Call for Proposals for a new edited collection on Transformations: Irish Literature and Social Change
The early decades of Irish independence are now remembered as a time of repression and socioeconomic stagnation, and in recent decades Irish studies has examined the period with an unwavering dedication to analyzing the injustices and often harsh realities of the era.
In this collection of essays, tentatively titled Transformations: Irish Literature and Social Change, we seek instead to explore the artistic works which have reflected and even helped to activate what could be described as a revolution in the Irish experience of class, disability, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. We invite proposals that identify and analyze such works, drawn from 1922 to today. Recognizing the many ways Irish society has changed over the course of a century, our hope is that these essays may illuminate the part literature can play in the transformation of a society—a question bearing urgency in the present moment.
We also welcome engagements with recent literature that exposes the problems that remain in the struggle for equality and human rights in Ireland. In addition to academic papers, we welcome personal essays by those who have been directly involved in Irish social activism and/or arts projects that have engaged underrepresented communities.
Papers might explore literature, art, or media that engages topics such as:
- Disability experiences
- Institutionalization
- Scandal
- Sexuality
- Celibacy
- Women’s rights
- Unmarried motherhood
- Racial, ethnic, and religious diversity
- Migration
- Class and economic disparity
- Queer history and literature
- LGBTQ rights
- Social activism
Submission guidelines:
Please email proposals to Marion Quirici and Elizabeth Grubgeld at [email protected] by June 15, 2026. Abstracts should be approximately 300 words. Please include a title and a one-sentence author bio.