Dear Colleagues,
We are very much looking forward to welcoming you to the University of Eastern Piedmont, Department of Humanities, Vercelli, 5-7 May 2027, for the 20th Conference on the History of the English Language, SLIN20_2027. The conference will gather together the group of Italian University lecturers and researchers working in the area of History of the English Language (Storia della Lingua Inglese, SLIN Group, webpage https://slin.unimi.it/). SLIN has a long and prestigious tradition which began in the late 1980s, with seminars and conferences to be held every two years.
The conference has also an international perspective, with plenary speakers and a number of participants from abroad.
This First Circular contains general information about the Conference.
CALL FOR PAPERS
We invite submissions for in person presentations on all aspects of the History of the English Language and English historical linguistics. Abstracts should be a maximum of 300 words (excluding references) and should clearly outline the research question, methodology, and main findings.
Further details on the submission process, including deadlines and guidelines, will be provided in the second circular.
The general theme of the conference is: ENGLISH ON THE MOVE
Papers (20 minutes + 10 minutes discussion) are invited on the conference theme. Please note that the chronological scope of the conference ranges from Late Old English and Middle English to Late Modern English included.
Possible topics comprise but are by no means limited to:
1. Language Contact, Mobility and Migration
Focus: people’s movements, external influences, and multilingual contexts shaping English
- Old English and Norse contact
- Old English and Norman French
- French and Latin borrowings in Middle English and beyond
- Celtic languages and English in the British Isles
- Internal migrations and dialect diffusion
- English as a lingua franca up to the late 19th century
- The transatlantic movement of English (to the Americas, Africa, Asia)
2. Texts on the Move
Focus: transmission, translation, and transformation of texts.
- Manuscript culture and textual variation
- Translation as linguistic innovation (e.g., Bible translations)
- Circulation of scientific English texts
3. English and the search for Identity
Focus: social, political, and cultural meanings of English
- English vs. Latin and French in medieval times
- Language and nationhood in Early/Late Modern times
- Regional and class varieties
- Ideologies of “standard” English
CONFERENCE PROGRAMME
The academic programme will run from Wednesday 5th May to Friday 7th May 2027. The schedule includes:
5 May – 14.00 – 18.00 – Sessions
6 May – 9.00-18.00 – Sessions + social programme
7 May – 9.00-13.00 – Sessions + business meeting
We are delighted to announce that the plenary speakers for SLIN20_2027 are:
Tony Crowley (University of Leeds, UK)
Carla Suhr (University of Helsinki, Finland)
Further details about their talks will be shared in a future circular.
SOCIAL PROGRAMME
The Conference will also feature a variety of social events, including:
- 5 May: Welcome reception (to be confirmed)
- 6 May (late afternoon): visit to the Vercelli Book and Vercelli Walking Tour (https://tesorodelduomovc.it/opere/vercellibook/)
- 6 May (evening): Conference dinner
Further details will be provided in due course.
REGISTRATION
Registration for the Conference will open in November 2026.
More information, including registration fees, will be included in the Second Circular, to be distributed in July 2026. In the meantime, if you have any questions please feel free to email us: slin2027@uniupo.it
ACCOMMODATION
Information on hotel options and booking details will be available in the Second Circular.
We would appreciate it if you could spread the word about SLIN20_2027 among colleagues and doctoral students who may be interested.
If you do not wish to receive further updates about the conference or if you wish to update your contact details please email slin2027@uniupo.it.
We look forward to your participation in SLIN20_2027 and to welcoming you to Vercelli!
The SLIN20_2027 Organising Committee
Elisabetta Lonati (University of Eastern Piedmont)
Laura Tommaso (University of Eastern Piedmont)
Scientific Committee:
Nicholas Brownlees (University of Florence)
Marina Dossena (University of Bergamo)
Giovanni Iamartino (University of Milan)
Elisabetta Lonati (University of Eastern Piedmont)
Gabriella Mazzon (University of Innsbruck)
Donatella Montini (University of Rome La Sapienza)
Massimo Sturiale (University of Milan)
Alessandra Vicentini (University of Insubria)
Polina Shvanyukova (University of Udine)
Giuliana Russo (University of Catania)