The Twenty-Third International Thomas Hardy Conference and Festival
Dorchester, Dorset, UK
July 14-21, 2018
The Twenty-Third International Hardy Conference marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Thomas Hardy Society and the 90th anniversary of Hardy's death. Paper proposals are welcome on any aspect of Thomas Hardy’s life, work and legacy. Proposers may wish to use one or more of the several Hardy anniversaries of 2018 as jumping-off points: other such anniversaries include A Pair of Blue Eyes (145 years) The Return of the Native (140 years), Wessex Tales (130 years), Wessex Poems (120 years), the completion of The Dynasts (110 years), The Famous Tragedy of the Queen of Cornwall (95 years), and Winter Words (90 years). Papers should be planned for delivery times of 20 minutes or less (approximately 2000 words).
Like its predecessors, the 2018 Conference is designed to appeal to new, established and independent Hardy scholars, and the general readers who attend in large numbers. The Thomas Hardy Society invites proposals from established and independent scholars, postgraduate students, and Hardy enthusiasts—especially those from the international community. Postgraduate students may be eligible for bursaries to help defray conference expenses.
Confirmed lecturers include Mark Ford, Sarah Lyons, Francis O'Gorman, Linda Shires, and Jane Thomas. Lectures and conference papers will be supplemented by a wide variety of excursions (walks, coach tours) and entertainments relating to the local context which Hardy’s work celebrates, and from which it emerged.
All submissions will be read and adjudicated by an academic panel. The closing date is April 6th 2018. The best of the papers given at the Conference will be considered for publication in the peer-reviewed Thomas Hardy Journal appearing in Autumn 2018.
Proposals of 200-250 words should be sent by email to Dr Mary Rimmer at mrimmer@unb.ca or by post to:
'Call for Papers'
(Thomas Hardy Festival and Conference)
Dr Mary Rimmer,
Department of English
University of New Brunswick
P.O. Box 4400
Fredericton, NB, Canada E3B 5A3