Symposium: Alaska, the Arctic and the US Imagination

When Monday 16 March 2015, pm
Where British Library Conference Centre

To mark the British Library exhibition ‘Lines in the Ice’ and the United States’ 2015 role as Chair of the Arctic Council, the Eccles Centre for American Studies is organising a half day symposium on the US and the Arctic. Looking at the history of American interest in the Arctic, as well as its contemporary relationship with the area, the symposium asks what the roots of this enchantment are as well as how the Arctic influences the US view of itself and the rest of the world.

Call for Papers:

Proposals for papers are invited from across the humanities and sciences with a view to organising two panel sessions of three papers, rounded off by a keynote address. This will be provided by Dr Michael Robinson (Hillyer College, University of Hartford), author of The Coldest Crucible: Arctic Exploration and American Culture.

Submissions should take the form of a title, short abstract and biography (c. 150 words in total), sent to Dr Philip Hatfield (Curator for Canadian and Caribbean Collections and lead curator for ‘Lines in the Ice’) at: philip.hatfield@bl.uk. The call for papers closes on 1st December 2014.

At the beginning of the day the Eccles Centre will also invite UK post-graduate students working more broadly on research relating to the Arctic to provide short (15 minute) presentations on their work, or an aspect of it. The two sessions of presentations will be underpinned by an audience discussion and those presenting in the afternoon conference would be welcome to participate.

The conference will be followed by an evening event organised in collaboration with the United States Embassy. All conference attendees and speakers are invited to attend.