WisCon Academic Programming

WisCon has a track of academic programming that is open to undergraduate, postgraduate and independent scholars. One of the benefits of this track is that it strengthens the links between the wider feminist science fiction community and students and other scholars working on feminist SF and fantasy and related fields. The track operates very much like a conventional academic conference, with presentations based on extensive research. However, scholarly work on all aspects of feminist science fiction reaches an audience at WisCon that gives a kind of passionate and informed feedback that is rare at academic conferences. We also encourage submissions from people who aren’t involved in formal academic work! Over the years, people have presented papers on fantasy, horror, and science fiction literature, media and fandom, examining issues of feminism, gender, sexuality, race, disability, and class amongst many others.

Call for Proposals for WisCon 39: May 21-24, 2015
Deadline: February 23, 2015

WisCon, the world’s leading feminist science fiction convention, invites scholars of all descriptions to propose programming for its academic track. We invite proposals from anyone with a scholarly interest in the intersections of gender, sexuality, race, class, and disability with science fiction – broadly defined – in literature, media, and culture. We would especially welcome scholarship on the work of 2015’s guests of honor, Alaya Dawn Johnson and Kim Stanley Robinson, and on the histories and cultures of feminist and social-justice-oriented fan communities. We encourage submissions from scholars in all fields, including interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary areas, and from amateur and independent scholars as well as graduate students, postdocs, and faculty.

At WisCon, papers are presented in groups of two or three during a single 75-minute programming slot. If a group of presenters would like to submit their papers together as a single panel, they should indicate that on their paper submissions. We also encourage the presentation of scholarship in formats other than the traditional paper, and discussion-based panels focused on issues of particular interest to scholars of science fiction and feminism.

An incomplete list of possible subjects:

  • Gender, sexuality, race, class, and disability in individual works of science fiction
  • Feminist, queer, critical race, and critical disability analysis of science fiction media (film, television, video games, online culture)
  • Speculative aspects of feminist and social justice movements
  • Science fiction and feminist science and technology studies
  • Race, colonialism, and speculative fiction; Afrofuturism and related cultural movements
  • Fan cultures and communities
  • Feminist pedagogy and speculative fiction in the classroom

An incomplete list of possible formats:

  • 15-20 minute paper presentations, with or without visual accompaniment
  • Presentation of scholarly creative works, including digital scholarship
  • Readings from recently published or forthcoming scholarly books
  • Discussion-based panels and roundtables on scholarly research, teaching, or service
  • Mentoring sessions on academic professional life: graduate study, the job market, tenure and promotion, publishing and presentation
  • Screenings and discussions of short films or videos

Please submit your proposal via this form (you must create a Wiscon login to submit a proposal).

The deadline is midnight CST on February 23, 2015.

You will be asked for a 100-word abstract, which will be printed in the convention’s program, and for a more detailed proposal of up to 500 words. If you are proposing something other than a traditional paper, please make sure you describe the format of your proposed program. item. A projector and screen will be available; if you have further technological needs, please let us know in your proposal.