New Imago Forum

University of Essex (UK)

11 – 13 December 2026

Background

The New Imago Forum carries forward the tradition begun in 1912 by Sigmund Freud, in founding Imago, a journal for psychoanalysis in relation to other fields. It began as an outreach by the British Psychoanalytical Society to universities, and is now is a long-standing meeting of clinicians and academics in interdisciplinary dialogue. Over the years, it has taken various shapes. This year, we are re-introducing a residential weekend, which will also include other events a congenial academic and social environment, in which participants can get to know each other and carry on discussions informally as well as in meetings. The residential setting and the schedule will allow ample time for both and for just gathering socially. The 2026 conference is supported by the generosity of the Forum for Psychiatry and Humanities in Washington DC.

In addition to the conference itself, the Freud Memorial Lecture, another long-standing collaboration between the British Psychoanalytical Society and the University of Essex, will be delivered on the Friday by Josh Cohen, Fellow of the British Psychoanalytical Society and Professor of Modern Literary Theory at Goldsmiths College, University of London. Participants are invited to meet with the speaker over dinner after the lecture. We are continuing the much-loved Saturday evening music, this year a jazz concert, featuring the Andy Thomas Quintet.

Venue and Theme

The 2026 New Imago Forum will be meeting at the University of Essex, in conjunction with the Department of Psychosocial and Psychoanalytic Studies. The theme will be ‘Trust’. Trust is at the root of all human endeavour, from the earliest moments when infants reach out into their new world to the possibility of politics to the belief in the regularity of natural events. The rupture of trust can be a disaster, both in the psychoanalytic clinic and in the social world – and now in the natural world as well. The New Imago Forum has always aimed to bring together clinicians and academics, so feel free to range over any territory you think relevant. 

Presentations

If you would like to present a paper, please send a title and an abstract of no more than 200 words to Tobias Jenkins: newimago@protonmail.com. Presentations should be limited to 30 minutes, to allow full discussion. If you present a paper, you will be expected to reserve your paper for publication in a book from the conference, and to be ready to revise it for publication. The deadline for submissions is Sunday 12th July.

Registration, Programme and Hospitality

Details on registration, programme, accommodation and hospitality will be available shortly