CALL FOR PAPER PROPOSALS
30th Ezra Pound International Conference
University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
27-30 June 2023
Ezra Pound and the Legacy of The Cantos
But the record
the palimpsest—
a little light
in great darkness—
(116/815)
The 30th Ezra Pound International Conference will be held Tuesday, 27 June–Friday, 30 June 2023 at the University of Edinburgh, UK. Established in 1583, the university became a chief intellectual centre during the Scottish Enlightenment and contributed to the city being nicknamed the “Athens of the North”. For the 30th EPIC, in addition to four days of sessions, panels, and plenary talks, other events being tentatively planned include walking tours in the old city and environs, visits to the National Library of Scotland and Galleries of Modern Art, and open-air poetry readings. Optional excursions to historical monuments, such as Stirling Castle, Rosslyn Chapel, and Melrose Abbey, are also planned during the conference. A one- or two-day excursion to the Scottish Highlands will be offered after the conference.
A century ago, Pound put together A Draft of XVI Cantos, the first installment of what he anticipated would be “an endless poem, of no known category… all about everything” (17 March 1917, Pound/Joyce 102). The text of the volume was ready by the end of November 1923 and published by Three Mountains Press in January 1925. Then, 50 years later, in 1972, New Directions published a corrected edition of The Cantos of Ezra Pound that in many respects remains the standard American edition we use today. In 1973, this edition was reissued, and the missing Italian Cantos were published for the first time in a separate volume. If we consider these milestones as the beginning and end of the composition and publication of The Cantos in its entirety, it is fair to ask where the poem stands at the start of its second century.
The EPIC Committee invites proposals for papers addressing any topic pertinent to Ezra Pound. The Committee especially encourages proposals on“The Legacy of The Cantos”: We invite papers on every aspect of the poem, from textuality to politics, languages to autobiography, factuality to occultism and magic. Thinking of legacy, we might further consider the impact of the poem on poetry and politics today; questions of publication history and new editions; reception and influence; media and digitalisation; poetics; globalism, geopolitics, regionalism. All these areas become relevant to looking into the future of Pound’s epic and how it will continue to be alive for its readers. The conference organizers for Edinburgh also welcome papers exploring Pound’s connections to Scotland, as these would offer excellent opportunities to delve into the legacy of his art and work in this part of the world.
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: 1 December 2022
If you are interested in giving a paper, please send a short proposal (250-400 words) (as Word Attachment or as email text). Please include your paper title, name(s) and affiliation(s), mailing address, and email address on the proposal. Presentations should be limited to 20 minutes delivery time (Max, 2500 words). Send proposals by email to John Gery: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Walter Baumann: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. To submit by regular post, please send your proposal to: Professor John Gery, 30th EPIC, Department of English, University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148 USA
If you wish not to propose a paper but receive information about Registration and conference details, please contact the Secretary John Gery, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
30th Ezra Pound International Conference
Ezra Pound and the Legacy of The Cantos
Committee:
Massimo Bacigalupo, University of Genoa
Walter Baumann, University of Ulster
Diana Collecott. University of Durham
John Gery, University of New Orleans (Secretary)
Alan Golding, University of Louisville
David Moody, University of York
Akitoshi Nagahata, Nagoya University
Viorica Patea, University of Salamanca
Roxana Preda, University of Edinburgh
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