Call for Papers: Panel at Historical Fictions Research Network Conference 2022
The Historical Fictions Research Network Conference will be held at the Resource for London, Kings Cross, London and online on 19 and 20 February 2022. We are seeking papers for a panel to be held at this conference. If there is enough interest, a series of panels and/or a special issue may be organised. More information about the conference can be found here: https://historicalfictionsresearch.org/hfrn-conference-2022/

Panel title: The Anachronistic Turn in Historical Fiction
The presence of anachronisms in historical fictions or on the screen have traditionally been seen as an embarrassing error; a sign that the author’s attention to detail had lapsed or that the requisite amount of research not conducted. At the same time, however, historical fiction, films and television rely on anachronism in order to make the past legible to contemporary audiences. We also consistently judge history anachronistically, assessing the past and prominent historical figures from our contemporary vantage-points. In recent years, however, deliberate anachronism has been embraced by both historical novelists and filmmakers. The use of contemporary music in period dramas, for instance, has become almost standard practice for contemporary historical television. The inclusion of deliberate anachronisms in historical fictions allows an explicit framing of the past in relationship to the present, and prompts a reconceptualization of the relationship of past to present. This panel will consider a range of anachronistic practices and contemplate how anachronism can shift our understanding of the form and function of historical fiction.

​Please submit a 250-word abstract to Stephanie Russo ([email protected]) and Jerome de Groot ([email protected]) by 15 August 2021.