ASAUK 2026: Narrative, Power and the Making of African Worlds
Narratives, whether official, insurgent, embodied, archival, legal, or speculative, are fundamental to the shaping of knowledge, identity, and power across the African continent and its diasporas. This conference invites participants to reflect on how stories are made, who gets to tell them, and what they do in the world. In African studies, narrative is never merely literary: it structures policy, development agendas, transitional justice mechanisms, data infrastructures, activist movements, ecological imaginaries, and more. We propose “narrative” not only as a mode of storytelling but as a contested field of meaning-making, where competing visions of African pasts, presents, and futures take shape. The ASAUK Conference will be held from 10th to 12th September 2026 at Durham University.
Call for papers extended deadline: 22nd May 2026
Call for Papers
We invite abstracts for the ASAUK 2026 Conference: Narrative, Power and the Making of African Worlds, taking place at Durham University from 10–12 September 2026.
You can view the full list of conference streams and identify the most suitable one for your proposed paper below:
Streams for ASAUK26 Conference
When submitting your abstract, you will be asked to select a stream. Abstracts will be reviewed by the relevant stream convenors. If you would like to discuss the suitability of your presentation for a particular stream in advance, please contact the stream organiser directly.
Abstracts (maximum 1,000 characters, approximately 200 words) should be submitted under the heading “Abstract Additional Comments.” The deadline for abstract submissions is 22 May 2026, though we strongly encourage participants who require a visa to submit as early as possible. The abstract submission system can be accessed here.
Please note:
- ASAUK conferences do not limit participants’ contributions, and conference participants are allowed to present as many papers as are accepted by the organisers. However, it is advisable to limit each person to 5 panels for the sake of time-tabling. Participants are allowed to take on multiple duties as chairs and discussants.
- We are not yet able to provide the final prices for conference attendance, but we expect to publish an indicative price list in early 2026 and expect prices to be similar to previous ASAUK conferences.
- The officers of the ASAUK are not remunerated, and all income from the conference is used to cover the costs of organisation, to offer subsidies and bursaries, and to continue the Association’s flagship Writing Workshops.
- Calls for single panels and individual papers will be published no later than 7th November 2025, and in some cases, we shall suggest that you join a panel that is organised by one of the streams.
Call for streams has now Closed
Call for Conference Stream Proposals
ASAUK conferences have established a reputation as supportive and collaborative events. Our conferences bring together scholars of Africa from a broad range of disciplines and from around the world, and are attended by scholars at all stages of their careers. The conference theme is Narrative, Power, and the Making of African Worlds, but we do not require that all proposals respond to this theme.
ASAUK conferences are organised around thematic streams. These streams can include between two and eleven panels. We will do our best to timetable these successively so that all those interested in a particular stream can attend all its panels.
Stream organisers are responsible for organising at least two thematically linked panels, with a panel normally consisting of a minimum of three paper presenters and one chair. Stream organisers are expected to respond to, and in some cases to recommend changes to, proposals from colleagues who wish to contribute panels or individual papers to their stream. We prefer proposals that bring together multi-located and inter-generational groups of speakers. We shall not accept proposals where all speakers are from the same institution. Stream organisers may also be expected to follow up with participants on the progress of their visa applications and to relay this information to Louisa Egbunike.
If you are interested in organising a thematic stream, please contact Louisa Egbunike at the following email: asauk26conference@gmail.com
The closing date for streams is provisionally 31st October 2025, but we shall evaluate stream proposals on an ongoing basis. The reason for this is to enable colleagues who need to apply for visas to have sufficient time to do so. We intend to send out visa invitation letters as soon as panels are accepted.
Your email should include a paragraph of up to 300 words describing your proposed stream and why you think it will make an interesting contribution to ASAUK26.
Narratives, whether official, insurgent, embodied, archival, legal, or speculative, are fundamental to the shaping of knowledge, identity, and power across the African continent and its diasporas. This conference invites participants to reflect on how stories are made, who gets to tell them, and what they do in the world. In African studies, narrative is never merely literary: it structures policy, development agendas, transitional justice mechanisms, data infrastructures, activist movements, ecological imaginaries, and more. We propose “narrative” not only as a mode of storytelling but as a contested field of meaning-making, where competing visions of African pasts, presents, and futures take shape. The ASAUK Conference will be held from 10th to 12th September 2026 at Durham University.