Due to the wonderful response to our CFP for Sea Changes: The fairy tale Gothic of mermaids, selkies, and enchanted hybrids of ocean and river the conference will now take place over three days rather than two from 6-8 September 2025. Saturday 6th will be online (via Teams) with the 7th and 8th taking place in-person at The Knowledge Centre at the British Library. Our keynotes will be spread over the 3 days. The online day (Sat) will have a special focus on writing and mermaid fiction. The plenary talks will be by Monique Roffey, author of The Mermaid of Black Conch, on Caribbean mermaids; Betsy Cornwell, author of selkie novel Tides, on her forthcoming selkie-inspired autobiography Ring of Salt, and Dr Katie Garner on her Forging the Scottish Mermaid Project. The in-person days will have more of a gothic theme with keynotes from Prof Catherine Spooner, ‘Mermaid Glitter: Femininity, vibrant matter and environmental politics’, and Assoc. Prof Sam George, ‘The Luck of the Ningyō: Hybridity and the rise of the fake museum mermaid’.
The conference pages and full programme will be posted on this website shortly. The prices for tickets for the conference will be as follows:
| Standard Fee full conference | £160.00 |
| Standard Online Fee Day 1 | £35.00 |
| Standard Fee Day 2 | £80.00 |
| Standard Fee Day 3 | £80.00 |
| PG/Unwaged Fee full conference | £95.00 |
| PG/Unwaged Online Fee Day 1 | £25.00 |
| PG/Unwaged Fee Day 2 | £47.50 |
| PG/Unwaged Fee Day 3 | £47.50 |
We’re beyond excited to welcome everyone and certain the conference will make a real splash (pardon the pun). We have some surprises for delegates and attendees, including a mini exhibition of illustrated mermaid books from the British Library collections that we are planning to be on display at the venue during the conference. Gothtastic!
For enquiries, please email ogomproject[@]gmail[dot]com
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