Call for Papers
RE-ORIENTATING E. M. FORSTER
Texts, Contexts, Receptions
An international anniversary conference
Cambridge, Thursday 2 to Saturday 4 April 2020
Confirmed speakers: Paul Armstrong (Brown), Stefan Collini (Cambridge), Santanu Das (Oxford),
Leela Gandhi (Brown), Jane Goldman (Glasgow), Laura Marcus (Oxford), Stefania Michelucci
(Genoa), Rachel Potter (East Anglia), and David Trotter (Cambridge).
E. M. Forster, one of the major British writers of the twentieth century, died on 7 June 1970.
The fiftieth anniversary of his death affords a special opportunity for a comprehensive re-
evaluation of his place and significance in the literary and wider culture of Britain and beyond.
This conference, to be held at the Cambridge University Faculty of English and King’s College –
where Forster was an undergraduate and where he later resided for many years as an Honorary
Fellow – invites a wide-ranging exploration of his life and work, while focusing attention on two
broad areas: (a) Forster in his historical and cultural context; (b) receptions of Forster since
1970. A central aim is to facilitate a productive dialogue between these two perspectives, with a
view to defamiliarizing dominant perceptions of Forster and his work, exposing what has been
occluded, and identifying new directions of travel in Forster studies.
Forster’s novels are widely read and have frequently been adapted for radio, television, and the
cinema; he continues to be a major influence on other writers. A Passage to India remains a
foundational text for postcolonial studies and Anglophone writing about India, while Maurice,
first published in 1971, is a cornerstone of queer fiction. But how does the Forster that emerges
in the artistic and scholarly production of the years since his death relate to the Forster of the
years of literary creation? How far have contemporary receptions of Forster been shaped by
our own cultural perspectives, agendas, and anxieties? To what extent and in what regards has
E. M. Forster the man become E. M. Forster the myth? How might he be seen as a different
writer from the one we think we know – perhaps one even more radical and unsettling?
In evaluating proposals, the organizers will pay careful regard to fulfilling the general aims and
conception of the conference. Submissions are welcome on any topic. The following broad
themes are intended as suggestions:
Family, friendships, social networks
Education
England and Englishness
The Mediterranean, Egypt, and India
Literary influences and affiliations
Modernisms
Politics: imperialism and colonialism, liberalism and totalitarianism, war
Class
Gender and sexuality
Music, art, and mass culture
Fantasy
Adaptations in other media
Receptions in contemporary fiction
International receptions, including translations
Writing Forster: biographies
History of Forster criticism
The conference also invites reflection on the relevance of Forster’s Weltanschauung (itself
inviting exploration and definition) to our own historical moment, with consideration of this
question: What, fifty years after his death, has Forster’s concern for ‘connection’ and for civil
liberties to say to us at a time when narrow nationalisms and authoritarian ideologies have once
again become prominent across the world?
A volume of essays arising from the conference is planned with a leading publisher.
Proposals of 250-300 words for 20-minute papers, together with a brief CV of no more than 100
words, should be submitted by email attachment to E.M.Forster2020@gmail.com by no later
than Friday 10 May 2019. We also invite proposals of 100-150 words for ‘lightning talks’ of 5-
7 minutes, to be submitted by the same date; this may be of particular interest to graduate
students. Anyone who wishes to have a longer proposal considered either for a 20-minute
paper or for a lightning talk should please indicate this in the submission. Notification of
acceptance or otherwise may be expected before the end of June.
The ethos of the conference is to be inclusive and collaborative, and the organizers will seek to
ensure a positive atmosphere throughout.
We are glad to acknowledge the warm support of the International E. M. Forster Society
(http://society.emforster.de) and the Association for Forsterian Research (http://forster-
afar.com).
Steering Committee: Edward Allen (Cambridge); Howard Booth (Manchester); Santanu Das
(Oxford); Laura Davies (Cambridge); Gemma Moss (Birmingham City); Amber Regis (Sheffield);
David Scourfield (Maynooth); David Trotter (Cambridge).
Further information is available at: https://emforster2020.home.blog/.
Follow us on Twitter: @forster2020