DEADLINE APPROACHING: Call for Book Chapter Proposals: Lesser-Known Witches

deadline for submissions: 
September 15, 2023
full name / name of organization: 
Editors: Mariaelena DiBenigno, Ph.D. and Aíne Norris
contact email: 

Chapter proposals are invited from interdisciplinary scholars for a collection tentatively titled Recasting the Bygone Witch.

From Sabrina to Supreme, there are plentiful modern representations of the witch in popular culture, each exuding singular or group-sourced power borne from traditions of centuries-past, as manifested in literature, television, film, or local lore.

But what about the lesser-known witches, those who practice and represent branches of witchcraft rarely examined within the subcultural analysis or fandom? This collection examines portrayals of lesser-known witches and how their quiet unconventionality, even within the broader occult subculture, might inform scholarship, practice, and preservation. What can we learn by examining lesser-known witches or unconventional representations of the witch?

Approaches or lenses for papers may include (but are not limited to): 

  • Literature, texts, or theory
  • Cultural studies
  • Gender studies or feminist perspectives
  • Technology or media studies
  • Race and ethnicity studies
  • Environmental studies
  • Pop culture studies
  • Local or regional examinations
  • Museum studies and public history
  • Historic preservation or conservation
  • Sociopolitical discussions 

Mode of Submission - Chapter Proposals:

Contributors are asked to send a one-page chapter proposal and a brief biography (approximately 200 words) as one combined document (Word or PDF) to AineMNorris@gmail.com and mdibenigno@wm.edu with the subject line “Submission - Witch Collection.”

Chapter proposals should represent original and unpublished research (or work for which the submitting author holds the full copyright for reproduction).

The submission deadline is September 15, 2023. Submissions received after this date will not be considered. 

Selection Procedure:

After the submission deadline, final selection of work for the collection will be made by the editors and authors will be notified via email within 4-6 weeks. Once preliminary selections have been made, the proposed chapters will be pitched formally to a press as a collection. 

Publisher:

The editors are in talks with an interested publisher and will assemble the pitch when all chapter proposals are received. If needed, the editors will pitch multiple publishers and will keep authors informed of the progress throughout.

Final Chapters:

Upon successful contract with a publisher, final chapters will be due to the editors within ~5 months. Final chapters should be 6,000 - 8,000 words not including references. Images encouraged if within the public domain or owned / within rights agreement with the author. Chapters will then undergo peer review and revisions.