The Research Society for Victorian Periodicals holds its annual conference each summer or early fall at a different location in North America or Europe, on a theme relating to Victorian culture and society as reflected in its periodicals. RSVP offers a limited number of travel awards for graduate students and independent or retired scholars to assist with the costs of presenting at the conference. All those giving a paper at the RSVP conference are required to be members of the Society.
2021 Call for Papers
“Revolution(s), Evolution(s), Circulation(s)”
September 7-12, 2021
An Online Conference hosted by Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
New submissions for the conference are now closed.
All proposals accepted for the postponed 2020 conference remain approved. We invite additional proposals for papers or panels of three or four related papers that address any aspect of the Victorian periodical or newspaper press. Proposals relevant to the conference theme of Revolution(s), Evolution(s), Circulation(s) are particularly welcome.
Topics that might be considered include, but are not limited to:
- Coverage of revolutions and revolutionary thought in the periodical press
- Censorship, restriction, and control of the press
- Revolutions and evolutions in periodical production, design, illustration, editorship, readership
- Darwin’s Theory of Evolution or other revolutionary scientific and medical theories
- Upheavals in class, gender, race
- The New Journalism
- Circulation of periodicals
- Dissemination of ideas: plagiarism, copy, imitation
- Circulating bodies (emigration/immigration, the slave trade)
- Circulatory systems (pollution, disease, blood)
- The growth or evolution of specialized periodicals
- Fashion and fads
- Revolutions and evolutions in work and entertainment
- Revolutions and evolutions in periodicals studies, research methodologies, and teaching periodicals
- Digital (r)evolutions and the press
Submission Guidelines
Proposals for 15-minute papers or panels should be submitted by March 1 via the RSVP application portal. Applicants will complete a short information form and upload the following documents to the portal:
- Proposal for papers
- A 250-word abstract with a title
- A separate 75-word biographical statement
- Panel proposals:
- A set of three or four 250-word abstracts with titles
- A general title for the session
- A 75-word biographical statement for each participant
How Will the Conference Work?
Papers will be circulated in advance of live panel discussions. We are hoping to accommodate a variety of formats including written papers, audio recordings, and videos. We will confirm the format with new and previously accepted presenters.
How Much Will the Conference Cost?
All those giving a paper at the RSVP conference are required to be members of the Society, but conference registration will be free. Contact us if you have further questions.