SLAS

2027 SLAS CONFERENCE - Newcastle University 

Democracy in Question?

8-9 April 2027 

​Submit your proposal by (extended deadline) 6 November 2026 via this form​

The cultural, technological, and political landscape of the world is shifting at speeds that we cannot easily respond to. Political polarisation interacts with rapidly evolving digital technologies to reshape governance, social relations, and ecologies. Echoes between labels such as the “right turn” and the “marea rosa” evoke the movement of a pendulum, inviting us to look for connections between past and present, pay attention to persistent social inequalities, and consider longue durées of extraction, dispossession, and environmental destruction. Beyond labels of “left” and “right,” novel configurations of populism, security, and authoritarianism across Latin America and the Caribbean call for a renewed scrutiny of democracy, both as liberal ideal and a set of structures. And between and beyond the poles of the pendulum’s swing, ways of living and being emerge and endure that do not necessarily share an interpretation of “democracy” or even posit it as a utopian horizon. At the same time, in many parts of Latin America and the Caribbean, as in the UK and Europe, the university's importance as a site of social transformation and critique is undermined by structural inequalities and neoliberal policies, contributing to a sense of despair with regards to the future that is reflected in speculative and dystopian cultural production. 

At this complex conjuncture, we invite proposals that critically examine ideals of “democracy,” including reductive binaries such as “left/right” and academic fetishes like “resistance,” responding to subjects including but not limited to:

• the complex relationships between emergent digital technologies, power, and subjects, human and non-human

• the role of the “culture wars” in political polarisation and mobilisation

• the relationship between democracy and different kinds of literacies

• illiberal democracy and rising authoritarianism at local and transnational scales: security, violence and precarity 

• the “right turn” and other political shifts in historical perspective: similarities and new developments

• the crisis of universities and the possibilities for solidarity and knowledge co-production 

• the role of culture in reimagining the past, making liveable worlds, and articulating alternative futures 

• the intersections of multiple crises: environmental, political, economic, social, etc.

As ever, the conference theme is not exclusive, and we welcome submissions on other subjects from a variety of disciplines and participants of various professional stages and backgrounds, including activists, archivists, artists, practitioners, and interdisciplinary teams. All proposals will be peer-reviewed for scholarly merit and originality.

Proposals may take the form of:

• Individual Paper

• Papers may be authored by individuals or groups. Only the first author of the paper should submit the abstract (max. 250 words). Each paper should last no longer than 20 minutes.

• Panel Proposal: The session organiser(s) are responsible for submitting the panel proposal (max. 250 words) along with the 3-4 paper presentations it will comprise. Panel proposals can take up a maximum of 2 sessions (max. 8 paper presentations). If you are submitting 2 sessions, please indicate “- Part 1” and “- Part 2” in the panel title (e.g. “Indigenous rights in Latin America – Part 1”). Each paper should last no longer than 15 minutes (if 1 of 4) or 20 minutes (if one of 3).  

• Alternative Format: We welcome proposals in other formats, e.g. roundtables, workshops, screenings, posters, etc. Please fill out the relevant sections of the proposal submission form with the details of your proposal. 

Key Information

Conference dates: 8-9 April 2027

Location: Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Deadline for proposals: 23:45 BST on Friday 2 October 2026

Notification of acceptance: December 2026, via email. 

Contact: slasconference2027@gmail.com 

Submission Guidelines

• Title and 250-word abstract

• Three keywords

• A brief bio (50 words max) and institutional affiliation

• Format preference and details

• Delegates can participate once as a paper presenter and once as a discussant, panel organiser or in an alternative format.

If you have any questions, please contact the organisers at slasconference2027@gmail.com.​​​​​

​​​