Heidelberg University to Host Warhammer Academic Conference
The Center for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies at Heidelberg University is interested in conducting Warhammer research.
There is a call for papers for an academic conference about Warhammer 40,000 from Heidelberg University, Germany, and Lancaster University, UK. So far Warhammer 40k has escaped scholarly attention, but the Warhammer Conference hopes to change that.
The conference will be held online and live on September 27 and 28, 2024, from the Heidelberg University. All experts in “Philosophy, Games Studies, Literature, Politics, Science and Technology Studies, or Theology” are invited to submit papers about Warhammer 40k.
Heidelberg University Topics for Warhammer Academic Conference
Organizers suggest some potential topics on the conference website, including:
- “Does fighting against extinction justify any means”…
- “How Games Workshop invented a whole new genre of art”…
- “Space Marines as ‘ideal abominations’”…
- “Religion and the Imperial Cult”…
- “Bolter-porn: on the joys of hyperbole and excess”.
Submissions must be submitted by 31 July 2024 at 3 am Eastern Standard Time (EST) or 9 am Central European Time (CET).
There have been several examples in recent years of Warhammer 40k’s prominence in mainstream culture. These include the Henry Cavill film project and the Warhammer 40k Call of Duty crossover.
In addition, last year’s Warhammer miniature art exhibition recognized the artistry of miniature painting, and Dorling Kindersley’s visual encyclopedia of Warhammer will be released this year as well. By the time someone publishes an essay collection called “Warhammer 40k and Philosophy”, Warhammer will probably be firmly established as mainstream.
Furthermore, there will be a lot of interest in the Warhammer Conference. The papers will be more dense than Warhammer 40k books. They will approach these topics from new angles about model-making, the 40k game, and GW’s history as a company.
If you’re an academic keen on getting into the field of Warhammer 40k studies, read our expert guides explaining ‘What is Warhammer 40k?’ and all the factions within Warhammer 40k.
