CFP: Iain (M.) Banks(UK) (02/28/06; 09/02/06) Call for papers for a
one-day conference hosted at University of Westminster, London England.

The UK Network for Modern Fiction Studies in partnership with the
University of Hull invites proposals for papers and panels for our Iain
(M.) Banks conference to be held on Saturday 2nd September 2006 at the
University of Westminster, London. This is the first UK conference to
focus solely on Iain Banks and coincides with the publication of his
latest novel.

Confirmed speakers include:
        Tim Middleton
        James Kneale

Iain (M.) Banks is unquestionably an original, innovative writer whose
work is marginalised and remains on the periphery of academic
acceptance, failing to gain recognition from the contemporary canon. His
often experimental, avante-garde and cross-genre narratives are
concerned principally, but not exclusively, with the contestation of
identity, sexuality, and selfhood. Gavin Millar's successful and
acclaimed adaptations of 'The Crow Road' and 'Complicity' have made his
work known to a larger audience. As a high-profile writer who appears
regularly on television, Banks has a dedicated fan base illustrated by
the circulation of The Banksoniain, a publication entirely given over to
his writing and thinking. Possibly because of the difficulty attached to
categorising Banks' writing, compounded by his decision to publish his
science fiction writing under the name of Iain M. Banks, his work has
been neglected. Under scrutiny these publishing distinctions seem to
collapse as Banks' use of fantasy is pervasive across his work.
Moreover, characters and personality types also resurface causing a
network of reflections throughout his work.

Possible topics include but are not limited to:
* The Scottish writer
* The fantastic
* Theorising Banks
* Redefining gender
* Other worldliness
* Screening Banks
* Memory
* The threat of incest
* The Gothic and post-Gothic
* The player of games
* The avenging angel
* Variable fictions

Send abstracts (no more than 250 words) for proposed 20 minute papers by
28th February 2006 to martyn.colebrook_at_english.hull.ac.uk or to
katharine.cox_at_hull.ac.uk please mark the subject of your email "Iain
Banks abstract". Alternatively, you can post your abstracts to Katharine
Cox, University of Hull Scarborough Campus, Filey Road, Scarborough,
North Yorkshire, England, YO11 3AZ. Proposals for comprised panels of
three speakers are also welcome.

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Received on Sun Oct 23 2005 - 23:11:25 EDT