We invite proposals for the second HEL (History of the English Language) and Writing Studies thread at the 13th Studies in the History of the English Language (SHEL) conference at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey, October 17-20, 2024.

The HEL and Writing Studies thread will explore ways in which the study of language change and variation can contribute to rhetoric and writing studies, and vice versa. When proposing, keep in mind that the history of the English language extends from the origins of the language to very recent history, so proposals that engage contemporary language use through a historical lens are welcome. 

Proposals are invited for individual papers as well as panels or workshops on a range of topics, including…

• Engaging the overall conference theme of English as a (G)local Language, how can studying the history of English on a global or local scale enhance our understanding of writing practices or ecologies? Or, conversely, how does studying writing enhance our understanding of the history of English as a (g)local language?

• How does language vary within certain genres (e.g. academic writing, business writing, technical writing, scientific writing, political writing) throughout time or during a specific period?

• What issues must we consider when representing dialects and Englishes, especially historical ones, in creative writing?

• How can collaborations between HEL and writing studies advocate for and strengthen English, Writing, Linguistics, and/or other humanities departments?

For additional ideas, references, and framing, see the call for submissions for a “Confluences of Writing Studies and the History of the English Language,” a special issue of Across the Disciplines (submissions now closed).

If interested, please submit an abstract of no more than one page to shel13@tcnj.edu by May 1, 2024. Participants will be notified of decisions by June 1, 2024. Please indicate in your email that your proposal is intended for the HEL and Writing Studies thread, and indicate any A/V needs in your email.

For questions about the thread, contact Amanda Sladek at sladekam@unk.edu, Chris C. Palmer at cpalme20@kennesaw.edu, or Jennifer Stone at jstone32@alaska.edu. Questions about the conference program should be directed to Felicia Steele (steele@tcnj.edu) and questions about travel to Madison, NJ, or conference facilities should be directed to Matthieu Boyd (mwboyd@fdu.edu).