We are pleased to announce a call for papers for an interdisciplinary PhD workshop taking place at Aarhus University on 3rd April 2014.
This workshop will provide a forum for discussion of how medievalists use different and potentially conflicting concepts and methodologies in their work, and hopefully lead to new ideas about how to tackle some of the challenges of interdisciplinary and comparative work.

At the workshop, a panel of three experts in the medieval period from different disciplines will provide feedback on participants’ papers. We are pleased that the following experts have kindly agreed to join our panel:

•Michael Gelting (University of Aberdeen/Danish National Archives)
•Sæbjørg Walaker Nordeide (University of Bergen)
•tba

Prior to the workshop each participant will circulate a paper (max. 2500 words) outlining their main ideas and or problems. Each paper will be read by one formal ‘responder,’ who will be another postgraduate, as well as at least one expert from our panel. On the day of the workshop, each participant will give a 10 minute presentation summarising their ideas to kick-off a round table discussion. We hope this format will facilitate some helpful and stimulating feedback for everyone involved.

Papers can be work in progress and do not need to be specifically ‘new work’. This is an opportunity to receive feedback on issues you may have been struggling with or would like to discuss with others working in a similar field.

The idea for the workshop originated from discussions about the best way to approach comparative study and we would like to particularly encourage papers in this area. Papers can be from any period from the early to the late Middle Ages and from any discipline. You may wish to consider topics such as:

•Combining archaeological and textual evidence
•Comparing and using evidence from different genres
•Comparing evidence and developments across borders and periods
•Negotiating terms and concepts across time and space
•Comparing vernacular and Latin texts
•Combining the sacred and the secular
•Cultural exchange, transfer and transformation

Please send a 200 word abstract and a short biography to: comparingmedievalnorth@gmail.com by Monday the 9th of December 2013

Organising committee: Louisa Taylor (UCL), Matilda Watson (KCL), Marie Bønløkke Spejlborg (AU)