An interdisciplinary conference at King’s College London, organised by the American Studies Research Group and the Institute of North American Studies.

Discourses on the concept of collective cultural memory and histories are prevalent in modern society. They are a way of asserting group identity and also serve to exclude those who reject them. Counter memories can challenge this collective imagined history by giving voice to those previously excluded. Scholarship focusing on these collective counter memories and the way they subvert dominant cultural narratives should be considered in discussion of American culture.

As the home of American studies at King’s College London, we aim to promote interdisciplinary scholarship, from literature to political science, and we believe that collective counter memories provide a good place from which to survey the field. Narratives on collecting and documenting these memories raise questions about the reality of remembered history and challenge assumptions that may previously have been accepted within the academy.

Therefore we welcome scholarship focused on non-canonical cultural productions/texts and radical processes/ideas.
We are very excited to welcome Dr Jenny Woodley from Nottingham Trent University as our keynote speaker and look forward to showcasing the work of these researchers in the 1st conference organised by the KCL American Studies Research group.

For more information please email kclwritingback@gmail.com