Call for Papers: Special Issue of English Studies on Digital Humanities and the English Novel

We are pleased to invite submissions for a special issue of English Studies on the intersection of digital humanities (DH) and the study of the English novel. This special issue aims to push the boundaries of how we understand the novel as a genre by leveraging computational and quantitative methods to explore form, structure, and themes in English fiction. We invite scholars from both the digital humanities and literary studies to contribute to this exciting and interdisciplinary dialogue.

Overview:

The novel has long been regarded as one of the most dynamic literary forms, reflecting societal shifts, evolving norms, and linguistic innovation. While traditional literary scholarship has provided valuable insights into the themes, characters, and narratives within English novels, vast dimensions remain unexplored due to the sheer volume of texts and their complex interrelations across time. Digital humanities, with tools such as stylometry, topic modeling, sentiment analysis, and network analysis, allow for macro-level investigations that expand the scope of traditional close reading.

This special issue will offer a fresh perspective on both canonical and lesser-known texts by utilizing computational methodologies to uncover patterns, trends, and relationships that may otherwise remain hidden. By merging close reading with distant reading, this collection will contribute significantly to current debates in literary studies and provide innovative frameworks for interpreting the English novel.

Topics of the Special Issue:

We seek contributions that engage with, but are not limited to, the following questions:

• What stylistic and narrative shifts can be quantitatively measured across English novels over time?
• How do recurring themes and motifs evolve across different historical periods, genres, and authors?
• In what ways can digital methodologies map the structure of emotions within novels and provide new frameworks for understanding character development and reader engagement?
• How do computational approaches help identify genre-blurring or hybrid forms that challenge traditional literary classifications?

We encourage papers that apply digital humanities tools to uncover insights into the English novel that cannot be readily accessed through traditional methods. These contributions will demonstrate how DH can transform our understanding of literary forms and structures and offer new interpretations of the novel as a genre.

Submission Guidelines:

To submit to this special issue, please first send an abstract (250-500 words) to the guest editor, Professor Haifeng Hui, Huazhong University of Science and Technology: huihf@hust.edu.cn.

The website for the journal English Studies:

https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/nest20

After your abstract is accepted, you will be invited to submit the full manuscript through the English Studies submission system.

Timeline:

• Abstract: June 1, 2025
• Notification of Abstract Acceptance: June 14, 2025
• Manuscript Deadline: November 30, 2025 (Upon acceptance of the abstract)
• Peer Review and Revisions: December 2025 - May 2026
• Expected Publication: Second Half of 2026