The fourth annual conference of the International Society for Late Antique Literary Studies (ISLALS) will convene on the campuses of Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College on October 21–22, 2016. The organizers for this year’s conference, in despair of capturing under a single rubric all the exciting new work being done in late antique literary studies, issue an open call for all papers on late antique literature qua literature. Close analyses of a single textual moment in poetry or prose; sweeping surveys of author, genre, image, or trope; precise detective work on a long nettlesome crux; and paradigm-shifting theoretical diatribe are all encouraged.  

If you would like to participate, please send a brief abstract of your paper via email attachment to Bret Mulligan (bmulliga@haverford.edu) by June 15, 2016. Papers should run no longer than thirty minutes. Also welcome are abstracts for shorter papers and proposals for other forms of scholarly presentations (panels, lightning talks, posters, etc.).

ISLALS requires no dues and there is no registration fee for the conference. ISLALS will provide transportation, refreshments, breakfast, and lunch during the conference. A closing banquet for all conference participants will round out this year’s gathering. Expenses for lodging and travel to and from the conference will be the responsibility of participants. The organizers will help participants secure lodging on campus (limited) or at nearby hotels.

Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College are located ten miles from downtown Philadelphia. Additional information about the conference can be found at: iris.haverford.edu/islals2016

Please send queries about conference particulars to Bret Mulligan at bmulliga@haverford.edu. General queries about ISLALS may be sent to any member of the steering committee: smcgill@rice.edu, Joseph_Pucci@brown.edu, dbright@emory.edu.