BAAS are excited to announce details for the British Association for American Studies’s 66th Annual Convention — its first to be hosted entirely remotely. For several years BAAS has been building towards an event of this type, in order to transcend the exclusivity and waste of our traditional conference model. The organisers’ plans have been pushed forward by our familiar enemy Covid-19 but are equally motivated by their twin concerns of environmental impact and accessibility/inclusivity. As part of the ‘Green BAAS’ agenda, they are committed to reflecting upon the environmental impact of their activities, and to making positive changes to combat climate catastrophe. The decision to host a virtual conference presents the opportunity not only to minimise international travel, but also to highlight the work of members working in the environmental humanities, and to reflect critically upon the culture of academic conferences. Furthermore, the organisers hope that the reduced costs associated with a virtual event will facilitate the participation of American Studies students and scholars across the globe, and will help generate new and productive networks and collaborations.

The organisers welcome scholars from all disciplines and time periods whose work engages with the culture, politics, society, and history of North America, the United States and the Americas more broadly. Proposals on any aspect of American Studies are welcomed, but the organisers particularly encourage proposals that engage with issues of sustainability and environmental studies.  BAAS is recruiting for a conference manager for this event. Please see the BAAS site for further details.

Dates

• April 6-11 2021

Plenary Speakers

• Full (exciting) details forthcoming

Location

• All sessions will take place remotely and will be hosted through a digital events platform.
• To facilitate the attendance of colleagues based outside the UK, sessions will take place between 14:00 and 20:00 GMT