Present: Karen Pratt (President), Miranda Griffin (Secretary), Emma Campbell, Emma Cayley, Rebecca Dixon, Linda Gowans, Patricia Harris Stäblein Gillies, Ruth Harvey, Eleanor Hodgson, Tom Hinton, Linda Paterson, Paola Scarpini.

 

1. Apologies for absence were received from Jane Taylor, Anne Cobby, Jane Gilbert, Simon Gaunt

 

2. Announcements: A minute’s silence was observed to mark the death of Fanni Bogdanow

 

3. Minutes of the previous meeting (circulated): The minutes of the meeting held in Lisbon on 24^th July 2013 were agreed.

 

4. Matters arising not dealt with elsewhere on the agenda: It was decided not to subscribe to institutional membership of the London Library membership unless there is a pressing need to do so.

 

5. President’s report, including update on the proceedings from the Lisbon conference: The President observed that she had been very glad to see so many British Branch members at the International Triennial Congress in Lisbon in July 2013, and that many excellent papers had been presented at the Congress by British Branch members. The President regretted having no further news to report on the progress of the edited volume of the proceedings, having had no response from the Congress organisers.

 

6. Secretary’s and Treasurer’s reports: The Secretary reported that the jiscmail account was used to keep in touch with members; 64 members are currently listed. The jiscmail account is used to send out calls for papers from conferences likely to be of interest to members, as well as announcements concerning the society. Facebook and Twitter are proving a useful way of maintaining the ICLS’s profile and communicating with some members.

 

The Treasurer’s report was received in Jane Gilbert’s absence. It was noted that not all members are on jiscmail; the Secretary and Treasurer will confer on this. It was further noted that members need to be reminded to change their standing order date to June.

 

7. Election of new members: While it is not necessary to elect new members formally at Branch meetings, the meeting was glad to welcome new student members, Merryn Everitt, Rebecca Lyons, and André Barros Penafiel.

 

It was confirmed that only members of the Society should be permitted to present papers at British Branch conferences.

 

8. Publicity and social media Paola Scarpini and Eleanor Hodgson were thanked for their efforts on Facebook and Twitter. The ICLS British Branch website is currently hosted in Sheffield, looked after by Paola; she intends to pass it on to Eleanor if she leaves Sheffield. The difficulty of ensuring continuity of a website was discussed; and it was noted that it was important to retain a Society website hosted at a university, because of the need to maintain institutional protected JANET status.

 

9. Encomia The meeting noted the new plans for the distribution of Encomia: Garnier will post them direct. It was noted that this would entail a higher postage bill. Linda Gowans reported that the 2012 bibliography was almost finished, and should soon be published both in print and online. The President undertook to seek further elucidation about Encomia’s future from Richard Trachsler, the International President.

 

10. Bibliography team Linda Gowans and her team were thanked warmly for their wonderful bibliographical work. Linda has kindly offered to complete the 2012 and 2013 issues, and will then step down. It was agreed to ask interested parties to take on this task. It was further agreed that bibliographical team members would not have to pay subscription rates.

 

It was resolved to remind members, via email, twice a year, to send in publication details or articles or books which should be included on the bibliography.

 

11. Subscriptions: The meeting discussed the necessity of increasing subscription rates. At present, the rates are as follows:
    Standard rate  £20 
    • Overseas members  £24
    • Unemployed, student, retired £12 

It was agreed to increase these rates by £5 each. It was agreed that, in order to encourage members to pay by standing order and to reduce the administrative burden on the Treasurer and Secretary, members who pay by standing order would be given a £5 discount: in other words, subscriptions for standing order payers would remain the same.

 

Subscriptions are due on 1^st June. The Secretary will email members at the end of April to remind them that subscriptions are due and to ask them to change the date of their standing orders if they have not already done so. It was observed that the change in standing order date may result in members over or underpaying. The Secretary and Treasurer will confer on this; members with queries will be advised to contact the Treasurer.

 

12. Branch meetings 2015 and 2017: The 2015 conference will take place in Warwick, hosted by Emma Campbell. The dates proposed are Tuesday 14^th to Wednesday 15^th The unconfirmed residential rate will be £135 (includes all meals and refreshments and en suite accommodation); the non-residential day rate will be £35 (includes refreshments and lunch). It is hoped to vary the rate for post-graduate and unwaged delegates. The conference will take place on the Warwick campus at the Radcliffe conference centre, which has all the usual facilities, along with free wifi, free sports facilities and swimming and free parking.

 

A call for papers will be sent out once details are finalised. Emma Campbell reported that she was investigating a range of possible funding sources. She further reported her hope that the involvement of Warwick colleagues from English Literature would ensure a more significant representation of delegates in English.

 

It was agreed that the conference should explicitly address the theme of the courtly, although the call for papers would be left open. It was further agreed to incorporate into the conference programme a Round Table discussion of the value of thinking about courtly literature in different areas of medieval studies; various speakers were suggested and will be approached by the conference organisers.

 

The 2017 conference will take place in Liverpool, hosted by Rebecca Dixon. Delegates were reminded that the University of Kentucky is the venue for the next Triennial Congress in 2016.

 

Emma Cayley and Tom Hinton were warmly thanked for their organisation of the conference in Exeter, which delegates agreed had been a convivial and stimulating event.

 

13. Election of Officers: Karen Pratt stepped down as President. Ruth Harvey was unanimously elected President by acclamation. Karen was wholeheartedly thanked by the meeting for all her work as President.

 

14. Any other business: There was none. 

ICLS (British Branch) Home Page