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This inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary conference seeks to investigate and explore the enduring influence and imagery of monsters and the monstrous on human culture throughout history. In particular, the project will have a dual focus with the intention of examining specific 'monsters' as well as assessing the role, function and consequences of persons, actions or events identified as 'monstrous'. The history and contemporary cultural influences of monsters and monstrous metaphors will also be examined.

Perspectives are sought from those engaged in the fields of literature, media studies, cultural studies, history, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, sociology, health and theology. Ideas are welcomed from those involved in academic study, fictional explorations, and applied areas (e.g. youth work, criminology and medicine).

Papers, reports, work-in-progress and workshops are invited on issues related to any of the following themes:

• The "monster" through history
• Civilization, monsters and the monstrous
• Children, childhood, stories and monsters; monsters and parents
• Comedy: funny monsters and/or making fun of monsters (e.g. Monsters Inc, the Addams Family)
• Making monsters; monstrous births
• Mutants and mutations
• Technologies of the monstrous
• Horror, fear and scare
• Do monsters kill because they are monstrous or are they monstrous because they kill?
• How critical to the definition of "monster" is death or the threat of death?
• Human 'monsters' and 'monstrous' acts? e.g, perverts, paedophiles and serial killers
• The monstrous and gender
• Revolution and monsters; the monstrous and politics; enemies (political/social/military) and monsters
• Iconography of the monstrous
• The popularity of the modern monsters; the Mummy, Dracula, Frankenstein, Vampires
• The monster in literature
• The monstrous in popular culture: film, television, theatre, radio, print, internet. The monstrous and journalism
• Religious depictions of the monstrous; the monstrous and the supernatural
• Metaphors and the monstrous
• The monstrous and war, war reportage/propaganda
• Monsters, the monstrous and the internet; monstrous virtualities
• Monsters, gaming and on-line communities

Papers will be accepted which deal solely with specific monsters. We also welcome proposals for pre-formed panels which specifically explore the themes of hybridity or themes of monstrous parents and families. In addition, papers which examine the theme of hope in relations to monsters (for joint sessions with the Hope project running at the same time) are wlecome.

Papers will be considered on any related theme. 300 word abstracts should be submitted by Friday 9th May 2008. If an abstract is accepted for the conference, a full draft paper should be submitted by Friday 8th August 2008.

300 word abstracts should be submitted to both Organising Chairs; abstracts may be in Word, WordPerfect, or RTF formats, following this order: author(s), affiliation, email address, title of abstract, body of abstract.

Please use plain text (Times Roman 12) and abstain from using any special formatting, characters or emphasis (such as bold, italics or underline). We acknowledge receipt and answer to all paper proposals submitted. If you do not receive a reply from us in a week you should assume we did not receive your proposal; it might be lost in cyberspace! We suggest, then, to look for an alternative electronic route or resend.

The conference is part of the ‘At the Interface’ series of programmes organised by ID.Net. The aim of the conference is to bring together people from different areas and interests to share ideas and explore various discussions which are innovative and exciting. All papers accepted for and presented at this conference are eligible for publication in an ISBN eBook. Selected papers will be developed for publication in a themed hard copy volume.

Previous Project Publications

Vampires. Myths and Metaphors of Enduring Evil. DAY, Peter (Ed.) Amsterdam/New York, NY, 2006, XIV, 243 pp. Pb: 978-90-420-1669-9