BAMS Conference 2024: Ephemeral Modernisms

The Conference of the British Association for Modernist Studies
27-29 June 2024
School of English, University of Leeds

Programme

The conference programme (now updated with rooms and chairs) is available to view here: https://tinyurl.com/EphemeralMods;

And the online conference programme (now updated with chairs) is here: https://tinyurl.com/EphemeralOnline

You can find a full set of abstracts and bionotes here: https://tinyurl.com/EphemeralAbstracts

Together, these programmes include over 180 speakers over three days, a postgraduate networking morning on the first day, and 2 plenary sessions: a Keynote Lecture from Professor Derek Attridge (University of York), whose latest book, Forms of Modernist Fiction, was published in 2023 by Edinburgh University Press; and a Roundtable, ‘On the Ephemerality of Modernist Archives’, featuring Errin Hussey (Henry Moore Institute), Rebecca Higgins (University of Leeds), Amanda Geitner (East Anglia Art Fund), Barbara Cooke (Loughborough University), and Richard Brown (University of Leeds).

The conference welcome desk will be located in the School of English: https://www.leeds.ac.uk/campusmap?location=17416

Panels will be taking place in the School of English, which will also be the location for teas/coffees/lunch, as well as in the Roger Stevens Building (https://www.leeds.ac.uk/campusmap?location=17539) and the Workshop Theatre (https://www.leeds.ac.uk/campusmap?location=17590).

Two help you navigate between buildings if you are new to the Leeds campus, we have created the following short videos, demonstrating routes between the School of English and Roger Stevens and indicating the location of our plenary and some panel sessions in LT 21.

Route 1: English (House 10) to Roger Stevens: here

Route 2: Accessible Path from English (House 6) to Roger Stevens: here

Locations of Roger Stevens panels: here

There is a downloadable campus map available here: https://www.leeds.ac.uk/downloads/download/9/campus-map-for-visitors; and a large print version below, along with further maps including a plan of the School of English.

Large Print Campus MapDownload

For in-person delegates, the following bookable opportunities for limited numbers of delegates are now available:

Thursday 27 June, 13.00-14.30: Leeds Art Gallery Tour. ‘Nothing Lasts Forever: Peter Mitchell’ and the Leeds Art Gallery collection displays with Jane Bhoyroo (Principal Keeper), Clare Nadal (Assistant Curator, Sculpture), and Nigel Walsh (Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art).

Thursday 27 June, 18.00-19.30: Modernism in Leeds – A Walking Tour. Twentieth-century architecture, public art, and cultural figures, with Rachael Unsworth of Leeds City Walking Tours.

Friday 28 June, 13.00-14.30 and 14.45-16.15: Special Collections Drop-ins at the Treasures of the Brotherton Gallery. Two drop-in opportunities to consider ephemerality in the context of Leeds University’s Special Collections, featuring a selection of artworks on paper and archival material based on this year’s range of papers.

We are very grateful to Edinburgh University Press for sponsoring our wine reception on Friday 28 June, which concludes day 2.

Accessibility

Guidance for Live Presentations

  • You may be requested to provide a printed copy of your presentation if this has been requested by attendees with accessibility needs. 
  • If you have a handout, please bring 3 copies in large-print format (14-16 font size)

Visual materials (e.g. PowerPoint):

  • Use large font size (minimum 24pt)
  • Use a simple sans serif font (e.g. Tahoma, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial)
  • Provide a clear heading on each slide
  • Provide Alt Text for any images
  • Avoid unnecessary motion or animations on slides
  • Provide captions for any video used in the presentation
  • Ensure that colour is not the only means of conveying information
  • Use strong contrast between text and background, e.g. dark text on an off-white or pastel background, or vice versa
  • For more information on accessible PowerPoints, see Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities (microsoft.com)

When delivering your presentation and in subsequent discussion: 

  • Keep to your allotted time
  • Speak clearly and not too fast. Pause between main points. 
  • Use a microphone where this is provided
  • Verbally describe any visual materials on your presentation
  • Make sure that you cover all of the information that is on each slide (e.g. do not read only small quotations from a long passage of text)
  • Describe any handouts to the audience (and bring some copies of the handout in larger font – 14-16 point font size)
  • Repeat any questions posted by the audience, particularly if they have not used a microphone

Guidance for Pre-submitting Materials

We request that all conference presenters submit presentations in advance (even if only in draft form) to a Google Drive which can be accessed here: https://tinyurl.com/BAMS24Papers

These documents are shared to make the content of the presentations more accessible for delegates. They will be made available for the duration of the conference. After the end of the conference, all documents will be deleted.

When accessing materials by other presenters, please ensure that you:

  • Respect the fact that the presentation may still be in draft form
  • Do not use, circulate, refer to or quote from these materials without the author’s permission

Materials submitted can take the form of the following:

  • A draft or final version of the presentation itself
  • Notes outlining the paper’s key points
  • A PowerPoint file with notes

Please make sure that all basic information is included within your document (author, title, etc.). We recommend that you also include a statement reminding readers not to circulate, refer to or quote from these materials without your permission.

Please ensure that your document is in an accessible format. Word and PowerPoint are generally better for accessibility than PDF format, but if you do choose to upload as PDF, please ensure that you follow the guidance below:

Membership

To join BAMS or to renew your membership, please go to: https://bams.ac.uk/join-bams/. Current annual membership rates, which include a subscription to Modernist Cultures, are £57.50 standard; £46 student and unwaged; online-only standard £40; online-only student and unwaged £34.

Questions: conference@bams.ac.uk