Bodily Transgressions in Fantastika Media

A Digital Symposium: 12 November 2022

“Fantastika” – a term appropriated from a range of Slavonic languages by John Clute – embraces the genres of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror, but can also include Alternate History, Gothic, Steampunk, Young Adult Dystopic Fiction, or any other radically imaginative narrative space. Our goal is to bring together academics, independent researchers, creators, and audiences who share an interest in this diverse range of fields with the aim of opening up new dialogues, productive controversies, and critical collaborations.

The body remains at the forefront of cultural and social politics, particularly in terms of autonomy, authority, and ownership. This symposium seeks to investigate Fantastika media as a platform through which to represent, engage, and challenge such perspectives, focusing on moments of transgressions against or enacted by the body. Bodily Transgressions in Fantastika Media can take into consideration such themes and topics such as:

• consumption narratives (cannibalism, vampirism, etc)

• violent acts of violations (abuse, assault)

• bodily expressions which contravene societal norms and taboos (fashions and body art, weight or age-related shaming and phobias, etc)

• explorations of masculinity, feminism, or LGBTQIA+ focusing on body politics

• critiques of empire and colonisation

• systems of oppression and means of enforcement

• considerations of the sacred and the liminal

• intersections with medical humanities (transplants, abortions, ablism, etc)

• fantastical forms of embodiments (ghosts, virtual, fantastika, etc)

Papers will be released in podcast form in advance of the symposium with the symposium itself taking the form of a series of round-panel discussions. Recorded podcasts of approximately 15 minutes will be due 24 October 2022.

We welcome abstracts of 300 words along with 50 word bionotes to be submitted to fantastikaconference@gmail.com by 15 August 2022. Please include content-warnings as a precursor to your abstract. Note that content-warning labels are not included in the word count and should be in keyword form. As this is an international digital symposium, please identify your expected location/time zone for 12 Nov. If you are proposing a panel (3-4 people), please include separate abstracts and bionotes for each presenter, along with a short (100-word max) summary of your panel topic. We invite all proposals to include preferred pronouns.

We will also be looking for panel chairs who can promote and maintain a safe and inclusive environment. Chairs will help direct discussion. If you are interested in taking part (either in addition to a presentation, or in lieu of one) please indicate your interest via email.

Following the symposium, we will be releasing a special edition of Fantastika Journal. See www.fantastikajournal.com for details of the journal