News and Upcoming Events

International Steinbeck Conference

"John Steinbeck in the 21st Century: Reading, Teaching, Translating"
San José State University, March 22-24, 2023

Visit our dedicated conference page for more information!

Call for Papers
Even as John Steinbeck’s diverse body of work has played an essential role in identifying and interpreting the major issues of the past century, his narratives and insights remain radically relevant to our present moment, as communities across the world navigate unprecedented social, political, economic, medical, and ecological challenges. Since Steinbeck’s significance is best communicated to contemporary audiences through the practices of reading, teaching, and translation, the 2023 conference will focus on how these forms of engagement help us better understand and share Steinbeck’s relevance to our contemporary world.

The International Steinbeck Society invites abstract proposals from varied disciplines and critical frameworks, including but not limited to literary/cultural studies, comparative literature, media studies, secondary and postsecondary education, psychology, political science, sociology, ecology, and marine biology. Potential topics include comparative studies of Steinbeck and post-Steinbeck writers, issues in translating Steinbeck’s works into other languages, stage/film/video adaptations, and approaches to teaching Steinbeck in contemporary classrooms.

We are also pleased to invite undergraduate students to participate in a poster session focused on sharing their analysis of, and approaches to, the author’s works, context, and enduring relevance. Undergraduates who are interested in attending the conference are encouraged to speak with their professors about possibilities for funding that may be available through their university. Professors who are interested in integrating an assignment related to the conference into their classroom are encouraged to direct any questions about the poster session to steinbeck@sjsu.edu.

For traditional presentations, please email your abstract of up to 300 words, as well as a short bio (up to 200 words) to Steinbeck@sjsu.edu with the subject line “Steinbeck Conference 2023 Submission, [last name].” If you are interested in submitting a pre-constituted panel, workshop, or roundtable session, please note your panel title, format, and the names of your co-presenters in your submission.

If you are interested in soliciting participants for a pre-constituted panel, workshop, or roudtable session, please send your topic and request to the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies @ Steinbeck@sjsu.edu, with the subject line “Panel CFP Steinbeck Conference 2023.” We will then share your topic and call for participants with the Center’s mailing list. To ensure an accessible conference experience, this event will accommodate digital/hybrid paper presentations, and will livestream its plenary talks for access by registered attendees.

Notices of acceptance to the conference will be sent out on a rolling basis in order to support scholars who are seeking funding from their home institution. And the final deadline for proposals is 11:59PM (midnight) on January 15, 2023.