CfP: Ludic Literature: The Converging Interests of Writing, Games and Play

Submissions are invited to Ludic Literature: The Converging Interests of Writing, Games and Play. The two-day symposium is funded by the Scottish Graduate School of the Arts and Humanities and will be held at the University of Glasgow on the 16^th-17^th of July.

Ludic Literature’s purpose is to collide perspectives from contemporary literary writers and theorists; game studies theorists and video game developers to explore the essentially ludic element of constructing texts, be they games, literary productions or other works of art. By exposing the often-hidden process of textual construction, the conference seeks to present the playfulness at the heart of producing meaning-making texts. As such, the organisers wish to bring those who create and interpret these texts together, giving equal voice to academic and industry concerns to enable cross-institutional collaborations and partnerships that blur the boundaries of writing, games and play. To begin the conversation, day one provides a selection of academic papers, finishing with a roundtable discussion between writers and game developers on the converging interests of their work. These interactions will inspire day two’s event: A ‘literature’ jam where an assetless video game – provided in collaboration with Abertay, Edinburgh and Glasgow universities – will be transformed into experimental video games by the symposium’s participants using assets provided by the organising committee. The organisers welcome ten-minute papers that are encouraged to approach, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Analysis of literary games or ludic literature
• Intersectionality through the converging interests of writing, games and play
• The playful nature of semiotic choices in video game and literary textual construction
• Methods for reckoning with subversive literary and video game textual choices
• Methods for analysing ‘shifting’ texts or textual practices (early access video games, public textual editing)
• The (dis)similarities between textual creation in video game and literary forms
• The (dis)similarities between indie/AAA game development and writing
• Uncovering the processes and cultures of writing and game development for qualitative analysis
• Accounts and critiques of literary and video game collaborations
• The ontological and phenomenological implications for literary and video game textual creation when figured as play
• Presentations of creative works invested in the converging interests of writing, games and play

Guide for submissions:

Please submit a 100 word abstract detailing the subject of your paper and a 50 word bio to ludicliterature@gmail.com (please submit as one word document and not as a PDF).

Deadline for submissions: July 5th 2019

Attendance

If you would like to attend Ludic Literature, please confirm your interest by following the link: https://ludicliterature.eventbrite.co.uk  and downloading or printing your ticket. Attendance is free and there are provisions for SGSAH affiliated postgraduate students to reimburse their travel expenses.

For enquiries regarding the programme, please contact ludicliterature@gmail.com and visit ludicliterature.blog for more details.

First published: 11 June 2019