Reclaiming Spaces: Spatiality and the (Re)occupation of Spaces in the French and Francophone World
7-8 September 2023
Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies,
University of London, Senate House,
Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU
Confirmed keynote speakers: Professor Madhu Krishnan (Bristol) & Professor Pierre Hyppolite (Paris Nanterre)
The 2023 ASMCF annual conference will seek to explore the concept of spatiality: the physical and social dimensions of space and how they shape our experiences, identities, and cultures. The theme builds on last year’s conference on “presence, absence, hybridity” and interrogates the occupation of spaces as a means to understand modern and contemporary French and Francophone cultures and identities. This is of particular importance at a time when people are (re)occupying spaces that had been restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic and reflecting on the new relation to space brought about by this crisis.
To mark this reoccupation of spaces and the first in-person conference since the pandemic, the 2023 conference will take place in London – a hub of Anglo-French relations. For centuries, London has been a haven of revolutionary émigrés and governments in exile and the site of a thriving francophone community. Drawing on the lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with regard to accessibility and environmental impact, hybrid modes of participation will also be possible.
For the call for papers, programme and all additional information, please visit our dedicated webpage here.
You can register for the conference by clicking here: Conference Registration. The deadline for registration is Sunday, 20th August.