A one-day academic symposium exploring transatlantic connections and the 'special relationship(s)' between the United States, the United Kingdom, and other nations. The event brings together postgraduate researchers across American Studies, examining themes from literature and film to postcolonial theory, science, visual culture, and environmental history.
The day features multiple panel sessions with papers on topics including queer poetics and international LGBTQ advocacy, transatlantic literary movements, gender and diaspora, and cultural exchange. A keynote address by Professor Mark Ford provides expert perspective, while a dedicated career development session supports emerging scholars. Participants will also have the opportunity to explore the V&A East Storehouse archives and the David Bowie Centre.
Programme
- 10:30-11:30am: Queering Movement(s) — papers on poetic relationships, LGBTQ rights, and queer self-writing
- 11:45am-12:30pm: Moving Ideas — transatlantic literary studies and aesthetic history
- 13:30-14:30: Moving Bodies — gender, nationality, and diaspora in literature
- 14:45-15:30: Moving Cultures — cultural transmission, mining heritage, and foodways
The symposium is catered and hosted primarily in-person at V&A East Storehouse, with a digital attendance option available.
