The Fifth World Congress of Scottish Literatures will be held at Nanjing Normal University in Nanjing, China, on 17-20 June 2027. Being China’s first city designated as a “UNESCO City of Literature”, Nanjing—the venue for this congress—is not only a time-honored ancient capital of six dynasties but also boasts a millennia-old literary heritage. The main theme of this congress, “Scotland Along the New Silk Road”, underscores the dynamic interplay between Scottish literature with the diverse literary landscapes along this transcontinental bridge of cultural exchanges.

In ancient times, the Silk Road served as a historic trade route connecting East and West, fostering economic and cultural communications across continents. Today, the New Silk Road has evolved into a global network spanning Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Europe, acting as a dynamic bridge for economic collaboration and cross-cultural dialogue in an interconnected world. For Scotland, this initiative indicates a two-way exchange: Scottish literature is increasingly translated and published in New Silk Road countries, while Scotland’s own cultural narrative is enriched through deep engagement with these regions’ literary traditions. By situating Scottish literature within this transcontinental framework, this congress seeks to foster reciprocal understanding and cultural collaborations between Scotland and the diverse voices of the New Silk Road.
In light of this, the Steering Committee welcomes proposals for papers that explore these or any of the following themes in relation to Scotland’s literatures (suggested but not restricted to the following):
- Imagining “the Orient” in Scottish Literature
- Scottish Writers Writing from Asia
- The Reception of Scottish Writers and Culture in Asia
- The Reception of Chinese Material and Intellectual Culture in Scotland
- Folk Traditions in Transcultural Contexts: Scotland and Eurasian Cultural Exchanges
- Whisky and Tea: Material Culture Exchanges Along the Maritime Silk Road
- Eco-Writings in the Anthropocene: Scotland, Silk Road and Beyond
- Aesthetics and Literature in the Scottish Enlightenment
- Nineteenth-Century Scottish Literature
- Rethinking Canonical Scottish Writers
- Contemporary Scottish Literature and World Literature
We welcome more topics about Scottish literature, and we also welcome pre-organized panels. In keeping with the conference’s focus on dialogue and in order to maximize discussion and participation, panel organizers are encouraged to explore alternatives to the traditional format of three to four papers, such as workshops or roundtables.
Please note that in the interest of involving as many people as possible, participants are asked to present only one paper at the congress; however, they may also serve on a roundtable/discussion or as a discussant. Papers in English, Scots, Gaelic, Chinese and indigenous languages are welcomed. The working languages for this congress are English and Chinese. For speeches delivered in languages other than English, we recommend preparing English translations in advance either in paper or in PowerPoint.
Please note that the deadline for ALL proposal submissions is 30 November 2026.
Proposals for papers should include an abstract of c. 200 words, including affiliation.
Please fill in the following form and send it to this Congress’s email address: nj2027iassl@126.com
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All participants must be members of the International Association for the Study of Scottish Literatures (IASSL) at the time of the Congress (please contact scotlit-iassl@glasgow.ac.uk for further details or follow instructions how to join).
2027 IASSL Nanjing World Congress Advisory Committee (in alphabetical order of surnames):
- Professor Gerard Carruthers (University of Glasgow)
- Professor John Corbett (Beijing Normal-Hongkong Baptist University)
- Professor Leith Davis (Simon Fraser University, Vancouver)
- Professor Ron Dunbar (University of Edinburgh)
- Professor Ning He (Nanjing University)
- Professor Marie-Odile Hedon (Aix-Marseille University)
- Professor Steve Newman (Temple University)
- Professor Murray Pittock (University of Glasgow)
- Professor Jian Zhang (Beijing Foreign Studies University)
Accommodation
Recommended hotels in the vicinity of the campus
- Nanjing Grand Hotel (near campus): ¥450/day (about £47/day), Address: 208 Guangzhou Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Nanshan Zhuanjialou Hotel (on campus): ¥350/day (about £36/day), Address: 122 Ninghai Road, Gulou District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
Please note that the hotel prices listed above are based on the current exchange rate and contract price, which might be subject to change. Booking information will be provided in due course.
Registration Fee:
- Attendance for full conference Standard rate (Academic/Waged): ¥1,500(about £155)
- Attendance for full conference Standard rate (Student): ¥800 (about £83)
The registration fee covers conference attendance on 17-20 June 2027 and related events including the pre-conference reception, lunches and dinners during the conference.
Conference Venue: Suiyuan Campus of Nanjing Normal University, No.122, Ninghai Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, P.R.China, 210097
An Introduction to the Conference Venue: Located in Nanjing, the ancient capital of six dynasties in Chinese history, Nanjing Normal University (NNU) is one of the key Chinese institutions of higher education. Its origin can be traced back to 1902 with the establishment of Sanjiang Normal College, as one of the cradles of China’s higher normal schools. The Suiyuan Campus is the old campus of Nanjing Normal University, renowned as “the most beautiful campus of the Orient”. It was once the private garden of Yuan Mei, a literary figure in the Qing Dynasty, and also served as the prototype for the Grand View Garden in A Dream of Red Mansions, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.

This conference is primarily hosted by the Scottish Studies Center under the School of Foreign Languages and Cultures at Nanjing Normal University. As a major Scotland research institution in China, this center is committed to promoting cultural exchanges between Scotland and China, as well as conducting specialized or interdisciplinary research on various aspects of Scotland. In September 2021, the Scottish Studies Center co-hosted the International Scottish Literature Conference with the University of Glasgow. This event invited over a dozen renowned scholars from China, the UK, Italy, and other countries, receiving widespread positive feedback. At the Fifth World Congress of Scottish Literatures, the Scottish Studies Center of NNU will further facilitate exchanges and communications between Scottish literature and the literary cultures along the New Silk Road.

