ALIEN NATION: A CONFERENCE ON BRITISH SCIENCE
FICTION, HORROR AND FANTASY TELEVISION
20-21 July 2011, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
Deadline for abstracts: 1 March 2011.
Keynote speakers to include: Stacey Abbott,
Helen Wheatley, Stephen Volk, Peter Wright.
Proposals for papers are sought for a two-day
conference on traditions of British telefantasy.
A platform for interdisciplinary scholarship on
British SF, horror, gothic and fantasy
television, the conference seeks to advance an
understanding of the historical importance of
the fantasy tradition within British television,
and of the significance of that tradition to
British and international visual cultures more
generally. It also coincides with a surge of
creative achievement and popular interest in
programmes incorporating â??fantasticâ??
elements, such as Doctor Who, Being Human,
Survivors and Misfits, as well as the elevation
of many older shows to cult or canonical status.
As the first major conference specifically on
the subject of British telefantasy, it will
consider how this rich tradition might be
understood, evaluated and contextualised.
The conference organisers, Dr James Leggott and
Dr Alison Peirse, invite proposals for 20 minute
papers on any aspect of British telefantasy,
past or present. Contributions are welcome from
scholars and postgraduate students working in
television, cultural, literary, media,
historical and sociological studies, or any
related discipline. Possible themes might include, but are not limited to:
? Case studies of authors, directors, stars,
producers and otherr creative personnel
? Traditions of childrenâ??s telefantasy
? Fan cultures
? The global marketing, distribution and reception of British teelefantasy
? International collaborations and transnational connections
? The inter-relationship between televisual and
other cultures oof SF, horror and fantasy (such
as radio, film, literature, music, fashion etc)
? The political, cultural, social, religious,
technological and commercial contexts of British telefantasy
? Articulations of cultural identity, such as
those relating to gender, sexuality, ethnicity, disability and class
? Formats, adaptation and the evolution of
hybrid genres (such aas science fiction comedy)
? Music, scores and soundscapes
? Place, space and landscape: British
telefantasy and regional, urban and rural identities
? The style and look of British telefantasy
Abstracts of 200 words for 20 minute papers
should be submitted, together with a 50 word
author profile, to
(james.leggott /at/ northumbria.ac.uk). The deadline
for submissions is 1st March 2011. Proposals are
welcome for themed panels of three or four participants.
Dr James Leggott and Dr Alison Peirse
Lecturers in Film and Television
Department of Arts
School of Arts and Social Sciences
Northumbria University
Newcastle upon Tyne
