Icon 2008

A Series of Lectures Dealing with Revolutions

Israel is a country whose very existence is a combination of miraculous circumstances, utopic expectations and dystopic anxts. Its revolutionary foundation and subsequent survival was repeatedly described as the stuff fantasies are woven from. Despite that fantasy and science fiction literature had never received the deserving attention in the public and academic discourse in Israel. Now, for the first time, The Department of English and American Literature in The Faculty of Humanities of The Tel Aviv University in collaboration with The Israeli Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy and Icon Festival, are calling out to the research community to submit proposals for lectures, sessions, "round table" discussions, posters and special events in the convention's fields of interest.
The convention will be held as part of Icon Festival on Wednesday-Thursday, October 15th-16th 2008.

Specific Subjects Expected For Discussion in the convention include:

Political Revolution (Heinlein, Martin, China Miéville)
Sexual Revolution (Samuel Delany, Le Guin)
The Struggle for Legitimation of Science Fiction / Fantasy in the Literary World
Science Fiction as Revolutionary Literature
Literature as a Social Agent of Change
Science Fiction and the Russian Voice behind the Iron Curtain
Subversive Messages
Utopias and Dystopias
Political Violence (Terrorism and Guerrilla) and Science Fiction
Political Violence in Science Fiction
Science As Reflected by Science Fiction
Scientific Revolutions – Revolutions of Thought
Perception of the "Possible" in Science vs. Science Fiction

The convention will welcome debate in the aforementioned subject through a current and Israeli point of view, as well as suggestions of additional varied academic subjects.

Format for Submitted Events:

Lectures – Researchers asking to speak in one of the sessions must send an abstract of 150-200 words. Duration of each lecture: 75 minutes, plus an open debate / questions from the audience: 10-15 minutes. (In total each lecture will last 2 Academic Hours).

Sessions / Round Table Discussions / Panels – Researchers asking to propose a complete session must specify in their proposal the subject of the proposed session, names of the speakers interested in taking part, short motivation and explanation about the sessions rational and off course, abstracts of the proposed lectures. Duration of time for each participant: 10-20 minutes, plus an open debate / questions from the audience: 5-10 minutes. (In total each session will last 2 Academic Hours).
Posters – Researchers asking to display academic posters must submit a draft of the poster.
Special Events – Researchers and research institutions are invited to propose special culture events. Please enclose a short description of the nature of the proposed event and names of the people who will take part in it.

Regulations ands Submission details:
Proposals must be received by: 31.7.2008. They will be submitted to Gali Somer Golan the Festival's Academic Content Manager and coordinator of the Academic Convention to e-mail address gali.somer.golan@icon.org.il
Confirmation of receiving the proposal materials by the committee will be sent by email reply.

The decisions of the committee will be given no later than: October 15th, 2008.

Convention Staff:

Festivals Academic Content Manager: Gali Somer Golan
Members of the Organizing Committee: Dr. Ilana Gomel (Tel Aviv University), Dr. Keren Omri (Tel Aviv University),Dr. Aharon Hauftman (Tel Aviv University), Dr. Emmanuel Lotem (The Israeli Society for Science Fiction and Fantasy)