UPDATE: Birth Marriage Death (grad) (UK) (4/29/05; 5/21/05-5/22/05)

THE DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH STUDIES / AHRB POSTGRADUATE CONFERENCE
UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING 21 & 22 MAY 2005

Birth Marriage Death

UPDATE: We are pleased to announce that on Saturday 21st May there will be
a ceilidh at the Golden Lion Hotel, Stirling, to which delegates will
receive a complimentary ticket. Music will be provided by the inimitable
'Skelpit Lug' band.

UPDATE: We are working towards publication of selected papers from the
conference proceedings.

NB. A few places are still available for researchers wishing to deliver
papers. Research students should be aware that we still have some bursary
money available for travel and accommodation expenses.

We invite postgraduate researchers in all fields of the Arts and Humanities
to submit abstracts for twenty-minute papers on the theme of 'Birth
Marriage Death'. We aim to have a diverse mix of researchers and papers.
Accordingly, scholars are invited to treat the theme imaginatively:
either literal or figurative interpretations of 'Birth Marriage Death'
are welcome. Possible topics for consideration might include the following:

Birth: birth as a symbolic beginning; birth as a medical or natural event;
the political or philosophical notion of the birthright; the cultural or
legal significance of legitimacy / illegitimacy; names and identity; the
religious rituals of birth; the notion of rebirth; the idea of the 'new';
the birth of the reader; the new nation; the history of the idea of
childhood.

Marriage: the alliance; feminist and / or queer notions of marriage; the
legal / political / religious treatment of marriage; the history of the
idea of marriage; divorce, expedient and arranged marriages; fidelity and
infidelity; polygamy; love; the contract; the idea of the hybrid; brides
and grooms; transnational, transcultural or transgeneric writing.

Death: Ghosts; the supernatural; the afterlife; death of the Author;
gallows humour and speeches; last rites; war; medical interventions; the
treatment of human remains; death as a beginning or end; the end of eras,
artistic movements or cultures; the end of Empire.

UPDATE: We are delighted to make the following clarification regarding the
plenary presentations to be made:

Professor Jonathan Dollimore -
'Death in Life: thoughts on suicide, decadence and degeneration'

The acclaimed novelist Michel Faber will discuss his work.

Professor Simon Frith - 'The Death of Popular Music'

Professor Elaine Hobby - Early Modern Midwifery

Abstracts of 250-300 words should be sent to Elizabeth Andrews, Jennifer
Bann and Andrew Sneddon, by the closing date of 29 April 2005, at:

Department of English Studies
University of Stirling
Stirling
Scotland
FK9 4LA

Abstracts may also be sent by email to birthmarriagedeath_at_stir.ac.uk
<mailto:a.j.sneddon_at_stir.ac.uk> .

Please view the conference web pages:
<http://www.birthmarriagedeath.stir.ac.uk>

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Received on Wed Apr 20 2005 - 08:44:19 EDT