On November 20, 2026, the annual symposium of the VAL will take place at Ghent
University. The VAL symposium consists of two parts. The first half of the programme,
with keynote lectures and a panel debate, is dedicated to the conference theme –
“Literature and/as Care”. In the afternoon sessions, secondly, literary
scholars from Flanders (or neighbouring regions and countries) have the opportunity to
present their research in parallel sessions, with or without a connection to the conference
theme. The aim of this part of the programme is to be as welcoming as possible to doctoral
and postdoctoral researchers who want to present insights from their research. One or
two of the parallel sessions will be related to the conference theme; the others will be
‘free’ sessions, presenting ongoing research in the domain of literary studies.
Abstracts for the afternoon sessions are due 15 September and should be sent to Luna Dieleman. More information on the symposium and guidelines for early-career researchers interested in presenting is available in the following document (Dutch, followed by English):
The keynotes will be:
- Dr Stella Bolaki (University of Kent), 'Capacious Care: Contemporary Women’s Writing as an Ethical Practice of Attention)
- Prof. Anita Wohlmann (University of Southern Denmark), 'Activism, Ambivalence, and Applied Research: Metaphors and Narratives about Abortion'
Presenters can participate for free. The registration fee for other participants is €25 (incl.
lunch; not applicable to Master's and Advanced Master's students). Registration is
mandatory and open until 17 November 2026 via this form.
The symposium is organized by Luna Dieleman, Zoë Ghyselinck and Jürgen Pieters.
