CFP: Creative Philology: Studies in Speculative Fiction, A Tribute to J. R. R. Tolkien
The Signum Collaboratory and Signum Press Present A Call for Papers
Creative Philology: Studies in Speculative Fiction, A Tribute to J. R. R. Tolkien
The Signum Collaboratory and Signum Press are pleased to announce a call for papers on Philology for an anthology in honor of Professor J. R. R. Tolkien and edited by Dr. Carl Edlund Anderson and Dr. Larry Swain. Philology may be understood as the study of people through their language(s) and/or texts. Typically, such study focuses on the speech communities of real, historical peoples. Considering the special status of J. R. R. Tolkien as an ‘applied philologist,’ who transformed the traditional tools of academic philology for creative purposes, this volume likewise extends the notion of philology to the study of imaginary peoples through their imaginary languages and/or texts. We may also examine the work of their creators with the intention of highlighting how philology transcends traditional circumscriptions to not only remain a potent approach to understanding historical and present human communities but also creative artists who work with notions of language and their creations.
We welcome essays of between 5,000 and 10,000 words (with notes and citations in MLA style) by experienced or emerging scholars of all backgrounds. Interested contributors may submit on the following or related topics:
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What the study of historical languages or texts reveals about historical human cultures associated with those languages or texts
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What the study of constructed languages or texts reveals about fictional human cultures associated with those languages or texts and/or their creators
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The teaching/learning of historical, pre-modern languages or of languages constructed for fictional settings
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The implicit or explicit role, place, and/or impact of philology and philological awareness in public life and popular culture
Submitted essays will first become part of the Academic Production Hall in the Signum Collaboratory where Collaboratory subscribers can provide helpful feedback. The Collaboratory is an interactive community in which creators connect with their readers/viewers to engage in the creative process through mutual sharing and discussion. The editors will select from the submitted essays, focusing especially on their quality of composition. The writing must be technically flawless, the scholarship rigorous, the analysis thorough, the ideas brave and boldly followed to their conclusions. Revisions and peer-review will follow. The finalized chapters will be gathered into a collection to be published in various formats (eBook, audiobook, and printed codex) and marketed through the Collaboratory and various mainstream channels.
Please submit essays and further inquiries to press@signumu.org.