The 44th annual conference of the International Computer Archive of Modern and Medieval English is hosted by the North-West University in Vanderbijlpark, South Africa, from 17 to 21 May 2023. The conference format will be hybrid, with on-site and on-line participation possible.
The conference theme is “English going places, Corpora crossing spaces”. Participants are invited to reflect on how the diffusion of English across spaces – physical, virtual or metaphorical – contributes to shape the language.
The Call for Papers has been extended to 10 February 2023, and notification of acceptance will be set by 28 February 2023. Those prospective attendees who have already submitted in time for the December 2022 deadline will still be notified by 31 January 2023 in order to proceed with arrangements.
Format of the conference
With Covid restrictions currently quite limited, the plan is to host a fully in-person conference for those who seek to participate in the traditional, face-to-face ICAME conference. The conference programme includes the usual schedule of pre-conference workshops, a main conference with plenaries and three parallel sessions, poster sessions, as well as the Friday afternoon social outing – offering a choice from a guided tour of the Vredefort Dome – a world heritage site, shopping/window shopping in smalltown South Africa (including many gift shops) in Parys, or a tasting presented by a local craft distillery. There will be a Saturday afternoon boat trip, and a several outdoor meals, offering trye South African hospitality.
At the same time, ICAME and the conference organisers are aware that not everybody will be able to travel to South Africa, and might still want to participate. Therefore, live hybrid participation will also be possible, to present papers in the parallel sessions and to participate as an audience member. At the time of the conference, in the month of May, South Africa is in the same timezone as CET (summer daylight saving time).
Call for Papers
The Call for Papers has been extended to 10 February 2023, and notification of acceptance will be set by 28 February 2023. Those prospective attendees who have already submitted in time for the December 2022 deadline will still be notified by 31 January 2023 in order to proceed with arrangements.
Call for Workshops
Prospective organisers of pre-conference workshops can send their proposals directly to the conference organiser, Bertus van Rooy.
Workshops proposals should indicate whether the desired time allocation is for half a day (3-4 hours) or a full day (6-8 hours). Proposals of 500 words should indicate what the theme of the workshop is and the main contribution it seeks to achieve. Beyond the basic proposal, provisional papers and presenters can be listed, as well as the names of the organisers of the workshop.
Important dates
Main conference early abstract submission date: 3 December 2022
Pre-conference workshops proposal deadline: 23 December 2022
Notification of pre-conference workshop acceptance: 17 January 2023
Early notification of acceptance main conference: 19 December 2022
Pre-conference workshop final participation finalised: 31 January 2023
Main abstract submission deadline: 23 December 2022
Main notification of acceptance main conference: 31 January 2023
Registration opens: 1 February 2023
Registration closes: 31 March 2023
Pre-conference workshops: 17 May 2023
Main conference: 18-21 May 2023
John Sinclair Bursary
Venue and transport
The conference is hosted by the North-West University, close to its campus in Vanderbijlpark, at the Emerald Resort. The Emerald Resort has full conference facilities in the hotel, and offers two types of accommodation: regular hotel rooms, including breakfast, or self-catering chalets (one or two bedrooms) with a lounge and kitchen, where you can take care of your own breakfast.
The Emerald Resort is a safe and secure complex with full access control, where everything can be done by foot, including walking along the internal road and various trails next to among a game park with mainly large antelopes and giraffes.
Vanderbijlpark is about 95km from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg (code JHB), which has direct flight connections to and from several European, Asian, Australian and North American airports, as well as connections through transfers via major transfer hubs in the Gulf Region. Public transport in South Africa offers good bus and train connections within major centres, such as Johannesburg and the nearby capital city of Pretoria, but Vanderbijlpark is just outside the reach. Therefore, as part of the conference package, a chartered bus between OR Tambo airport and the conference venue will be included in the conference package, to ensure that all attendees arrive safely and hassle-free at the venue, and busses will also take guests back to the airport at the end of the conference, in time for the evening flights out of Johannesburg, or for those who want to spend more time in South Africa, to catch a flight somewhere, rent a vehicle or hook up with the public transport network to Johannesburg and Pretoria.
Keynote speakers
