ILO 2025 CFP

IMAGINATIVE LANDSCAPES AND OTHERWORLDS Animate Beings Online Conference (June 14) Imaginative landscapes and otherworlds are made fantastical, not only by the qualities of these spaces themselves, but also by the living beings that dwell within and come from such spaces. A particular example of such entities can be seen in the Germanic folklore of fairies and elves, humanoid beings that are allusive of humanity, yet still eerily distinct and placed in opposition to humanity in narrative contexts. Such beings serve to characterise the spaces they inhabit as profoundly ‘other.’ The same can be said for other figures like the Hyperboreans of Greco-Roman myth. In a similar manner, imaginary animals are another prominent category of being inhabiting these spaces and are especially notable for the growing field of animal studies in the humanities. Such creatures are habitually derived from actual animals in terms of their forms, qualities, and behaviours, but function as imaginative ‘twists’ on those real animals. Hellhounds of medieval folklore are a clear example, being similar in form to actual canines, though with more fierce characteristics, and often said to intrude into the ‘normal’ world as omens of impending doom. Other imaginative animals, from Herodotus’ gold-digging ants to the phoenix, griffins, and dragons, can also be said to be imaginative extrapolations of real animals, crafted to serve particular narrative roles and characterise exoticized spaces. This year’s theme focuses on such animate beings, the living creatures and entities that populate imaginative landscapes and otherworlds. This includes the exploration of such figures to provide insight into cultural considerations of the ‘normal’ world and how they contribute to the construction and perception of such spaces in the human imagination. Contributions might include, but are not limited to: The role of non-human anthropomorphic beings in the construction of fantastical spaces Imaginative conceptions of animals in mythology The function(s) and perceptions of hybrid human/animal beings in folkloric narratives Analysis of folkloric figures that are commonly classified as ‘cryptids’ Studies of other conceptions of animate beings, such as sentient plants, artificial creatures, or living landscapes This online conference is jointly hosted by Canterbury Christ Church University and the University of Exeter. It will take place on June 14, 2025. Proposals should be not more than 250 words for a 15-20 minute paper. The deadline for submission is April 20, 2025. Please include your name and a brief bio (50-100 words) with submissions. For those wishing to submit proposals for panels, please limit participants to 3 and follow the above criteria; a bio will need to be submitted for each participant. Please send abstracts to iloconferenceofficial@gmail.com