The conference will attempt to initiate an interdisciplinary dialogue comparing the impact of “disaster nationalism” on different European regions and their recent transformations, with a particular focus on cultural and artistic responses to nationalist discourse.

The suggested areas of interest are:

• Devolution of the U.K. and Brexit
• Expansion of populism in Western and Central Europe
• Opposition to sub-state nationalism in the EU countries (e.g., Catalonia, Flanders)
• Putin’s dictatorship and its effort to redraw the political map of Europe
• Disasters as opportunities: political strategy, opportunism, and myth-making
• Conduits of new nationalisms: digital media and political discourse
• Solidarity practices in cultural spaces
• Gender, sexuality, and new nationalist agendas
• Resonances of identity conflicts fomented by new forms of nationalism in literature, theatre, visual arts and the new media

Contributions are welcome focusing on identity conflicts fomented by new forms of nationalism and their resonances in literature, theatre, visual arts and new media. Apart from identity conflicts, the preferred focus of contributions are diverse sources and practices of resilience, chiefly against the apocalyptic, violent and retaliatory tendencies of what Seymour labels “disaster nationalism.”

Keynote speakers:

• Professor Luba Jurgenson (Université Paris-Sorbonne, Department of Slavic Studies)
• Professor Murray Pittock (University of Glasgow)

Abstracts of presentations (300 words, 20 min. maximum) and round table proposals (90 minutes, containing the names and affiliations of speakers, and their topics) should be submitted by 31 January 2026 at martin.prochazka@ff.cuni.cz.

You may find the full Call for Papers here.

Registration will open on 1 March 2026.