CFP: School of Mamluk Studies (June 8-10, 2023)

Call for Papers

We are pleased to announce the Ninth Conference of the School of Mamluk Studies, which will be held at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island (USA) from June 8-10, 2023. The conference will be conducted in two parts and will be preceded by a three-day intensive course on the history of the Arabic language during the Mamluk period.

Themed day: The Languages of the Mamluk Sultanate (June 8, 2023)

The first day of the conference will be devoted to the theme of language in the Mamluk sultanate. We invite papers that treat the phenomena of multilingualism, translation, orality and literacy, vernaculars and cosmopolitan languages, sociolects, and other topics related to the history of language during the period. The languages explored may include any relevant to the sultanate including but not limited to Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Hebrew, Coptic, Greek, Latin, and Mongolian. A maximum of twelve to fifteen paper proposals will be selected. The time allotted to each paper will be twenty minutes, plus ten minutes for discussion.

Panels (June 9-10, 2023)

The following two days of the conference will be structured in panels, which may focus on any aspect of the intellectual, political, social, economic, and artistic life of the Mamluk period. Panels will be composed of three to four papers, of twenty minutes each. Discussion will follow the presentation of each panel’s papers.

Please note that if more than half of the participants on a panel withdraw, the entire panel must be withdrawn from the program.

The language of the conference is English.

Publication

a) Themed day: The conference organizers expect that a selection of papers from the themed day will be published in a volume of proceedings, pending interest from scholarly publishers.

b) Panels: Selected papers will be published in Mamlūk Studies Review.

Proposals

Scholars who wish to give a paper on the themed day must submit a paper proposal electronically (see link below) by October 31, 2022. Paper proposals must provide the name and a one-page CV of the speaker, a provisional paper title, and an abstract of a maximum of 1500 characters (about 300 words).

Panels must be pre-organized and proposals must be submitted by November 30, 2022. A panel may include 3 or 4 papers. The proposal should provide the following information for each paper in the panel: the name and one-page CV of the author, a provisional paper title, and an abstract (maximum of 1500 characters, or about 300 words). Panel proposals must also identify the panel’s chair (who may be one of the panelists). The organizer of a panel should have all information about the panel members and their papers before beginning the proposal submission.

To submit a paper proposal, complete the form at http://mamluk.uchicago.edu/sms2023paperproposal.html.

To submit a panel proposal, complete the form at http://mamluk.uchicago.edu/sms2023panelproposal.html.

Paper and panel proposals will be peer-reviewed. A first circular will be sent by January 2023 to those whose proposals have been accepted, and to those who have expressed interest in attending the conference as listeners.

Fees

The conference registration fees will be $50 for participants and attendees. For those interested, there will be a farewell dinner at a local restaurant, at a cost to be determined. Payment of the fees must be received by April 30, 2023, and information on the method of payment to be used will be provided in the first circular.

Participants must make their own travel and accommodation arrangements. Information and suggestions for accommodations will be provided in the first circular.

Intensive course: Arabic in the Mamluk Period

Prior to the conference, Professor Marina Rustow (Princeton University) and Professor Phillip Stokes (University of Tennessee) will offer a three-day intensive course (June 5-7) on the history of the Arabic language during the Mamluk period. The course will present an overview and history of the different varieties of Arabic attested in Mamluk-era sources, with a focus on Judeo-Arabic, Christian Arabic, and other forms of Middle Arabic.

Students will be introduced to the major repositories of documents that are sources for the linguistic history of this period, such as the Cairo Geniza, Saint Catherine’s Monastery, and the Haram al-Sharif documents. The course is intended for advanced graduate students and other qualified participants, and will combine lecture and discussion with hands-on investigation of Mamluk-era materials. Advanced proficiency in Classical Arabic is required, but no other specialized training is necessary to attend.

Since the number of the participants will be limited (a maximum of 10), those who desire to take part in the course are requested to submit a CV, a statement of purpose, and a letter of recommendation to the following email address: schoolofmamlukstudies2023@gmail.com by the end of January, 2023. Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by the end of February 2023.

The course fee is $300.00, which also includes the registration fee for the subsequent conference (June 8-10). The fees must be paid by April 30, 2023. Participants must make their own travel and accommodation arrangements. The local organizer will provide suggestions for lodging at an affordable price.

Please contact Elias Muhanna with any questions: schoolofmamlukstudies2023@gmail.com

We look forward to meeting you in Providence!

Elias Muhanna, Brown University (local organizer)
Frédéric Bauden, Université de Liège
Antonella Ghersetti, Ca’ Foscari University, Venice
Marlis Saleh, University of Chicago