2017 Conference of the Australian Early Medieval Association, Australian National University, Canberra, 21-22 April 2017
In 1979 Hans-Robert Jauss published The Alterity and Modernity of Medieval Literature, an essay which defined reception theory and invited us to rediscover in the alterity of the Middle Ages an aspect of its modernity. For students of the Early Middle Ages, a field defined from its naissance by an emphasis on inter-disciplinary research, Reception theory can offer a surprisingly rich return. The 12th conference of the Australian Early Medieval Association takes Reception as its theme. We will be investigating the ways in which the literature, history, language and culture of the ancient world were received into post-Classical Europe; the ways in which the literature, history, language and culture of the Middle Ages have been received into the modern world; and the ways in which the Medieval world acted as conduit for the transmission of the Classical. This allows a very wide scope for papers of course, but, as always, we will still be welcoming any papers related to the studies of the Early Middle Ages even if they do not strictly adhere to the theme.
Abstracts of 250-300 words for 20-minute papers should be submitted via email to conference@aema.net.au by 20 February, 2017.