International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts

Ladies and Gentlemen,

At ICFA 38 in March 2017, for the SCIAFA sponsored session, scholar and author Kathryn Hume will be giving a two part talk on preparing for the academic job market. She will offer detailed advice on the documents required for job applications, the interview process, and more. I highly recommend attending both parts of the talk.

In addition, Kathryn Hume has generously offered to look over job application documents and offer feedback and suggestions, as well as meeting with people for half hour face-to-face discussions during her free time at the conference.

She asks that if you are interested in feedback you send her CV, a letter of application, a teaching philosophy, a dissertation description/abstract to her email address at: iqn@psu.edu

She will begin reading through these documents starting Dec 10th. And she will get back to you with feedback as soon as possible.

For more information about how to put these documents together she recommends you take a look at her book Surviving your Academic Job Hunt: Advice for Humanities PhDs.

I have heard great things about the kind of feedback she provides and the insight she offers during the face-to-face meetings, so I highly recommend you take advantage of this opportunity.

When we are closer to the conference and the schedule has been released, I will begin signing people up for face-to-face meeting time slots. If you will be sending Kathryn Hume your documents and are interested in scheduling a face-to-face meeting please email me at rudd.am@gmail.com so I can compile a list of interested parties.

Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Amanda Rudd
SCIAFA Representative

Hello ICFA 38 Attendees!

There was a computer glitch in our Marriott reservations that has now been taken care of, so all should run smoothly when trying to reserve your room online.

If anyone does encounter trouble, please contact either Jeri Zuli or Donald Morse at iafaconf@gmail.com.

Dear poetry and prose writers!

Words and worlds needs you this year at ICFA —-again or for the first time. Thanks to Isabella, Stacie and Dale we have two sessions for poetry and two for short prose and would love to hear from you if you’d like to read.

I need to know really fast though, by October 30 if you can at g.wisker@Brighton.ac.uk.

Really looking forward to this.

Gina Wisker

Hello Everyone!

As we near the deadline for submitting papers for The 38th International Conference on the Fantastic in the Arts, Fantastic Epics, which will be held March 22-26, 2017, I wanted to send out some information on the conference theme and give you all some information on submitting a paper proposal and registering for the conference!  (Please click here for a VI version of this email.)

THEME:

Our theme this year is “Fantastic Epics.” We welcome papers on the work of: Guest of Honor Steven Erikson (World Fantasy and Locus Award nominee), Guest of Honor N. K. Jemisin (Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Award nominee, Locus Award winner), and Guest Scholar Edward James (Pilgrim, Hugo, British Science Fiction Association, and Eaton Award winner).

The hero(ine)’s tale is as old as storytelling itself. We trace our way from Gilgamesh to current practitioners of the art through routes that lead to – and beyond – other kingdoms, including those of Malazan and the cities of Gujaareh, Sky, and Shadow.

Papers may tread the paths of Thomas the Unbeliever, Bren Cameron, Sundiata Keita, and Boudica, or follow a dark road through Gondor, Camelot, or any valley of shadow. We can find the Epic in the hall of Heorot and in the rooms of Schaherazade. Examinations of modern epics might include the American west, the Marvel Universe, or the world of Miyazaki. A journey, a quest, an awakening – all these and more are part of Fantastic Epics.

We also welcome proposals for individual papers and for academic sessions and panels on any aspect of the fantastic in any media.

The deadline for proposals is October 31, 2016. We encourage work from institutionally affiliated scholars, independent scholars, international scholars who work in languages other than English, and graduate students.

PROPOSING PAPERS:

If you would like to propose papers, sessions, panels, roundtables, or other programming, you can find instructions and other useful information here.

To submit a paper proposal, you will need the following information:

• An abstract of 300 to 500 words, which must include the methodological/theoretical approach. Please note that, if accepted, abstracts will be posted on-line without editing. Authors are responsible for proofreading. PDF is preferred. Word is accepted.
• A bibliography containing both primary and secondary parts. Maximum number of references is 20. PDF is preferred. Word is accepted.
• A brief CV/Résumé or professional bio specifying fields of publication, expertise, and interests. This is mandatory. It will be used for organizing sessions, not to evaluate submissions. 2 pages maximum. PDF is preferred. Word is accepted.

Once you have all of this information together, you can go to the submissions portal here to upload all of your information!

For a list of divisions, descriptions of what topics are handled by each division, and for contact information to contact the appropriate Division Head with questions go here.

MEMBERSHIP AND REGISTRATION:

If you would like to renew your membership and register for the conference, you can go here.  Although you can join the association even if you don’t attend the conference, current IAFA membership is required for conference attendance, so you should join the association or renew your membership before attempting to register for the conference.  A list of all fees associated with the conference can be foundhere, and a “How To” guide for membership renewal and registration can be found here  for your convenience.

You can also find a brief set of instructions for renewal and registration here.  

IMPORTANT DATES:

Early registration ends on January 14th, 2017 at midnight Orlando time, so if you want to take advantage of the early registration prices, make sure you register before then.  Regular registration prices will be in effect from 1/15/2017 through 1/31/17, and late registration begins 2/1/17 and lasts until 3/1/17.  After March 2, 2017, the on-line system will be closed temporarily so that the conference committee can commit to the hotel for space and meal requirements. The system will open again for on-site registration on March 22^nd . Please note that date changes for registration purposes are reckoned by local time in Orlando, Florida.

THE HOTEL:

The conference will be held March 22-26, 2017 at the Marriott Orlando Airport Hotel.  We recommend that you have your hotel reservations booked by January 31^st, 2017.

For reservations, please call the hotel’s toll-free number: 1-800-380-6751, or dial direct: 407-851-9000, or use the Orlando Airport Marriott web site. The IAFA group code for the conference rate is IAFIAFA. Fill it in as the group code if you register on-line or mention it to the hotel if you call in the reservation. The box to fill in the group code is on the left hand side of the screen when you first go to search for a room. It’s below the section where it asks you the check in date and for your Marriott number. Fill in the discount code before you click “find.” You can find more information about the hotel here.  

Remember to reserve your room early so that you get into the conference hotel! 

If you have any questions or need any help with membership renewal or registration, please email me at iafareg ATgmail.com.

Regards,

Valorie

Valorie Ebert

International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts (IAFA) 

Membership & Registration Coordinator

1279 W. Palmetto Park Road, #272285

Boca Raton, Florida 33427

iafareg@gmail.com

 VI VERSION

Dear IAFA Members,

At our meeting in March, the IAFA Board discussed several issues assocationed with the ongoing operation of the book room. We propose several changes to the Book Room at the conference, including decreasing the amount of back stock that we store. We also will begin a relationship with Scholars Choice, a conference service that makes academic books for sale at conference venues.

We will put the Book Room on the agenda for the Business Meeting at the conference this coming March and will present more details about the history and the situation then. That will also be an opportunity to have a discussion with the membership about your desires moving forward so that we can ensure that we are proceeding in the appropriate way.

For the time being, the linked document provides a brief précis of the relevant issues and the steps we have taken thus far. I hope this document will help members understand the context in which the Board took the decisions we have made.

We will soon be advertising for a new position as part of the IAFA conference staffing, the Book Room Liaison. The person who takes on this role will play a crucial role in guiding the conference forward to a new model of the Book Room and its place in our conference culture.

Please hold your questions until the General Meeting rather than opening a discussion by email, but be assured that we look forward to hearing your thoughts and that no decisions taken thus far are set in stone.

I look forward to that opportunity to further discuss the future of IAFA with you.

Best wishes,
Sherryl Vint
IAFA President

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