CFP: Tolkien & Games (All Media)
Tolkien Studies Area, Popular Culture Association Annual Conference
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
March 27-30, 2024
Tolkien Studies at Popular Culture Public Facebook Group
Area Chair: Robin Anne Reid
Deadline for Paper Proposals Nov. 30, 2023
Travel Grant Applications Due Dec. 15, 2023
Academics, independent scholars, graduate students, and undergraduate students are invited to submit individual paper proposals and/or roundtable proposals on the topic of Tolkien & Games (All Media). Possible topics include but are not limited to:
Fan and player reception of Middle-earth related games (especially new releases—MTG’s Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, Gollum, etc.)
Representation or performance of race, class, gender, and sexuality in Middle-earth related games
Tolkien’s theory of subcreation and recent evolutions in game media (virtual reality, mobile gaming, etc.)
Representation of war and/or violence in Middle-earth related games
The audio and visual landscape in Middle-earth games
Choice and the freedom of the player in Middle-earth related games
Transformative works and Middle-earth games as vehicles for expanding the stories in Tolkien’s universe.
Player generated content in Middle-earth games: mods, maps, machinima, and player generated character designs
Gameplay innovations in Middle-earth games
Digital literacy, discourse practices, social norms and norming, the politics of play in Middle-earth games
Space and place in Middle-earth games, play spaces, virtual/physical communities, mobile gaming, and localization
All PCA sessions are scheduled in 1.5-hour slots. Paper sessions consist of four presenters, each speaking for fifteen minutes, followed by a group Q&A.
Roundtables are informal interactive discussions between five to seven participants and the audience. A roundtable focuses on a timely topic and are designed to raise questions and brainstorm for future scholarship. PCA allows people to present a paper and participate in a roundtable discussion.
PCA presenters may give a paper and participate in a roundtable. Please read the submission information and guidelines .
For individual paper proposals, please submit contact information (name, institutional affiliation [or "independent scholar"], e-mail address, and telephone number), your presentation's title, and a 500-word proposal describing your topic, chosen theory, methodology, argument, and its relevance to current scholarship.
If you wish to participate in a roundtable, email robinareid AT fastmail.com. Only Area Chairs or PCA Admins can enter roundtables into the PCA database.