Western Society for Eighteenth-Century studies

Annual Meeting — Feb. 16-17, 2024

University of San Francisco

Registration

03

Program

04

Lodging

05

Eighteenth-Century Futures

2024 Annual Meeting of the Western Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies

University of San Francisco, Feb. 16-17, 2024

Keynote Speaker: Prof. Nicole Aljoe, Northeastern University

We welcome proposals from all disciplines for individual papers and full panels. Potential topics could include:

  • 18th-century/Romantic ideas of the future; early science fiction; concepts of periodization; the future of 18th-century studies; technological change then and now; 18th-century prophecy, forecasting, and prognosis; the 18th century's role in the present.

We also welcome paper and panel proposals not directly related to the conference theme. Presenters may participate in person or virtually; please indicate your preference when applying. 250-word proposals for individual papers or full panels are due to wsecs2024@gmail.com by Dec. 9, 2023.

The University of San Francisco is located in the center of the city, between Golden Gate Bridge and Golden Gate Park. All conference events will take place on campus.


Conference host: Prof. Omar Miranda, Department of English, USF

WSECS

The Western Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, or WSECS (pronounced “Wessex”), is an interdisciplinary society of scholars who specialize in the long eighteenth century, which stretches from the late seventeenth through the early nineteenth centuries. The organization is a regional affiliate of the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ASECS), a nationally recognized society of more than 1,500 scholars drawn from more than a dozen different disciplines.


The annual WSECS conference is primarily attended by faculty and graduate students from West Coast institutions, but it also attracts eighteenth-century specialists from further afield. The meeting is traditionally held in February to coincide with the Presidents’ Day holiday weekend. Scholars must be dues-paying members of WSECS to present at the annual conference. The cost of dues and the method of collecting them vary with the institution hosting the event.