DRAWING A MAP:
INAUGURAL BIENNIAL PG COLLOQUIUM IN LOW COUNTRIES STUDIES
Thursday 2nd July 2015
Friday 3rd July 2015
Centre for Low Countries Studies, UCL
Senate House, Room 246, London
The ongoing relationships and interwoven histories of the British Isles and the Low Countries
mean that there is a long tradition of mutual interest and academic cooperation between both sides
of the North Sea. In the UK, historians continue to investigate the dynamics of such ties, while the
study of the language and cultures of the Netherlands, Belgium and their former colonies, which
dates back to the early twentieth century in British and Irish universities, remains a lively
discipline. Despite Dutch being perceived as a “small” language with a low number of speakers,
Low Countries Studies is bucking current trends across Language and Cultural Studies in the UK
as a whole; the number of undergraduate and postgraduate students studying some aspect of the
rich and varied history, culture and language of the Low Countries is growing. In a still small yet
vital, and by its nature interdisciplinary, field, scholars are increasingly looking beyond their
traditional remit to consider their research in a global context, responding to the challenges of the
academic environment by bringing to light new and exciting perspectives on countless issues.
In response to these invigorating and dynamic new approaches within our field, “Drawing a Map:
Inaugural Biennial PG Colloquium in Low Countries Studies” aims to bring together postgraduate
students and early career researchers working on any aspect of Low Countries Studies –
regardless of whether or not their research falls under what is traditionally classed as “Dutch
Studies”. We welcome applicants from any country and will also extend invitations to those who
wish to participate as observers. Through this inaugural event and in subsequent years, the
colloquium will serve as an inclusive forum and point of contact for researchers, convening in the
years in which there is no formal meeting of the Association for Low Countries Studies. . It will
function as a means to map the disparate research areas covered within Low Countries Studies and
foster stronger ties across disciplines, institutions and national boundaries, whilst looking towards
the future role of Low Countries Studies within and beyond the academy.
We welcome proposals for papers, of up to 20 minutes, panels of up to three papers and
presentations in non-traditional formats (e.g. presentation of translations, posters) in English from
MA and PhD students, and Early Career Researchers covering any area relating to Low Countries
Studies. Topics may include, but are by no means limited to:
-
History of the Low Countries in a European and Global Context
Literature by Dutch and Flemish-speaking authors (of all periods)
Colonial and postcolonial literature(s)
Literature by migrant and exophonic authors
Film
Theatre and Performance
Translations to/from Dutch and English
-
Linguistics
Art History
Disability Studies
Sociology
Anglo-Dutch/Belgian Relations
Architecture/Urban Studies
Queer and Gender Studies
Ecocriticism and Environmental Studies
Contemporary Dutch/Flemish-speaking culture and politics
The Low Countries in the European Union
The history and future of Low Countries Studies as a discipline
If you would like to participate, please send a proposal of no more than 500 words to the
organising committee, c/o pglowcountriesstudies@gmail.com. Your proposal should contain the
following information in one document:
Your name, postal address, telephone number, and email address
The name of the institution at which you are registered
The media required for your presentation (e.g. OHP, cd/cassette player, slide projector, data
projector/laptop [powerpoint], VHS/DVD player etc.)
Offers of papers/presentations must be made by Friday 27th March 2015
Organising Committee: Aimée Hardy (UCL), Richard McClelland (KCL) and Jenny Watson
(Swansea)
The committee anticipates a conference fee of £10 for all participants (including committee and
speakers) but this will be waived for postgraduate students without funding support (including
MA).