Exploring the Enduring Power of Tragic Form: A Call for Papers

Conference Dates and Location

Mark your calendars! The "Tragic Form Across Europe and Beyond" international conference will take place from July 1st to 3rd, 2025, in the heart of Transylvania, at Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu, Romania.

Extended Deadline: March 14th, 2025

The deadline for submitting your proposals has been extended! Don't miss this opportunity to contribute to a vibrant discussion on the ever-evolving nature of tragedy.

Redefining Tragedy: From Aristotle to the Digital Age

In an era where the word "tragedy" is often used casually, this conference proposes a return to its Aristotelian roots. We aim to explore the enduring relevance of tragedy as a literary genre, challenging the notion of its demise and examining its transformations across cultures and time.

From ancient Greek plays to modern absurdist theatre, and beyond the borders of Europe, tragedy has consistently reflected societal tensions and the complexities of the human condition. This conference seeks to investigate the evolution of tragic form, considering its manifestations in literature, theatre, and other cultural expressions.

Conference Themes and Focus

We invite interdisciplinary perspectives that address the multifaceted nature of tragedy. Topics of interest include:

• Defining Tragic Form: Exploring recurring themes, topics, and perspectives.
• The Legacy of Classical Tragedy: Examining the influence of Greek and Roman tragedy on later periods and beyond.
• Tragedy and Digital Humanities: Utilizing new methodologies like stylometry and sentiment analysis to uncover hidden patterns in tragic texts.
• Global Perspectives on Tragedy: Investigating the adoption and adaptation of tragedy in non-European cultures.
• Modern Tragedy: Defining and exploring the resurgence of tragedy in contemporary times.
• Tragedy and Political Unrest: Analyzing the relationship between tragedy and socio-political turmoil.
• Tragedy and Literary History: Understanding the role of tragedy in shaping national literary canons.

Submission Details

Submit your 250-word abstract and a brief 100-word bio to andrei.terian.ro and ovio.olaru.ro by March 14th, 2025. Include the title of your paper, key arguments, and methodologies employed. Acceptance notifications will be sent by March 21st, 2025.

Keynote Speakers

Join us in welcoming our distinguished keynote speakers:

• Franco Moretti (Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu/Stanford University)
• Juliane Vogel (University of Konstanz/ Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin)
• Jennifer Wallace (University of Cambridge)

Research Grant

This conference is proudly organized as part of the "Measuring Tragedy: Geographical Diffusion, Comparative Morphology, and Computational Analysis of European Tragic Form" (METRA) research grant (https://grants.ulbsibiu.ro/metra/).