Romancing the Gothic 2026 Talk Series – Call for Papers

CLOSED – All talk spaces filled

In 2026, our annual conference will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of Ann Radcliffe’s final, posthumous, publications. An early Gothic writer, Radcliffe was known to some as the ‘Great Enchantress’, to others as the ‘Shakespeare of Romance writers’. She was a key figure in the early Gothic – both in shaping it and in its meteoric rise to popularity. In keeping with this year’s conference celebrating a famous female writer, this year’s talk programme has an increased focused on women writers and writers of marginalised genders. As you’ll see, a number of months are focused on those taking the Gothic, horror and the supernatural and using it to explore the world from the position of those who, for reasons of gender, are marginalised within it. We’re excited for a year of talks which take on the Gothic and Horror’s potential for subversion, for exploring the horrors that seethe beneath the family friendly facade, and for giving voice to those made quiet. This is why we have several months specifically focused on female writers and writers of marginalised genders but we will, as always, have a wide-ranging and exciting programme. There’s space for every type of talk on this year’s list of themes!

Note: It is particularly important for us to include the voices of people of marginalised genders – including trans, non-binary, intersex and two-spirit identities – in a world which is increasingly hostile to them. Romancing the Gothic has always been, and will always be, an inclusive space for people of all genders.

Below is a list of themes by month. We welcome talks from every country – all talks are online.

January 2026 – Women and Other Marginalised Genders in Horror (film) (FULL – applications closed for this month)

We invite talks on all aspects of film from tracing an actor or director’s career, to in-depth case studies, to exploring thematics of representation. Scream queens of all descriptions, enthusiastically welcome and if anyone fancies doing a deep dive into Samara Weaving’s career, you’ll have my eternal gratitude.

February 2026 – Writers of the Ghostly (FULL – applications closed for this month)

We welcome talks which focus on specific authors or broader surveys of ghostly fiction. This may be an introduction to a specific writer’s work, a deep dive, a thematic or theoretical approach, or, a creative workshop focusing on writing the ghostly!

March 2026 – Introduction to… (FULL – applications closed for this month)

Our ‘Introduction’ series was popular in 2025 so we’ll be having two months this year dedicated to ‘introductions’. This should be an introduction to a larger theme, a specific author/director/actor, a introduction to a genre or other overview

April 2026 – Fear and Folklore (FULL – applications closed for this month)

We welcome talks on any aspects of folklore and the supernatural and strongly encourage contributions from all countries.

May 2026 – Supernatural Women/People of Marginalised Genders (1 space left)

We welcome talks which explore folkloric or fictional creatures, protagonists from specific filmic/literary/gaming texts, or connections between the supernatural and women or people of marginalised gender historically or in different cultures.

June 2026 – Nineteenth Century Gothic Women and People of Marginalised Genders (FULL: Applications are closed for this month)

We welcome overviews of specific writers, introductions to particular texts, thematic literary or historical explorations

July 2026 – Sapphic Gothic and Horror (1 space left)

We welcome talks on books, films, games, fan cultures or any other form of Sapphic Gothic and Horror. Bring me your murder ladies!

August 2026 – Women and People of Marginalised Genders writing horror, the Gothic, and the Supernatural (FULL: Applications are closed for this month)

We are particularly interested in the written word here but this extends across all fields: scripts, books, graphic novels, operas and more!

September 2026 – Introduction to… (FULL: Applications are closed for this month)

See March!

October 2026 – Internationally Horrifying (FULL: Applications are closed for this month)

This month we welcome talks on international traditions outside of the US and the UK. Talks may focus on individual works, genres, traditions, folklore, specific writers or any combination of the above!

November 2026 – Paranormal Romance (FULL: Applications are closed for this month)

We welcome talks which explore any aspect of paranormal romance (defined here as a romance involving at least one supernatural agent) from folkloric traditions, to urban fantasy, to popular serials, to visual novels, ttrpgs or any type of text. We are flexible in our definitions!

December 2026 –‘Final Girls’ (2 spaces left)

We welcome talks on horror and the Gothic’s survivors. This may literally be the classic ‘final girl’, but can include any exploration of horror ‘survival’. Be creative!

How to Apply

You should send an abstract before December 20th 2025. You should send an abstract (a short blurb) of approximately 250 words to sam@romancingthegothic.com. You may also direct any questions to the same address. We do NOT ask for a bio.

Talks occur twice on a Saturday, although we are happy to accommodate people on a Sunday if preferred for religious or other reasons. We pay a flat fee of £80 plus any donations for tickets.

PLEASE NOTE: It’s first come, first served and the spaces go fast in popular months!