SHARP Conference July 2025-Call for papers

We are thrilled to announce that Rochester, New York, will host the 2025 SHARP Conference from July 7 to 11, 2025, with the theme “Communities and Values of the Book.” This is an exciting opportunity to highlight the rich book culture of our city and its surrounding regions to an international audience.

We kindly ask for your help sharing this news widely by forwarding it to your members, colleagues, or any communities you think might be interested in attending or participating. We want to ensure the broadest inclusion and representation possible.

Conference Theme: SHARP 2025's theme, "Communities and Values of the Book," encourages participants to examine communities and values, separately or together, and explore their intersections within book culture and bibliographic history. We invite proposals that think expansively about these topics, including voices from marginalized and non-mainstream communities.

What is SHARP?
The Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing (SHARP) is a global scholarly society dedicated to exploring the social roles of print and communication in all its forms. Founded in 1992, SHARP engages with everything from manuscripts to ephemera to digital texts, investigating how print and digital media can promote and exclude voices throughout history and into the future.

Why Rochester?
The Rochester and greater Western and Central New York regions are uniquely positioned as book and print culture hubs. From the Burned-Over District's connections with spiritualism, abolition, and suffrage movements to historic presses like Roycroft and industrial innovators like Xerox, the area has a rich legacy of engaging with the written word. Additionally, Rochester's history is enriched by literary traditions from historically marginalized groups, such as the Haudenosaunee and the Deaf community, making it an ideal setting for discussions about the diverse values and communities associated with books and other forms of textual and visual expression.

Call for Proposals: We accept proposals for individual papers, lightning talks, workshops, and fully-planned panels. Abstracts are due by December 1, 2024.

• Full CFP
• Submit abstracts here

We would love for you to join us in Rochester for these vibrant conversations, but first, help us get the word out! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions: sharp.rochester2025@gmail.com. 

Thank you for your support in sharing this exciting opportunity!

2025 SHARP Conference Organizing Committee