INCSA Conference 2026 - Revolution, Revelation, Reconciliation - Call for Papers

Revolution, Revelation, Reconciliation / Revolución, Revelación, Reconciliación

International Nineteenth Century Studies Association (INCSA)
Biennial Conference: July 21-24, 2026 National Union Building, Washington, DC

Languages: English and Spanish

Proposal Deadline: October 31, 2025

Conference will be held in person and online.

Download a copy of the call for papers in English and Spanish Call for Papers - Revolution, Revelation, Reconciliation

The International Nineteenth Century Studies Association (INCSA) - in collaboration with the Nineteenth Century Studies Association (NCSA), Interdisciplinary Nineteenth Century Studies (INCS), and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History - invites proposals for its second biennial conference.

We welcome submissions for individual papers, panels, posters, roundtable discussions, digital humanities projects, and performances exploring the nineteenth century from interdisciplinary, international, and intertemporal perspectives.

Conference Theme

In Thinking About History, Sarah Maza reminds us that historical scholarship thrives on debate,reexamination, and innovative inquiry: “Commemoration is crucially important, so is keeping the past alive by constantly reframing and rewriting history: This means disputation and disagreement, but also research, new questions, and new ways of looking at old problems.” Similarly, historian Trevor Getz describes the nineteenth century as “an age of revolution and industry, oppression and resistance,” a period of profound transformation whose legacies continue to shape our present.

The words Revolution, Revelation, Reconciliation invite broad interpretation. Revolution can signify political upheaval, industrial or technological transformation, or the cyclical nature of historical change. Revelation may encompass ideological shifts, scientific discoveries, artistic innovations, or spiritual awakenings. Reconciliation addresses repair, restoration, and negotiation—whether between individuals, communities, or historical narratives. Revolution, revelation, and reconciliation may be applied to historical topics and themes such as period film, adaptation studies, neo-Gothic literature, and cultural memory studies; community relationships; institutional histories and practices; scientific studies and digital humanities projects that use contemporary tools to mine and make visible historical data and experiences; scholarly and pedagogical strategies, including experimental approaches in classrooms and exhibitions; historiographical reflection; visual and material culture preservation; re enactment and performance research; and other ways in which nineteenth-century research is centred.

Possible Topics

We welcome intertemporal, interdisciplinary, and international approaches to topics including,
but not limited to:

• Art history and visual culture
• Business, capitalism, and labour
• Colonialism, empire, and imperial studies
• Reckoning with historical harm, trauma, and grief
• Cultural approaches to scholarship and knowledge exchange
• Cultural theft, restitution, reparation, and repatriation
• Environmental history and ecological impact
• Historical inclusion, exclusion, reconsideration, and recovery
• Migration and displacement—voluntary and / or forced
• Indigenous rights and sovereignty
• Nation-building and identity formation
• Knowledge preservation, collection, and display
• Political movements and responses—unions, anti-/nationalism, and human rights
• Performance and entertainment—individual, collective, musical, theatrical, dance,
  spiritual, and cultural expressions
• Technological advancements and their societal impacts
• Conceptions of time and periodization across cultures
• Literary production, writing, and print culture
• Youth education, training, and cultural participation

Proposal Guidelines

• Individual proposals: Maximum 300 words.
• Panel proposals: Maximum 600 words, including a theme and individual abstracts.
• Digital humanities and performance proposals: Provide a 300-word description and
  relevant links (no file uploads).

All proposals must include a brief biography (max. 300 words) for each participant.
Submission Portal: https://in-csa.com, will open August 2025
Deadline: October 31, 2025
Notification of Acceptance: January 2026
Inquiries: incsa2026@gmail.com

We look forward to welcoming academics, scholars, curators, librarians, archivists, graduate and undergraduate students, editors, researchers, and the historically-minded to an engaging and dynamic conversation centred on the nineteenth century.