Dante Futures 2026: New Voices in the UK and Ireland
20-21 November 2026, University of Bristol
Call for Papers – Deadline: 31/7/2026
The annual doctoral and postdoctoral research conference ‘Dante Futures 2026: New Voices in the UK and Ireland’ will take place in person at the University of Bristol on 20-21 November 2026, with a keynote by Dr Nicolò Crisafi (University of Cambridge).
‘Dante Futures 2026’ will be the fifth edition of the event, previously held at University College Cork (2022), the University of Leeds (2023), the University of Cambridge (2024), and the University of Warwick (2025). The aim of the conference is to create a space for emerging researchers in Dante Studies in Ireland and the UK to present their work in progress, engage in discussion with peers, and receive valuable feedback from more experienced researchers. ‘Dante Futures’ intends to foster collaboration between institutions engaged in Dante Studies at PhD and postdoctoral level across Ireland and the UK.
We welcome papers on Dante and the culture of his time broadly conceived, as well as contributions that analyse the reception of Dante’s life and work. Papers that apply new methodological approaches to Dante’s work or examine Dante’s legacy outside Europe are particularly welcome.
The conference has been kindly sponsored and supported by the Society for Italian Studies, the University of Bristol’s Institute of Greece, Rome, and the Classical Tradition, and the Centre for Medieval Studies. This year’s edition will also feature workshops by the Bristol Common Press.
PhD candidates currently working at, or otherwise affiliated with, Irish and UK research institutions, and those who were awarded their PhD in 2025 or 2026 are welcome to submit paper proposals.
Thanks to the generous contribution of the SIS EDI Fund, we are able to offer 3 travel bursaries of £100 each to unfunded, unwaged and/or non-academic participants to cover accommodation and/or travel expenses. This additional support will be allocated for papers which explicitly address historically neglected areas in the discipline of Italian Studies, for example, questions of race and sexuality. We also encourage you to apply to your university or department for any available funding.
Postdoctoral fellows, PhD supervisors, and senior scholars who want to participate in discussion, offer feedback, and support emerging researchers are most welcome to attend. We kindly ask you to confirm your intention to participate by email (dantefutures@gmail.com).
Please send the following to dantefutures@gmail.com (deadline 31 July 2026):
- Paper title and abstract (up to 300 words);
- Short bio, including pronouns;
- Any accessibility and dietary requirements;
- Please indicate if you would like to apply for the EDI bursary.
Please share widely with PhD students working in Dante Studies and adjacent fields. We hope to see many of you in November!
‘Dante Futures 2026’ Organising Committee: Elizabeth Bratton, Aistė Kiltinavičiūtė, Enrica Leydi, Francesca Sartori, Chiara Valcelli