We invite general submissions on the subjects of literature, culture and the environment by postgraduate and early career researchers working in and across the disciplines of the environmental humanities who are interested in making the field accessible to a public audience. Posts can discuss topics from all periods of literary, cultural and natural history, and from all geographical areas. Posts that highlight their connection to ongoing events or the current global situation are highly welcomed.

Arcadiana also regularly publishes CfPs on special topics for themed posts. To see our most recent CfPs, please refer to the Call for Papers section on this page.

You do not need to be a member of EASLCE to submit a blog post. However, submissions should support its aims:

“By promoting research and education in the fields of literary, cultural and environmental studies, EASLCE aims to cultivate a better understanding of the interrelationship between natures and cultures for a more sustainable future. We recognize that dialogue and cooperation across disciplinary and cultural boundaries is essential to that task, and therefore seek to foster a diverse community of scholars, educators, and artists who share a concern for environmental issues.” (EASLCE)

What we publish

Opinion pieces / commentaries: max 1500 words

This includes work addressing current political or cultural events, which discusses the role of (historical and contemporary) literature in navigating these events, or that explores a particular site, event or cultural text in relation to current events.

Reviews: max 1000 words

This includes books (academic, nonfiction, fiction), films, video games, conferences, art exhibitions, festivals and other events.

Other formats and content:

The blog is still very much in the making and we’re happy to consider pitches that propose alternative and creative forms of writing or make use of different formats (audio, video, visual).

Call For Posts:

Energo-poetics: Exploring the Cultural and Aesthetic Dimensions of Energy

Deadline: October 6th, 1500 words max

“What happens if we sort texts according to the energy sources that made them possible?” Since Patricia Yaeger raised this question in her influential PMLA editorial (2011), the aesthetic, cultural, and political work of the energy humanities has developed in several directions. From petrocultural studies that highlight the multiscalar impact of fossil extractivism to analyses of solarpunk literature envisioning a more just, renewable-powered future, these works have shown the complexity of the present energy system, its entanglement with fossil capital’s practices and myths, and its resistance to change. Given that “the geological agency of humankind is directly linked to its ability to mobilize energy” (Bergthaller 2020), the energy humanities keep emphasizing the crucial importance of critically examining our relationship with energy, especially in the context of the ongoing ecological crisis. They also remind us that the necessary energy transition must be fundamentally just, ensuring that the shift towards renewable energy addresses existing social, economic, and environmental inequalities.

This call for posts invites contributions that reflect the diversity of this field and help analyze the interconnections between culture and energy across different regions and media (literature, film, and TV, in particular). Since “contemporary energy systems are made up of an array of energy forms” (Szeman 2017), we seek articles that explore fictional responses to and representations of various energy sources (coal, oil, natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric, solar, wind, etc.). We are especially interested in works that complicate what Stacey Balkan has termed “energo-poetics” (2021), by examining the formal aspects of fictional texts in relation to local energy histories and infrastructures.

Please send a short bio (up to 100 words) and a draft of your post (up to 1500 words) to [email protected] by October 6th. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out via email.

How to submit

We are always accepting submissions for our blog.

If you want to submit a proposal for a post, please send an email with the subject line “Pitch” to [email protected], including:

• a 200-word proposal summarizing your post, including its topicality, and the format of your submission
• a short bio including your research areas
• a statement of your schedule (i.e. when you can submit the full article)

We aim to respond within two weeks. If you don’t hear from us feel free to send a follow-up email.

At the moment, we can only accept submissions in English, Italian, Spanish and French but we hope to be able to provide editing for other languages in the future. All submissions will undergo an editing process which includes comments, suggestions and basic copy-editing.

Unfortunately, we do not pay contributors at this time.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any queries you might have.

We hope that you will consider sharing your thoughts with us and enjoy your experience of the blog.

Please be aware that the opinions of the authors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors of the blog or of EASLCE.