The medieval Mediterranean comprised a plethora of different and diverse 'worlds': literally from small farmsteads and cloistered religious communities to large cities and networks of trade; and conceptually from worldviews that comprehended little beyond their immediate locale to those who journeyed widely or studied, thought, and collected knowledge broadly. The variation in scope, scale, nuance and complexity shaped perspectives and phenomena, affected communication and understanding, influenced interactions and exchange, and facilitated or exacerbated peace and conflict.

For its Ninth International Conference, the SMM invites proposals for panels and papers that explore the medieval Mediterranean through the theme 'Small Worlds, Big Worlds: Medieval Mediterranean Perspectives'. This should be interpreted broadly, literally and figuratively, from a range of disciplinary perspectives to consider actual and conceptual 'worlds' in the medieval Mediterranean.

We invite papers that examine the theme from different disciplinary perspectives, including History, Archaeology, Literary Studies, Linguistics, Art History, and Religious Studies/Theology, among others.

We welcome research papers that, through the analysis of diverse types of sources, apply innovative approaches and stimulate debates that will enhance our understanding of ‘worlds’ in and across the medieval Mediterranean.

Topics of the conference could include, but are by no means limited to:

Cross-cultural contacts, interactions, assimilations, tensions and conflicts

Religious and linguistic interactions, e.g., of pilgrims, missionaries, merchants, sailors, travellers and scholars

Diplomatic interactions, e.g., of emissaries, spies, translators and merchants

Military interactions, e.g. of mercenaries and crusaders

Interactions between peoples of the Mediterranean and the wider world, e.g., the Atlantic and Indian Oceans, Asia and Africa

Currents of intellectual thought

Slavery, liberty and captivity

Pirates, renegades and rule-breakers

Migration, movement and settlement

Material evidence of exchange and interactions

Construction and/or deconstruction of ‘identities’

Narrative, visual and material depictions of the everyday and the commonplace

Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals for panels of three 20-minute papers each for 1.5 hour sessions, and should nominate a chair. We will do our best to accommodate applications for individual papers, but panels will be prioritised.

Language: Papers will be delivered in English. However, panel chairs will be allowed to accept discussions in any other language, if able to guarantee translation into English.

Deadline:

Panel proposals in the form of a session title, session abstract (150–200 words), 3 paper titles with short abstracts (100–150 words), and the name of a nominated chair should be submitted to socmedimedit@gmail.com by 1 December 2025.

Individul paper proposals should be in the form of a paper title and short abstract (100–150 words) should be submitted to socmedimedit@gmail.com by 1 December 2025.