CFP: HORROR STUDIES NOW 2026

Horror Studies Now: A Major International Conference (28-29 May 2026, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK)

The Horror Studies Research Group at Northumbria University invites researchers working in the multidisciplinary field of “Horror Studies” to submit abstracts about their research for the 2026 edition of the major, in-person, annual conference, Horror Studies Now, taking place on 28-29 May 2026.

Speakers will each deliver a 15-minute talk about their research, followed by extended discussion and questions from the conference delegation. We welcome submissions from scholars at any career stage. The event is intended to provide a space in which to develop ideas, network, and forge collaborations with fellow Horror Studies researchers.

Members of the organising committee are keen to read abstracts which address any aspect of the horror genre and popular culture, but are especially keen to hear from scholars who explore areas and approaches that have not yet been adequately accounted for or represented in the field, encompassing (but not limited to):

• The diversity of perspectives, identities, and voices that comprise Horror Studies and horror production

• Independent horror production, alternative histories, and horror produced outside of Europe and North America

• The field’s methodological richness, including archival approaches, audience research, practice-based research, and new theoretical perspectives

• The breadth of cultural perspectives that inform Horror Studies and horror media

• Papers that address horror in all its media forms including games, film, comics, music, social media, television, literature, art, and so forth

We seek to foreground scholarly excellence within the field by embracing a wide range of approaches, confronting representational biases within the canon, highlighting strategies to counter these biases, and contributing to a more diverse and inclusive academic landscape. We encourage and welcome expressions of interest from members of the global majority and people from underrepresented or marginalised groups.

The programme will feature talks and workshops delivered by soon-to-be-announced special guests.

The deadline for abstracts (of 250 words) is 23:59 30^th January 2026. Abstracts should be accompanied by a biographical statement (of 50-100 words) and submitted at the following link: https://forms.office.com/e/eH16H68hsk.

A small fee will be required to attend. All speakers, unless they choose to decline, will have their work considered for the Peter Hutchings Award for Outstanding Contribution to Horror Studies. The award includes a certificate for the winner and a publication (subject to revision) in the journal Studies in the Fantastic.

Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their proposal by 27 February 2026.

Any questions should be directed to horrorstudies@northumbria.ac.uk

The Horror Studies Research Group at Northumbria:

Northumbria University is internationally renowned as the home of horror scholarship. This research specialism was founded by our late Professor Peter Hutchings, and the Horror Studies Research Group formalises Northumbria’s concentration of experts in this area. Our core team are widely recognised as leaders in this area, publishing field-defining monographs, presenting keynote lectures at major conferences, delivering talks at numerous European film festivals, holding positions on the editorial boards of the field’s primary book series and winning major research grants. Our global reputation for research excellence in Horror Studies is further proliferated by our many genre-based PhDs and alumni. Find out more: http://horrorstudies.com.