CFP: ‘My Wild Heart Bleeds: Exploring Sheridan Le Fanu’s ‘Carmilla’and its legacy’

Sheridan Le Fanu published his sapphic vampire tale ‘Carmilla’ in 1872, reworking the vampire genre, and creating a figure who has inspired subsequent original works and reimaginings. This collection focuses on new explorations and readings of ‘Carmilla’ and its ongoing legacy, from adaptations and reimaginings to more subtle influences on the figure of the female vampire and the vampiric tradition more broadly.

We are looking for chapters to round out the collection which already has a strong range of contributions on queer vampires, female vampires in the Anglophone tradition, and on feminist readings.

What we are looking for:

We are seeking papers which offer readings of ‘Carmilla’ from a diverse range of perspectives. Which may include:

— Commentaries on the original text’s depiction of Eastern Europe.

—The text’s reproduction or adaptation of Eastern European folklore and history.

— Commentaries on the geopolitical concerns of the text.

— Readings of the text through the lens of disability.

— Discussions of works which influenced or inspired ‘Carmilla’

We are also seeking papers on the legacy of ‘Carmilla’. We are particularly interested in:

— International perspectives and adaptations.

— a broader focus on the depiction of the female and specifically sapphic vampire.

— ‘Carmilla’ across different media, including but not limited to; visual novels, games, rpgs, online series, films, radio dramatizations, graphic novels, dance, music, etc.

We also welcome original creative pieces (artwork, short stories [up to 1,500 words], flash-fiction, poetry, etc) that are inspired by and/or critically engage with ‘Carmilla’ or themes mentioned above.

Submissions

Abstractsof 3-400 words and a bio of 2-250 words should be sent to the editors Dr. Sam Hirst and Simon Bacon by June 30th 2025.Chapter of between 5-6000 words will be required by July 2026. Abstracts or queries should be set to: sam.hirst@sheffield.ac.uk and baconetti@googlemail.com