Discussion of the presence of the medieval in a postmedieval world is often subtly suggestive of peril, with the medieval figuratively positioned in relation to potential crisis. The term adaptation alone may conjure up associations with evolution, (re)production, and – by association – death and extinction. More generally, the term suggests the need to respond to changing contexts, concerns, and audiences, carrying with it the implication that a lack of action will lead to decline. Talk of medieval afterlives goes even further: here, texts are imagined as already dead, sustaining a (perhaps ghostly or uncanny) presence past a natural lifetime.

Considering the medieval in such moments of peril, instability, and crisis, however, also offers unique opportunities for investigation and illumination. This session invites papers exploring the ways in which the various, sometimes unexpected, presences and absences of the medieval complicate how we understand and talk about reception and adaptation of medieval, and reception and adaptation themselves. Possible topics might include (but are not limited to):

• How challenges and constraints drive adaptation of the medieval
• Adaptation of the medieval in connection to innovation and risk
• “Failed” adaptations of the medieval
• How reception and/or adaptation of the medieval complicates what we mean by “medieval”
• How medieval texts and their iterations push the boundaries of adaptation
• Absence of the medieval and its uses/meanings
• Presence of the medieval as a source of surprise

If you are interested in this session, please send a 250-word abstract and brief bio to Amber Dunai (adunai@tamuct.edu) no later than 28 August 2023.

For information about the International Medieval Congress (1-4 July 2024 at the University of Leeds), see https://www.imc.leeds.ac.uk/.