The period between 1750 and 1914 was marked by change, motion, and mobility. Advances in transport and the expansion of imperial powers brought together an array of peoples and facilitated contact between different cultures. These cultural encounters spurred the discovery of new information and of efforts to transmit, mask, or contain it. Translation played a seminal role in informing the public about the changing world and its interconnections. Imaginative writings and scientific concepts were subject to transposition and adaptation across languages and cultures. Indeed, global modernizing processes were due, to some extent, to travel, translation, and transposition.
For its second world congress to be held in Kuwait from 16 to 19 January 2025, the Society for Global Nineteenth-Century Studies is pleased to invite proposals on the theme of “Translation, Transposition, and Travel in the Global Nineteenth Century.” We welcome proposals for papers and panels that explore transits between places, languages, cultures, and ideas. Topics may include (but are not limited to):
- Travel and adventure
- Initiatic journeys
- Travel narratives and nautical fiction
- Pilgrimage
- Slave trade and the forced movement of peoples
- Circulations, transfers, and migrations
- Nomadism
- Problems in translation (e.g., political humour, the absurd, nonsense, etc.)
- Exile and displacement
- Explorers and expeditions
- Science fiction
- Intermedial translation
- Steamers and trains
- Colonization
- Translation and life writing
- Transfer of knowledge
- Cultural transposition
- Adaptation across cultures
- Transmediality and transnationalism
- Transfer and transmission
- Texts and their contexts
- Transposition in music
- Transposition and translation
- Travel maps and cartographies of navigation
- Books as travelling objects
- Photography, painting, and travel
- Tourism and visual culture
- Nomadic narratives
- Translation and the discovery of new cultures
- The re/discovery of ancient civilizations/Egyptomania
- Translation and the discovery of European modernity
In addition to paper and panel proposals related to the conference theme, we also welcome proposals for prearranged special panels on topics in global nineteenth-century studies more broadly:
- Methodology OR Pedagogy Roundtables: Sessions focused on methodological approaches to studying and practical strategies for teaching the nineteenth century in a global context.
- Big Ideas: Sessions focused on a single thought-provoking topic related to the global nineteenth century. The format may vary from standard panels (three presenters and a moderator) to lightning roundtables (five to eight presenters delivering short, provocative position papers) to others that may be proposed.
Proposals (due 15 November for panels; 15 December for individual papers)
Individual paper proposals should consist of an abstract (200-250 words), brief biography (80-100 words), and full contact information in a single pdf document or Word file. Panel proposals should include abstracts for 3-4 papers, a brief rationale that connects the papers (100-200 words), and biographies of each participant (80-100 words) in a single pdf or Word file. All proposals should include 3 to 5 keywords.
Successful panel proposals will include participants from more than one institution, and, ideally, represent a mix of disciplines/fields and career stages. Panel proposals should also indicate the category for evaluation: general conference program or special session; Methodology or Pedagogy Roundtable; or Big Ideas. Although the working language of the conference is English, a limited number of slots will be available for presentations in Arabic.
Location and requirements
The congress will be held at the Global Studies Center, Gulf University for Science and Technology, in Kuwait. Modern, prosperous, and safe, Kuwait boasts a unique cultural mix, a longstanding tradition of the theatrical arts, diverse cuisine, and some of the best beaches in the region. Presenters, panel chairs, and workshop participants must be current members of the Society for Global Nineteenth-Century Studies at the time of the World Congress. For more information on membership, visit www.global19c.com. Proposals and questions should be directed to the Program Committee: societygncs@gmail.com. Please visit the 2025 Congress website for the most up-to-date information: https://www.sgncscongress.com.