The 2026 NeMLA convention will be March 5-8 in Pittsburgh, PA at Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh Downtown.

The NeMLA 2026 convention organizing committee is thrilled to announce the opening plenary and keynote speakers: novelist Simon Han (Nights When Nothing Happened) and feminist luminary Cherríe Moraga (Heroes and Saints, Native Country of the Heart, co-editor with Gloria Anzaldúa of This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color).

The 2026 convention keyword is (Re)Generation, which invokes positivity, energy, and engagement. Think of regeneration in the sense of bringing forth not the original but a new entity that is more powerful, vigorous, efficient, and healthier. Understood in these terms, the health of the humanities depends on a continuous regenerative process that partakes in the creation of new forms of scholarship, both empirical and philosophical, and is open to inclusive debate, restorative justice, and political empowerment. We encourage scholarship engaging in explorations of society, interdisciplinary elaborations of cultures and cultural legacies, as well as the re-examination of our histories.

Submissions for NeMLA

In the first stage, we are accepting session proposals. The rolling deadline is June 15. After that, in Stage 2 (starting June 16), scholars can submit individual paper abstracts to those sessions. See Stage 1 and Stage 2 below for more details.

Stage 1: Session Proposals (June 15)

• Please review the session types before submitting your session proposal.
• Log into the portal to submit a session proposal. You must be a member to submit a session proposal. Membership includes a digital subscription to Modern Language Studies and eligibility for awards, grants, and fellowships. 
• Prospective session chairs will be notified of decisions by June 15.

NeMLA is officially accepting sessions that are hybrid and remote for Pittsburgh 2026. When you submit your session proposal, please specify the session's modality (in-person, remote, or hybrid).

• In-person session: Chairs will not accept remote presenters. 
• Remote session: Chairs and all presenters will be on Zoom. 
• Hybrid session: Chairs will be in-person and expect most presenters to be in-person, but will accept some remote presenters.

We will try something innovative by allocating some rooms at the hotel where the remote sessions will be broadcast so that in-person attendees can easily engage with remote sessions while remaining part of the physical conference. We will also enable hybrid sessions through Whova and Zoom, so that remote participants can join those sessions. 

Stage 2: Session Chairs post calls for papers (June 16 - Sept. 30)

• Once your session proposal is vetted and approved, you may issue a call for individual paper abstracts.
• Guidance on how to serve as a session chair and how to issue the call for papers will be provided in late May or early June.
• Individual paper submissions will open June 16 and close September 30.

Please share the convention information with your colleagues. Thank you for being part of the NeMLA community!

Membership in NeMLA

Membership Expired? Renew your membership today to receive access to Modern Language Studies, be eligible for grants and awards, and propose sessions for the convention.