Call for papers – 2026 Háskóli Íslands Student Conference on the Medieval North

The Háskóli Íslands Student Conference on the Medieval North is pleased to announce it is accepting abstract submissions for the fifteenth annual edition.

The Háskóli Íslands Student Conference on the Medieval North is an interdisciplinary forum for postgraduate students (master’s and doctoral levels) and early-career researchers working in the broad field of medieval northern studies, held annually in April in Reykjavík, Iceland. Students who have not given papers at an academic conference before are especially encouraged to submit.

We are proud to continue presenting a hybrid conference. We aim to facilitate international cooperation between researchers with an interest in medieval northern Europe. We offer an excellent opportunity for student researchers to share their research and create connections with colleagues, both online and in-person, in Reykjavík. The conference will be held from 16 to 18 April 2026.

We accept abstract submissions on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to art history, archaeology, digital humanities, gender, manuscripts, philology, and reception of the medieval period.

We especially invite proposals on the topic of: Stirring Up Trouble: Antagonists, Outlaws, Troublemakers, & Rebels.

After the conclusion of the conference, presenters will have the opportunity to submit their papers for the conference proceedings volume, which will be published as an e-book.

Interested scholars should email an abstract of 250-300 words, along with a brief biography containing name, pronouns, institution, and program of study, to histudentconference@gmail.com by December 8th, 2025. Please state whether you intend to attend the conference online or in-person. The Committee reserves the right to make selections based on quality of written abstracts, adherence to submission guidelines (see conference blog), and timely submission.

The languages of the conference are Icelandic and English. Individual paper presentations will be 20 minutes in length, followed by 10 minutes for discussion. There is also a Poster Session for students to present their material in poster form. Students may apply for either a paper or a poster; the conference committee may offer a poster presentation to some paper applicants. Further information can be found on the conference blog at histudentconference.wordpress.com. Please direct any further inquiries to the Conference Committee via email.

We kindly ask that researchers who have presented two or more times at the conference pass this information on to their more junior colleagues.