cfp.english.upenn.edu

CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR AN EDITED COLLECTION ON THE COMEDY OF CHRIS MORRIS

We are seeking proposals for contributions to an edited collection on the work of the cult British satirist Chris Morris, one of the most controversial and influential figures in British comedy. This anthology will pay attention to his highly singular body of work - which includes broadcast radio, television comedy such as The Day Today, Brass Eye and Jam, and more recently the feature film Four Lions - whilst also placing it within broader debates around authorship, taste and satire. We already have some experts on comedy and British visual culture contributing to the project, and are now looking for proposals that conceptualise Morris’s significance from a range of perspectives. We therefore welcome contributions from scholars working in areas such as film, radio and television studies, media and cultural studies, comedy, sociology, music and any related area. Possible topics might include, but are not limited to:

• Nathan Barley and the contemporary sitcom
• The international reception of Morris and his work; to what extent, for example, has Four Lions impacted upon his cult status?
• The persona of Morris the performer, not just in his own work but elsewhere (eg, The IT Crowd, Why Bother)
• Stylistic and sonic experimentation in his television, radio and film work

Proposals in the form of a 250 word abstract, together with a brief author biography, should be sent to the editors at james.leggott@northumbria.ac.uk AND Jamie.sexton@northumbria.ac.uk. The deadline for proposals is 1st January 2011.

Dr James Leggott and Dr Jamie Sexton
Lecturers in Film and Television
Department of Arts
School of Arts and Social Sciences
Northumbria University
Newcastle upon Tyne