Call for Papers

We invite postgraduate students and early career researchers working in any field of Medieval Studies to submit abstracts for an interdisciplinary conference at the University of Sheffield, organised by medievalists in the Department of French and hosted by the Humanities Research Institute. We welcome papers which approach issues in the interpretation of representations of war in medieval society. Suitable topics may include, but are not limited to:

• Crusades
• Battles
• Tournaments
• Naval warfare
• Weapons and armour
• Mechanical/technical aspects of warfare (siege engines etc)
• Knighthood
• Heroism
• Mercenaries
• Treaties/Peace agreements
• Women in war
• Individual/group in war
• Civilians in war
• Heralds/Messengers/Ambassadors/Diplomats
• Heraldry
• Images of warfare
• Divine intervention/intervention in general

We are delighted to confirm that our keynote speaker will be Dr Karen Watts, Senior Curator of European Armour at the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds.

Please send proposals of no more than 250 words for a twenty minute paper in English with your name, institution and contact details either by e-mail to battleconference@sheffield.ac.uk by post to the address below by 27th March 2009.

Battle Conference
c/o Department of French
SOMLAL
Jessop West
1 Upper Hanover Street
Sheffield S3 7RA
UK

For further information, please contact the organisers (Lorna Bleach, Keira Borrill, Katariina Närä, Joanne Young) at the e-mail address above.