See ACLA (American Comparative Literature Association) listing for submission portal: https://www.acla.org/seminar/10bd9b61-e065-472a-8698-c8949a85f069 

Paper proposals cannot be accepted via email.

Death Studies is a field of study that not only draws from a host of disciplines like anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and psychology but also cuts across fields such as bereavement studies, trauma studies, and health humanities. 

Beliefs and practices centring death and dying operate within socio-cultural contexts that are inherently intersectional. And for those whose history has been shaped by years of colonial exploitation, the contexts and infrastructures surrounding death are deeply affected by histories of violence, discrimination, and segregation. The intent of this seminar is to understand how imperial history has shaped and continues to shape our responses to mortality. The panel is steered by two primary questions: Why talk about decolonising death studies in the first place? And how should one go about it?  

As postcolonial societies continue their efforts toward decolonisation, examining how dominant colonial narratives continue to shape the understanding of death and dying becomes imperative. What does it mean to truly honour the dead? How does one discern the politics of race, death, and imperial history? And more importantly, how does one actively dismantle colonial systems and structures that have come to shape death rites and practices? Can literary, visual and other forms of cultural artefacts play a role in reconstructing and recontextualising history? The seminar seeks papers which would help examine how the history of systemic oppression impacts the understanding of death, dying, and grief. Given that this panel intends to act as a site for ‘decolonising’ death studies, papers that would reflect voices from the Global South are particularly encouraged. 

Faculty members, independent researchers, as well as graduate students are welcome to submit their abstracts (max. 1500 characters) and brief bios (max. 500 characters) via the official website of the ACLA between August 26-October 02, 2025. 

Topics may include:

• Necropolitics and decolonisation
• Death Studies and institutionalised discrimination
• Indigenous theories and practices around death, mourning and commemoration
• Death rites and acts of resistance
• Reclaiming history through death narratives
• Alternative frameworks (pedagogic and otherwise) of engaging with the field of Death Studies
• Death Studies and the Global South
• Death, dying, and shared histories
• Challenges involved in decolonial readings of the field

The 2026 annual meeting of the ACLA is scheduled to take place between February 26-March 01, 2026 in Montreal, Canada. More about the event can be found here:

https://www.acla.org/annual-meeting