knc.du.ac.in 

4. Each paper may have a maximum of two authors.

Important Dates & Contact Information

• Deadline for Abstract Submission: 10th September 2026

• Notification of Acceptance: 15th September 2026

• Deadline for Full Paper Submission: 30th September 2026

• Conference Dates: 9-10th October 2026

Click the link for Registration

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1XqGzIkGeJQIX_W61nM5_RYNJHVrIw5UgrwXj5XgF1QY/

The registration fee for participation and paper presentation at the conference is as follows:

₹ 2000 for Faculty Members (Offline)

₹ 1500 for Faculty Members (Online)

₹ 1200 for Research Scholars (Offline)

₹ 800 for Research Scholars (Online)

$ 50 for International Participants

(The fee covers the conference kit, high tea, and lunch.)

Account Details: 

Account Holder: KNC N C STUDENT FUND SOCIETY

Name of the Bank: State Bank of India

Account Number: 10732134483

IFSC: SBIN0003219

UPI ID: 10732134483kncstudentwelfare@sbi

Kindly mention “English Conference” in the payment remarks.

For any enquiries, please email us at engconference@knc.du.ac.in