CFP: Community and the Uncanny: Neurodivergent Inclusion and Exile in the Middle Ages (IMC 2027)

Despite the importance of community for human wellbeing, the neurodivergent experience of what community has meant throughout history has often differed greatly from that offered by neuronormative societies. Building on the success of our 2026 series, Neurodivergent and Neuroqueer Temporalities, we once again invite scholars working in neurodiversity studies and neuroqueer theory within medieval studies to present papers on the IMC’s 2027 theme, ‘Communities’.  

This series invites proposals for papers that examine aspects of medieval and medievalist communities through a neurodivergent or neuroqueer lens. This includes, but is not limited to: 

-Exploration of the social interactions of neurodivergent individuals in medieval communities. 

-Examination of the relationships between neurodivergent and neurotypical characters in medieval literature. 

-Discussions of the experiences of neurodivergent scholars in medieval studies. 

-Exploration of the formation of neurodivergent or neuroqueer communities across time with figures or concepts from the Middle Ages. 

Paper proposals should be under 200 words and accompanied by a bio of no more than 150 words. Proposals should be sent to D.M.Coultas@leeds.ac.uk for the attention of Dan Coultas and Ash Paley no later than Monday, 14th September 2026. 

Successful applicants are reminded that they remain responsible for their own conference registration and fees.