Forms of Migration: Arab Perspectives on Im/migrant Art and Literature
Due Date: 01-12-2024
The Forms of Migration Research and Arts Collective seeks proposals for creative, scholarly, and interdisciplinary contributions to volume 2 of Forms of Migration: Arab Perspectives on Im/migrant Art and Literature, a new volume on comparative migration studies. Specifically, we seek diverse work that engages Arab perspectives on global migration through art and cultural forms of expression in and from Middle Eastern / West Asian, North African, and Arab diasporic communities. These may include migration movements from one Arab country to another; Arab migrant experiences from the US, Europe, East Asia, Africa, or other parts of the world; and non-Arab migrants in Arab contexts, past and present. We welcome scholarly essays, creative writing, nonfiction, visual art, as well as interdisciplinary work that blends or challenges the boundaries of genre. Topics of interest include all forms of aesthetic expression (i.e., im/migrant literature, visual/media/performance art, cinema, theater, fashion, architecture, and design). We have a particular interest in work that engages explicitly with form and the connections between formal choices and political expression.
To be considered, please submit a 300–400-word abstract or a selection of up to 6 images, along with a 150–200-word bio and contact information (for all contributors, in case of more than one author), in a single PDF file, by 12 January 2024 to Jennifer Reimer. We will invite submissions of complete manuscripts or artistic works based on the quality of the abstracts, in mid-January. Complete manuscripts should be a maximum of 8,000 words (shorter submissions are welcome!), while submissions of art, photography, or other visual materials should be a maximum of 15 pages. Submission deadline of the complete manuscripts will be 15 April 2024.
Since our volume will target a global audience, we envision English as the primary language. However, we are well aware of the various reasons to challenge the global dominance of English, especially in the context of the topic of this volume. Whether you prefer to combine English and Arabic, submit an Arabic or bilingual piece, or include another language relevant to your work, we will support your decision. We may have limited funding for translations from Arabic to English too. Just let us know about your ideas and preferences in your abstract, so that we can figure out how to include them.