13-14 February 2020
University of Sydney
‘Antipodean George Eliot’ provides the opportunity to examine George Eliot’s legacy from any and every angle. The conference theme plays on the dual senses of ‘antipodean’ as ‘Australasian’ and ‘in opposition to’, with the goal of stimulating original thinking on all aspects of George Eliot’s achievement, and the various contexts in which her work is pertinent.
In addition to George Eliot’s writings in all genres, possible topics include:
• how, where, and by whom has George Eliot been read?
• discussions of her magisterial range of intellectual interests: philosophy, science broadly
conceived, especially physiology and psychology, and religion
• writers and thinkers who influenced or were influenced by her
Proposals of 250-300 words for papers of 20 minutes duration, together with a brief
biographical note of no more than 100 words, should be submitted by email attachment to
antipodeanGE@gmail.com by Monday 31 July 2019.
Proposals for panels of 3-4 speakers are also welcome (600-750 words, with a biographical
note for each speaker).
In addition, we invite proposals of 100-150 words for ‘lightning talks’ of 5-7 minutes; this may be of particular interest to graduate students.
Confirmed speakers include:
Fionnuala Dillane (University College Dublin), author of Before George Eliot: Marian Evans
and the Periodical Press (2013); Tim Dolin (Curtin University); Moira Gatens (Philosophy,
University of Sydney); Helen Groth (University of New South Wales); Joanne Wilkes (University of Auckland).
Under the aegis of the School of Literature, Art and Media, The University of Sydney, and
the Australasian Victorian Studies Association
Conference organisers: Matthew Sussman and Margaret Harris. Enquiries to Margaret Harris: margaret.harris@sydney.edu.au
