20th Century Southern Women Writers Conference
presented by the Elizabeth Madox Roberts Society
​October 15-18, 2026Springfield, Kentucky 

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 The 27th Biennial Elizabeth Madox Roberts Conference will coincide with the 100th Anniversary of The Time of Man. To celebrate this milestone, the EMR Society is pleased to host a 20th Century Southern Women Writers Conference to discuss Roberts in context with other significant women writers of her time. So this year we invite papers focusing on ANY American women writer/s who either identified as Southern or wrote prose and/or poetry rooted in southern culture. Such authors include: Flannery O'Connor, Carson McCullers, Alice Walker, Eudora Welty, Zora Neale Hurston...etc. 
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In keeping with our mission, we continue to welcome all papers exploring Roberts and her work through a variety of lenses: Roberts and other writers; regional and historical perspectives; adaptations of Roberts’ work; essays of discovery; and in light of the 100th Anniversary, retrospective essays on The Time of Man.

In addition to paper proposals, we would also like to invite proposals for panels and round-table discussions. Scholars at all levels, including graduate students, are encouraged to submit.

Papers should be no more than 15 minutes in oral presentation. Paper sessions will be held at the Comfort Inn & Suites in Springfield, KY. Please submit abstracts no later than August 1. Visit our website for more information: https://www.emrsociety.com/call-for-papers.html

Email title and proposal to Program Coordinators: 
Alex Pennisi (Independent Scholar) apennisi2@gmail.com
Autumn Holladay (Independent Scholar at Thrall Library) autumnholladay@gmail.com 

Direct all other conference inquiries to Conference Coordinators:
Autumn Holladay (Independent Scholar at Thrall Library) autumnholladay@gmail.com 
Goretti Benca (Marist University) goretti.benca@marist.edu 
James Stamant (Agnes Scott College) jstamant@agnesscott.edu