Call for Book Chapters: "Italy in the Second Half of the 19th Century: Bridging New Cultures"

A period of turmoil, uncertainty, and fear, the second half of the 19th century in Italy is also characterized by resilience, creativity, courageous discussions on the emancipation of women, and a variety of cultural products that become productive forces for social change and catalysts for the birth of a new and modern Italian culture, contributing to the later achievements of the 20thcentury. 

This edited volume seeks to explore the social and cultural dimensions of the period through contributions that investigate the literary, artistic, cultural, and social events of the time, probing their significance and relevance in bridging new Italian cultures. 

Possible topics for exploration are (but not limited to):

·       Texts that contributed to the diffusion of a national language (Cuore, Le avventure di Pinocchio, La scienza in cucina e l’arte di mangiare bene) 

·       Theaters as instruments of unification and diffusion of the national language (Teatro Verdi, Teatro della Pergola, Teatro Carignano)

·       Ways in which artists responded with their medium to the social changes of the time (Macchiaioli, Alinari, Massimo d’Azeglio) 

·       New literary and cultural magazines (Nuova Antologia, Illustrazione italiana)

·       Books for the education of school children (Memorie di un pulcino, Fra scuola e infanzia), and children’s magazines (Giornale dei fanciulli, Mondo piccino)

·       Discussion of texts on the emancipation of women (The Subjection of Women, Della presente condizione delle donne e del loro avvenire)

·       The salotti as places for discussion, creation and exchange of ideas (The salons of Emilia Peruzzi, Cristina di Belgioioso, Clara Maffei) 

Submission Details:

Abstracts should be roughly 300 words long and can either be written in English or Italian (with preference given to English). Please include the title of the proposed submission, name(s) of the author(s) and contact information (institutional affiliation, mailing address, and email address), as well as a short 100-word biography. 

Please submit your proposal to both Francesca Cadel (fcadel@ucalgary.ca) and Paola Nastri (paola.nastri@gmail.com).

Submission Deadlines:

Abstract Due: July 15th, 2021
Notification of Acceptance: A couple of weeks after the abstract deadline 
Finalized Draft Due: October 15th, 2021
Finalized Paper: February 28, 2022