Co-editors Heather M. Porter and Michael Starr invite proposals or completed essays for an edited collection of scholarly works that explore the ground-breaking HBO series Sex and the City(1998 -2004) along with shows that came before and after, including the divisive …And Just Like That (2022-2025) which has just finished its three-season run. Proposals should demonstrate a clear methodology and strong thesis and a familiarity with prior and current conversations and publications concerning the series, and any incorporated series. The collection seeks to showcase a range of theoretical lenses; we are hence interested in diverse disciplinary approaches concerning a wide variety of topics. Though not prescriptive, it may be productive to consider the following list of topics:

The legacy of Sex and the City

Spin offs, prequels, sequels (the movie sequels, The Carrie Diaries, …And Just Like That)

Series that inspired and were inspired by Sex and The City (e.g. Golden Girls, Girls, Hot in Cleveland, Younger, Gossip Girl, Emily in Paris etc)

Sexuality / gender / Queer theory / identity

Race relations

Sex, dating and relationships

Star images: texts, bodies and performance

Specific character studies

Producers, writers, directors (Candace Bushnell, Darren Star, Michael Patrick King et al)

Nostalgia and reunions 

Paratexts and production elements

“The city”: place and space

Fandom / fan tourism

Virtual cultures and engagements (e.g. #wokecharlotte)

Sex and the City and the #metoo movement

Hate watching and anti-fandom

Queries and Submissions:

Please send queries and abstracts for proposed chapter-length original work (350-500 words) to sexandthecitybook@gmail.com(subject line: Sex and the City Collection). Proposals should be submitted no later than June 1, 2026. Selected contributors will be notified by September 1, 2026. We suggest but do not require that proposals include a working bibliography. Please provide in a separate document or in the body of the email a brief author biography and selected list of prior publications/conference presentations. We are currently discussing the book proposal with a publisher who is very interested in the collection, hence are working on a production timeline which would tentatively allow the book a 2027 publication date. Essays in this collection will be peer reviewed.