Call for Papers
Call for Papers
2027 marks the 50th anniversary of the film now generally known as Episode IV: A New Hope, the first instalment in the hugely successful Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. As beloved as it is divisive, Star Wars now straddles multiple decades and generations while proliferating across narrative media (novels, comics, games, animation, TV). It provides a series of compelling case studies in the relationship between creativity and commerce, from the foundation of Lucasfilm during the New Hollywood period to the 21st century Disney-era, and it has developed via a complex interplay between cutting-edge technological innovation, nostalgia, and mythmaking. It is both shaped by and responsive to historical and political contexts ranging from the Vietnam War to 9/11. With Lucas famously drawing on an eclectic range of cinematic and intellectual influences (Kurosawa, the Western, Saturday serials, Joseph Campbell, Buddhism, and more), the influence that Star Wars itself now exerts on contemporary culture is as wide as it is deep. Star Wars, as Obi-Wan says of the Force, “binds us and penetrates us.” At the same time, however, and with some important exceptions, academic discussion of Star Wars has often relied on a rather narrow set of critical frameworks and has tended to neglect the actual texts of the franchise and their place in cultural history. As the blockbuster of blockbusters reaches its half century, it is therefore the ideal moment to reflect anew on Star Wars and its manifold legacies.
When and where?
The conference will take place on Friday May 7th 2027 at Durham University. This will be followed by an exciting series of public events and activities at the Glasshouse concert venue in Gateshead across May 8th and 9th. Details tbc. Speakers and attendees at the conference are welcome (and indeed encouraged) to stay for the weekend!
Texts and topics
Presentations are sought on any Star Wars media – from the films of the original trilogy to Knights of the Old Republic to Andor.
Topics covered may include (but are by no means limited to) the following:
- Star Wars in history and Star Wars as history.
- Star Wars and industrial change / allegory / crisis.
- The directors, producers, writers, showrunners, game designers etc who have shaped the franchise.
- Star Wars and genre.
- Star Wars and the nature of transmedial storytelling.
- Star Wars, stardom, and performance.
- Puppets, costumes, masks.
- The distinction between the ‘practical’ and the ‘digital’.
- The significance of race, gender, sexuality, class, disability, and indigeneity in making and interpreting the franchise.
- Star Wars and critical theory (especially Jameson).
- Star Wars geographies (landscapes, locations, frontiers, cities, and so on).
- Star Wars and extractivism.
- Star Wars and neurodiversity.
- The relationship between scholarship and fandom.
Deadline and contact
Please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words to Dr Sam Thomas by 1st December 2026.
Photo by Agnieszka Stankiewicz on Unsplash