We often think of holiday romance movies as formulaic fluff and a nice distraction during what is inevitably a hectic season of travel, cooking, and family get-togethers. And honestly, many of them are! In this edited collection, we seek to examine what makes holiday romance movies, TV episodes, novels, and other texts so comforting, engaging, or even, for the Grinches among us, annoying. We are seeking chapter proposals that analyze the genre of holiday romance in its broadest definition, from White Christmas to Hallmark’s annual lineup, and beyond. Although the starting point for the book is US American Christmas movies, we welcome proposals addressing a wide array of holiday romance texts across media, holidays, and nationalities. 

All contributors are expected to participate in peer reviewing at least one other person’s chapter to foster a sense of writerly growth and community. Graduate students, junior scholars, and multilingual researchers are especially welcome in this process! 

Our goal is to submit a proposal to MacFarland after acceptance notifications have been sent to contributors. We aim to have a finished book by 2024, depending on publisher timelines. 

Please direct all questions to Dr. Liz W Faber at UnderTheMistletoeBook@gmail.com. 

Topics might include

• Individual case studies

• Defining the holiday romance genre

• Historical patterns in the genre

• The dead parent trope

• The small town trope

• The holiday magic trope

• The quirky best friend trope

• Racial diversity (or lackthereof) among main characters

• Heteronormativity and/or queer romance

• Celebrity casting and fan studies

• The political economics of holidays and the media industry

• The cultural construction of the family 

• Nostalgia and tradition

Proposal Submission

Please submit a 300-500 word proposal and an updated CV to Dr. Liz W Faber at UnderTheMistletoeBook@gmail.com no later than September 30, 2022. 

Timeline

• September 30, 2022: Proposals due

• November 15, 2022: Acceptance notifications sent

• April 1, 2023: First draft due

• April 15, 2023: Drafts sent around for peer review

• May 31, 2023: Peer review feedback due

• August 31, 2023: Second draft due

• September 30, 2023: Editor feedback on second draft. 

• November 30, 2023: Final draft