Early Modern England was a benchmark for literary and political activity by women, from Anne Askew's Examinations in the first half of the sixteenth century to Anna Trapnel's political prophecies in the final decades of the seventeenth. While the lengthy reign and potency of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) certainly set a precedent for early modern women's writing, texts by women played a significant political role well before and after her rule, and arguably found their apogee in the ideological fervor that surrounded the reigns of her Stuart successors. More importantly, women authors actively participated in the early modern public sphere at a time when magistrates and divines were striving to situate women within the realm of the household.

This panel seeks papers that explore women's engagement in early-modern political life, and especially the ways in which gender politics overlap with the state and other "conventionally" political realms, whether discursively or through direct social action.

Please send a brief abstract (max. 250 words), specification of audio-visual requirements, and contact data (email and academic addresses) as well as a short CV, to the organizers, Rachel Greenberg (greenber@canisius.edu) and Maya Mathur (mmathur@umw.edu) with the subject line "Venice RSA" by Wednesday, April 15th, 2009.