[Commlist] CFP: IAAS 2026 - “Unfinished Declarations: Independence, Identity, and Imagination in American Culture”

Please find below details of the Call for Papers for the annual Irish 
Association for American Studies (IAAS) conference, hosted in April this 
year at the University of Ulster, Coleraine campus, Northern Ireland.


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*Call for Papers*
*“Unfinished Declarations:*
*Independence, Identity, and Imagination in American Culture”*
**
*Hosted by the Irish Association for American Studies*
*Date: 24th and 25th April 2026*
*Location: Ulster University, Coleraine Campus, Northern Ireland*
The Declaration of Independence is often celebrated as a foundational 
moment in American history, yet its promises of liberty and equality 
remain contested and incomplete. Honouring the Declaration’s 250th 
anniversary, this interdisciplinary conference invites scholars from 
history, literature, film, and related American fields to explore the 
Declaration not only as a political document but as a cultural artifact 
that has shaped—and been reshaped by—American narratives of freedom, 
identity, and resistance.
We welcome papers that interrogate the Declaration’s legacy, its 
rhetorical power, and its reinterpretation across time, media, and 
communities. How has the Declaration been mythologised, critiqued, or 
reimagined? What does it mean to declare independence in different 
historical, literary, or cultural contexts?
*Possible Topics Include (but are not limited to):*

  * Revolutionary rhetoric and the aesthetics of political writing
  * The Declaration in transatlantic and global contexts
  * Literary responses to and reworkings of the Declaration
  * The role of race, gender, and class in shaping or challenging its 
ideals
  * Cinematic portrayals of 1776 and the Founding Fathers
  * The Declaration in popular culture, music, and digital media
  * Comparative studies of independence movements and their cultural
    expressions
  * Indigenous and enslaved peoples’ responses to the Declaration
  * The Declaration as archive: textual transmission and public memory
  * Postcolonial critiques and reinterpretations of American independence

*Submission Guidelines:*
Please submit a 250–300 word abstract, for a 20 minute paper, along with 
a short bio (100 words) to (_conference /at/ iaas.ie) 
<mailto:(conference /at/ iaas.ie)>_ by *5th February 2026 (Updated)*. We 
welcome individual papers, panels, roundtable proposals, or joint 
proposals for panels of three papers, or panels with innovative 
formats. Applicants will be informed by mid-February as to their 
acceptance for the conference.
The IAAS is an all-island scholarly association dedicated to promoting 
interdisciplinary American Studies in Ireland. We are dedicated to 
equality, diversity, and inclusion, and we welcome proposals from 
under-represented groups. We also encourage proposals from researchers 
who are based at institutions around the world, whose research stems 
from a variety of disciplines and languages, and who are at any career 
stage. Some IAAS bursaries are available to support the participation of 
early career, precariously employed, or postgraduate researchers. You 
can apply for these at the IAAS website: _https://iaas.ie/bursaries/ 
<https://iaas.ie/bursaries/>_
All presenters must be members of the IAAS to register for and attend 
the conference. More information is available here: 
_https://iaas.ie/memberships/ <https://iaas.ie/memberships/>_
*Social Programme*
We hope to run a social trip to the Giant’s Causeway (UNESCO World 
Heritage site) and the Bushmills Whiskey Distillery during the programme 
so that attendees can experience some of the wonders of the North Coast.
*
*
*Contact & Further Information:*
For questions or accessibility needs, please contact: 
(_conference /at/ iaas.ie) <mailto:(conference /at/ iaas.ie)>_
Follow updates at: _www.iaas.ie <http://www.iaas.ie>_  and on Facebook: 
The Irish Association for American Studies.


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