Deadline Approaching: Proposals for 2018 Virginia Forum

Reminder: October 1st Deadline for Submissions Approaching

2018 Call for Papers

The Virginia Forum: March 15-17, 2018

Local History and Regional Identity

Founded in 2006, the Virginia Forum is an annual conference that brings together historians, teachers, writers, archivists, museum curators, historic site interpreters, librarians, and others engaged in the study and interpretation of Virginia history to share their knowledge, research, and experiences. Accordingly, the Forum is interdisciplinary in nature and welcomes proposals on all aspects of Virginia life, society, history, and culture.

The 2018 Virginia Forum will be hosted by the Emory & Henry College and held on their campus in Washington County, Virginia. As this meeting will be the first Forum held in southwestern Virginia, the organizers see this meeting as an opportunity to explore the regional differences long seen in the state, as well as the roots of each region's social and cultural distinctiveness. Hence, papers and panels with a focus on the relationship between local history and regional identity in Virginia are particularly invited, and not just for subjects concerning the Appalachian region where we shall be meeting.

Our theme is meant to inspire proposals, but it is not the Forum's exclusive focus. The Virginia Forum is, and always has been, interdisciplinary in nature and so welcomes presentations on all aspects of the history and culture of Virginia. We hope to offer sessions and workshops that draw on the full range of Virginia-focused research, including work in the fields of economics, politics, geography, law, literature, history, politics, environmental studies, archaeology and anthropology, museum and library studies, historic preservation, among others. Customary panel and paper proposals on all such topics are invited, as are ones for creative presentation formats such as poster sessions, roundtables, workshops, demonstrations, etc. Moreover, we welcome proposals from teachers, students, and professionals outside of the academy, as well as from scholars in the early stages of their academic careers.

The submission guidelines are as follows:

Individual Papers: Please submit a one-page paper proposal and one-page curriculum vitae in a single Word/PDF document to VAForum2018@gmail.com by October 1, 2017. Please be sure to include your email address and other contact information.

Panels: Proposals for complete panel sessions, workshops, or any other presentation formats are encouraged. Submissions should include: 1) a one-page description of the overall session; 2) a separate, one-page description for each individual presentation in the session; and 3) a one-page curriculum vitae for each panel member, including the chairperson. Please include all of the above in a single Word/PDF document submitted to VAForum2018@gmail.com by October 1, 2017. Please be sure to include all email addresses and other contact information.

Chairs: If you are interested in chairing a session at the 2018 Forum, please indicate your area(s) of interest and submit a one-page curriculum vitae in a single Word/PDF document to VAForum2018@gmail.com by October 1, 2017. Please be sure to include your email address and other contact information. Past Forum participants are particularly encouraged to consider chairing a session at this meeting, as they are familiar with the convivial atmosphere that this conference seeks to cultivate.

The deadline for submissions is October 1, 2017. Acceptances should be forthcoming by late December 2017, with a tentative schedule being announced in January 2018.

Direct further inquiries about this meeting to: VAForum2018@gmail.com.

Additional information, including previous conference programs, is available online at www.virginiaforum.org.