[ecrea] CfP - Celebrating Hercules in the Modern World

International Conference, University of Leeds 7-9th July 2017

CELEBRATING HERCULES IN THE MODERN WORLD

In June 2013 the Leeds conference Hercules: a Hero for All Ages laid the 
foundations for a large-scale project on the reception of the ancient 
Greek hero Herakles in post-classical culture.  Work has been proceeding 
quietly on four volumes arising from the original conference, to be 
published in Brill's series Metaforms: Studies in the Reception of 
Classical Antiquity.  A grant from the AHRC's Networking fund is now 
supporting, amongst other things, the development of a new website 
(http://herculesproject.leeds.ac.uk/) and a follow-on conference at 
Leeds in July 2017.


Celebrating Hercules in the Modern World will reflect on the progress of 
the project so far, and work towards finalising the content of the 
volumes, due for publication in 2018-19: while the first two volumes are 
almost complete, there is scope for additional papers in all four, as 
detailed in the Call for Papers below. The conference will reunite a 
number of scholars from the 2013 conference, but also aims to bring new 
contributors on board: scholars from a wide range of disciplines are 
welcome - including history, art history, world literatures, drama, 
music, film and cultural studies - to share their expertise on the many 
contexts in which Hercules appears.

In 2013 we welcomed a number of practitioners talking about their 
Hercules-related work, including dramatists and the contemporary New 
Zealand artist Marian Maguire. This time there will be a presentation in 
the Clothworkers' Concert Hall of Herakles, a new oratorio by Tim 
Benjamin, fresh from its April 2017 première.
The conference will again make use of the excellent facilities on the 
main Leeds campus, with academic sessions based in the School of Music, 
and comfortable overnight accommodation in Storm Jameson Court.

CALL FOR PAPERS
All sessions will be plenary, to maximise the potential for 
cross-disciplinary discussion. Papers should be c.20 minutes in length. 
While proposals on any aspect of Herculean reception will be considered, 
we are particularly looking to enhance the volumes' coverage in the 
following areas:

Herakles Inside and Outside the Church: from the first Christian 
Apologists to the end of the Quattrocento: This volume examines 
Herakles-Hercules' adoption inside and outside the early Church as an 
allegorical figure, and appropriations of this figure in medieval 
Italian ecclesiastical literature and art. Papers on receptions in other 
parts of Christendom, and by other religions, would be particularly 
welcome.  NB this volume is almost ready to go to press: any paper 
accepted for publication will need to be finished by the end of August 2017.

The Exemplary Hercules: This volume covers receptions of the hero in the 
Early Modern period, debating Hercules' status as the incarnation of 
virtue, ways in which this might be presented or problematised in 
different media, and the varieties of political capital made out of the 
figure.  NB this volume will be the next to go to press: any paper 
accepted for publication will need to be submitted to the editors by the 
end of September 2017.

Hercules Performed: This volume explores Hercules' development in works 
written for performance, encompassing new works as well as re-workings 
of ancient tragedy and comedy, opera and oratorio as well as stage 
plays. Papers on receptions of Seneca's Hercules-plays, and on comic 
performances, would be particularly welcome. Any paper accepted for 
publication will need to be submitted to the editors by the end of 
December 2017.

The Modern Hercules: This volume covers Hercules' appearances in various 
media from the nineteenth century to the present day, including 
consideration of contemporary art, children's literature, cartoons, 
film, radio, video-games, political and commercial discourses. Papers on 
the use of Hercules in branding and political discourse would be 
particularly welcome.  Any paper accepted for publication will need to 
be submitted to the editors by the end of December 2017.

If you are interested in offering a paper, please submit a title and 
short abstract (200-250 words) by 31st January 2017 to the address: 
(herculesproject /at/ leeds.ac.uk).  If you want to discuss an idea before 
submission, you are welcome to e-mail Emma Stafford 
((e.j.stafford /at/ leeds.ac.uk)).


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