Call for Papers: The Routledge Companion to Sylvia Plath

This call for papers invites submission to The Routledge Companion to Sylvia Plath, edited by Janet Badia, Julie Goodspeed-Chadwick, and Emily Van Duyne. The collection, now under contract, will be a new addition to the Routledge Literature Companions series—highly regarded, field-defining volumes that showcase exciting areas of literary studies. These volumes are ideal introductions for beginners and useful volumes for those already working in the field. By design, they summarize current scholarship while simultaneously highlighting emergent approaches to authors and areas of study.

The editors seek proposals for chapters that explore Plath's work, life, and cultural and historical contexts. Proposals on any aspect of Plath studies will be considered, but the editors especially welcome chapters that investigate the following topics:

• Plath’s life and work after the Beuscher letters and/or in light of recently acquired and newly accessible archival materials
• Criticism and reception in countries other than the U.S. and U.K.
• Plath in cross-cultural contexts and/or through the lens of globalization, including her cross-cultural influence and appeal
• Plath and trauma studies, including domestic and sexual violence, suicide, racism and sexism, etc.
• Intersectional approaches to Plath’s writing, including new perspectives and orientations to her life and work that value anti-racism and social justice
• Plath’s engagement with constructions of manhood, masculinities, and queer sexualities
• Plath in creative contexts, including how she has served as inspiration for new literature and the ways her work is taught in creative writing classrooms
• Plath and social media and/or in the context of mass media consumption
• Plath through new disciplinary perspectives and/or through cross- and transdisciplinary perspectives
• Plath in the classroom, including approaches to teaching her work in a variety of educational contexts and through different disciplinary lenses. Reflections on the challenges of teaching Plath in the contemporary classroom in the context of current cultural politics are especially welcome.

The editors welcome work by established, emerging, and new scholars. Work by scholars outside the United States and the United Kingdom, women, minorities, and underrepresented voices is especially encouraged.

To be considered, please submit an abstract of 300-500 words describing your topic and/or approach to Plath, as well as a short author biography of no more than 250 words that includes your current professional affiliation, publication record, or relevant qualifications given the goals of the collection suggested above.

The deadline for proposals is May 1, 2024. Review of proposals will begin immediately.

If accepted, chapters of 3,000-6,000 words would be due by December 1, 2024. We expect to submit the completed manuscript by November 2026.

Please send your queries and/or proposals to routledgesylviaplath@gmail.com.