CALL FOR PAPERS: ‘Close Encounters of the Nonhumankind: In the U.S. and Beyond’
New Voices in Postcolonialism Network are hosting a one day in-person conference at the University of Westminster on Thursday 2nd July 2026.
Keynote speaker: Dr Lucy Bond
Guest panel (hosted online): Professor Heather Houser, Dr Christy Tidwell, Dr Stephen Rust
The current political climate and fraught realities of the U.S. demand social and academic scrutiny. Peoples, animals, and environments are all being subjugated under the Trump administration, and this interconnected history of oppression and colonialism is at the heart of our conference topic. The imminent, everyday violence on the streets of America and the insidious, entrenched violence from its governing systems are both symptomatic of a colonial mindset, and this is what we are particularly interested in interrogating. As our title suggests, we are focusing on the perspective of nonhumankind – whilst this topic is naturally open to broad interpretation, our conference explicitly contextualises its discussions with relation to the climate crisis. What exactly defines a nonhuman, and what are the avenues of relation? How can we orient ourselves on the spectrum of living beings and systems?
We are interested in abstracts within the field of arts/humanities which thematically deal with the nonhuman, particularly (but not limited to):
Both papers (15-20 min presentations) and non-traditional formats (screenings, readings, workshops etc.) are welcome. Please submit your abstract (250 words) and a short bio to newvoicespocostudies@gmail.com by Friday 27th March 2026.
