Ghosts: Hauntings, Folklore, History, Tourism, and Film

The University of Texas, Permian Basin | 5th Annual Halloween Conference 2024

The Department of History, Literature & Language at the University of Texas Permian Basin is pleased to announce its annual Halloween conference for 2024. This year’s theme, "Ghosts: Hauntings, Folklore, History, Literature, Tourism, and Culture," invites scholars, students, and professionals from all disciplines to explore the cultural, historical, and artistic significance of ghosts across various mediums and practices.

Throughout history, ghosts have lingered in the collective imagination, appearing in folklore, film, literature, and even tourist destinations. From ancient myths and local legends to modern ghost-hunting reality shows and the haunted tourism industry, ghosts serve as powerful symbols of memory, trauma, and the uncanny. This conference seeks to shed light on the ways ghosts and hauntings shape and are shaped by culture, identity, and history.

Join us as we explore the spectral realms of hauntings, history, and the supernatural! We invite abstracts for 15- to 20-minute presentations, panels, and workshops. Proposals from scholars across the humanities, social sciences, and beyond are welcome. Submissions addressing, but not limited to, the following topics are welcome:

• Ghosts in Folklore & Mythology
• The Haunted House in Literature and Film
• Ghosts and Memory
• Ghost Tourism
• The Supernatural in Media
• Historical Ghosts
• Ghosts in Popular Culture
• The Psychology of Hauntings
• Spectral Politics
• Ghosts in Art and Performance

Submission Guidelines:

Please submit an abstract of 250-300 words to paxton_j@utpb.edu and harding_c@utpb.edu by Tuesday, 15 October 2024. Acceptance notifications will be sent by Sunday, 20 October 2024.

Conference Information:

Date & Time: October 31, 2024, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM CST

Location: J. Conrad Dunagan Library, The University of Texas, Permian Basin, Odessa, Texas

In-person presentations will be prioritized, but recorded online presentations may also be considered.