2026 Wenshan x TSA International Conference Call for Papers
Hosted by: NCCU Department of English, Taiwan Shakespeare Association
Date: November 29, 2026
Venue: National Chengchi University
Shakespeare Across Centuries: Reception, Resonance, and Reinvention
Shakespeare’s works continue to inhabit what Stephen Greenblatt calls a “circulating energy system,” an ever-renewing sphere in which texts, performances, and interpretations travel across borders and epochs, sustaining the playwright’s presence in world culture. Tiffany Stern’s seminal research further reminds us that Shakespeare should be understood not as a fixed authorial entity but as an ongoing “process”—a dynamic constellation of scripts, fragmentary documents, performance traces, and editorial interventions that resist the notion of a stable text. Michael Dobson likewise observes that modern Shakespeare is the product of centuries of reinvention, shaped not only by actors and editors but also by national agendas, pedagogical traditions, and global readerships. Harold Bloom’s concept of the “invented human” underscores Shakespeare’s unparalleled imaginative reach, while Jonathan Bate’s emphasis on Shakespeare’s “metamorphic adaptability” illuminates the playwright’s capacity to thrive in new media and cultural forms.
To broaden participation across historical periods, this conference extends its scope to explore Shakespeare from the 16th century to the 21st century, inviting scholars of Renaissance literature, Long Eighteenth Century studies, Victorian/19th-century reception, Modernism and Modern Shakespeare, and contemporary adaptation, digital humanities, cultural studies, and global circulation. We welcome papers addressing Shakespeare’s influence, reception, resonance, reinvention, translation, and remediation centuries of literary, historical, philosophical, and media transformations.
Topics may include, but are not limited to:
l Shakespeare in the 16th-17th centuries: Text, Stage, Print Culture
l 18th-Century Shakespeare: Restoration, Editing, Enlightenment Thought
l 19th-Century Shakespeare: Romantic Aesthetics, Victorian Reception, Global Expansion
l 20th-Century Shakespeare: Modernism, Film, Politics, Theory, Pedagogy
l 21st-Century Shakespeare: AI, Digital Humanities, New Media & VR Performance
l Shakespeare Translation across Centuries
l Global Shakespeare & Cross-Cultural Circulation
l Shakespeare in Asia / Taiwan
l Adaptation Across Media (stage/film/music/game/opera)
l Shakespeare in Classroom and Curriculum Innovation
l Canon Formation & Cultural Memory
l Posthuman, Ecocritical, Anthropocene Shakespeare
l Sonnets and Contemporary Poetic Rewriting
l Shakespeare and Empire, Mobility, Migration
l Shakespeare and Law / Ethics / Gender / Affect
l Shakespeare and Performance Studies, Festival Cultures
Keynote Speakers:
- Professor Tiffany Stern, FBA (Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham)
- Professor Alexa Alice Joubin (George Washington University)
Submission Guidelines:
- Abstract length: 250-300 words
- Please include a brief bio (80 words): education, position, publications and email account
- Please submit abstracts to:mehadi20081203@gmail.com
- Email subject line: Submission to the 2026 Wenshan x TSA International Conference
- Contact person: Ms. Mehadi Huang
Important Dates:
- Submission deadline: February 10, 2026
- Notification of acceptance: March 10, 2026
- Membership required: November 8, 2026
- Conference date: November 29, 2026 (Sunday)
We cordially invite fellow scholars to join us at the foot of Mt. Wenshan to explore Shakespeare’s immortal legacy across time and cultures. This conference is organized by the Department of English at National Chengchi University (NCCU), in partnership with the Taiwan Shakespeare Association (TSA), the EARN (Enlightenment and Romanticism Network), and The Wenshan Review of Literature and Culture, a special issue of which will feature selected papers delivered at the conference.
NOTES:
Presenters must hold a valid membership in the Taiwan Shakespeare Association (TSA). Please complete the membership registration by November 8, 2026, after receiving the acceptance notice for your abstract. For international presenters or those who are unable to become members, a conference registration fee is required: NTD 3,000 for general participants and NTD 2,000 for students (valid for two years). Membership registration info at the conference website: 2026 Wenshan x TSA International Conference.
(Tuck’s Post Cards: “In Shakespeare’s Country: Stratford-on-Avon,” c. 1903, Oilfacsim Series #7920)