ICLS British Branch AGM

Online

Wednesday 25 May 2022 14.00 BST

Minutes

Present: Emma Cayley (President, chair), Miranda Griffin (Secretary, minutes), Matthew Lampitt (Treasurer), Sarah Alyn Stacey, Laura Bailey, Coline Blaizeau, Emma Campbell, Ruth Harvey, Tom Hinton, Victoria Turner.

 

1. Apologies for absence were received from Philip Bennett, Anne Cobby, Mary Franklin-Brown, Jane Gilbert, Linda Gowans, David Murray, and Helen Swift.

 

2. Minutes of 2021 Branch meeting (circulated). With the correction of the spelling of Linda Paterson’s name, the minutes were accepted.

 

3. Matters arising not dealt with elsewhere on the agenda. All matters arising were elsewhere on the agenda.

 

4. Commemoration of deceased members. A minute’s silence was observed to mark the deaths of Simon Gaunt, Nigel Palmer, Margaret McGowan, and Douglas Kelly.

 

5. President’s report.

The President reported that the proceedings of the 2019 International Congress held in Exeter were to be published in a volume edited by Emma Cayley, Michelle Bolduc, Thomas Hinton by Liverpool University Press. Some other conference proceedings will appear in Encomia.

Emma noted that it was important to consider in-person and online options for future meetings of the ICLS. It was agreed that it was vital to retain an element of hybrid participation so that the conviviality of in-person meetings could be combined with the practicality of online attendance.

 

6. Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports

The Secretary reported that she and Emma Cayley had met to discuss the use of subscriptions monies might be used now that Encomia has become an online journal. The following proposal had been sent to members in November 2021:

The ICLS British Branch will establish a fund to support the invitation of an early career researcher to deliver a plenary talk at each British Branch conference. The fund will cover the travel expenses within the UK and the Republic of Ireland of the speaker and their conference fee, including attendance at the conference dinner. The speaker will be nominated by the conference organisers in consultation with the British Branch officers.

In addition, early career workshops will be held at each British Branch conference. By establishing and publicising this fund, our aim is to encourage the attendance at conferences of as many early career and postgraduate researchers as possible, and thereby to foster the continuation of the study of medieval literature.

Replies from members had indicated approval, with one caveat that mentoring and support should be provided for early career colleagues who were invited to give plenary talks.

Discussion focused on the best way to identify colleagues to give these talks; it was suggested that an essay prize could be launched, with the winner invited to share their work at the next British Branch meeting. The Malcolm Bowie Prize, run by the Society for French Studies, was suggested as a useful model to follow, since it requires pieces to be nominated by a senior colleague or head of department. It was also suggested that the Medium Aevum essay prize be explored as a useful model. ACTION: Miranda Griffin, Emma Cayley, and Emma Campbell to discuss the set-up of the prize and plans for the plenary talk.

The Treasurer shared the report (included). He reported that at present the ICLS British Branch has 58 members. The date for the renewal of membership is 1 June annually. Income is stable, with around £950-£1000 available each year to spend on an essay prize and plenary talk.

Matt further reported that he had investigated PayPal, which would be useful for international transactions. Currently, 3 members pay subscription via international transaction.

Matt reminded the meeting that the current subscriptions are £25 standard; £27 for overseas members; £17 for unwaged members; and that these rates were reduced by £5 for members who paid by standing order. He proposed that subscriptions for overseas members, which had been more expensive because of the postage costs for Encomia, be brought in line with the standard rate of £25.

 

7. Encomia

Emma Cayley informed the meeting that the full title is now Encomia. Interdisciplinary Journal of the ICLS. It is published in French and English, and includes book reviews as well as articles. The issue numbers will continue from Encomia’s previous iteration. Number 43 (2019-2021) will appear soon, along with updated guidelines on submission and style. Members of the Editorial Board have not all been contacted. It was agreed that publicising the new format was very important, and a launch was planned. It was hoped that it could be publicised at Leeds and Kalamazoo, where Encomia could sponsor panels in future. ACTION: Emma Cayley to liaise with Richard Trachsler about launch and publicity.

 

8. International society business, including International Congress

The call for papers for the International Congress at the University of British Columbia, 24-28 July 2023 is available at the website: Call for Papers / Appel à communications | XVIIth Congress of the International Courtly Literature Society / XVIIe Congrès de la Société Internationale de Littérature Courtoise (ubc.ca)https://blogs.ubc.ca/icls2023/call-appel/ . The Congress had been postponed for a year because of continuing restrictions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The title of the Congress is Redefining Courtliness, and the deadline for abstracts is 1 September 2022. Emma reported that she would be handing over the International presidency to Patrick Moran at the Congress. Members were encouraged to submit proposals for papers and panels to represent the British Branch.

 

9. Publicity and social media

The languages of the website were discussed, in light of the wish to include Welsh and Irish. Members undertook to source appropriate linguistic support for this.

In the absence of David Murray, Emma Cayley undertook to liaise with him separately. ACTION: Emma Cayley to contact David Murray.

 

10. Branch meetings 2024 and 2025

Since it had not been possible to organise the online seminars projected for 2021-2022, it was proposed that an online seminar be held in 2023, aimed principally at members who would not be able to travel to Vancouver for the International Congress. Sarah Alyn Stacey kindly offered to host the online seminar from Trinity College Dublin on Thursday 13 April. The format will involve two or three speakers.

It was agreed that the 2024 British Branch conference would take place in Trinity College Dublin at a date and on a theme to be determined. Emma Cayley, Sarah Alyn Stacey, and Miranda Griffin agreed to meet separately to discuss arrangements. ACTION: Emma Cayley, Sarah Alyn Stacey, and Miranda Griffin to meet.

The 2025 conference will take place in Leeds.

Other future venues were considered, and it was hoped that colleagues in other disciplines relating to medieval courtly literature would be encouraged to take part. It was noted that the British Branch had not met in Wales for some time.

 

11. Any other business

Matt Lampitt noted that he would be stepping down as Treasurer in 2023.

Members were asked to note the following opportunities of interest:

Online medieval French seminars 5pm BST, on Zoom.

29 June Eliza Zingesser, ‘Avian Erotic Affect’

27 July Joseph Mason, ‘Violence, Wounds and Pain in Old French Song’

10 August Emma Cavell, ‘Une volonté de remembrance: La Vie seinte Audree de Marie’

24 August Matthew Thomson, ‘The Musicality of Persuasion: Song and Courtly Speech in Guillaume de Dole and Le Roman de la Violette’

7 September Daniel E. O’Sullivan, ‘Restoring Pistoleta’

(For more details, email luke.sunderland@durham.ac.uk)

Call for papers for hybrid conference Shifting Landscapes of the Medieval World Shifting landscapes of the medieval world - CRASSH (cam.ac.uk)