You Aren’t Too Late for PAMLA 2026: The Extended Deadline is Open!
Did you perhaps miss our initial paper/presentation proposal deadline?
If so, and if you want to join us for PAMLA 2026 in Seattle, you are in luck. You have a bit more time to propose to our extended-deadline sessions (they will remain open until they fill, or June 30, whichever comes first). We still have 100+ dynamic, welcoming sessions across all subfields looking for more strong proposals:
Explore the Extended CFP List & Submit Here: https://pamla.ballastacademic.
Why come to PAMLA 2026? Well, here are a few undeniable reasons to click that link and submit an abstract today:
1. Craft the Ultimate “Intellectual Vacation”
Let’s be completely honest: you deserve a break. After a long, demanding academic year, you need to recharge your creative and intellectual batteries. PAMLA has always prided itself on being the ultimate “intellectual vacation”—a perfect hybrid of high-level, collegial academic exchange and genuine relaxation. It’s a place where you can work on a passion project, engage in deeply stimulating conversations, and remember why you fell in love with the humanities in the first place, all without the stuffiness of some national conferences.
2. Seattle 2026 is the Perfect Destination
We are hosting this year’s conference at the stunning Hyatt Regency Seattle (November 12-15, with a Wednesday, Nov. 11 welcome event). Seattle in the fall is spectacular. When you aren’t in sessions, you can immerse yourself in the city’s iconic coffee culture, explore a world-class arts and culinary scene, or stroll along the vibrant waterfront vistas. Plus, PAMLA makes your stay truly hospitable with our famous complimentary daily breakfasts, lively evening receptions, and curated local outings to help you connect with old and new colleagues alike.
3. An Unbelievable Keynote & Star-Studded Lineup
Our 2026 featured speakers are exploring this year’s timely conference theme, “Our Ruling Classes,” and the lineup is a masterclass in humanities excellence:
- Plenary Speaker: Renowned scholar and past MLA President Michael Bérubé (Penn State).
- Arts Keynotes: Pulitzer Prize-winner Rae Armantrout (Versed); Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize-winner Marilyn Chin (Sage); and acclaimed novelist Sonora Jha (The Laughter).
- Theme Keynotes: James Hynes (Sparrow), interviewed by Roman sexuality expert Sarah Levin-Richardson (University of Washington); and travel-poetry scholar Jeffrey Gray (Mastery’s End).
4. This is Your Last In-Person PAMLA Opportunity Until 2028!
This is a huge structural reminder: PAMLA 2027 will be held entirely online. If you love the energy of hallway chats, the warmth of in-person networking, the book exhibits, and catching up with colleagues over drinks, this Seattle conference is your last chance to experience a live, face-to-face PAMLA until 2028. Join us in person while the opportunity is here!
5. A Direct, Theme-Driven Space for Your Research
This year’s optional theme, “Our Ruling Classes: Culture, Power, Conflict,” is incredibly broad and welcoming to almost any subfield. Whether you are analyzing corporate media monopolies (like our Disney Culture session), unpacking literary hierarchies (Rhetorical Theory, Autobiography, Film and Lit), or examining historical or sacred authority (Bible and Literature, Jewish Culture, Austrian Studies), your work has a natural, urgent home in our many remaining open sessions.
6. A Welcoming, Supportive Community
If you have a paper you’ve been meaning to polish for eventual publication, a creative piece you want to debut, or a specialized project that needs a friendly, critical audience, PAMLA is the most inclusive regional MLA space to do it. We love welcoming graduate students, independent scholars, community college faculty, and veteran researchers into the same room. And we even have a series of Undergraduate Forums, where our future scholars can present their work and learn from the experience.
Don’t Procrastinate! Propose Today!
Flights to Seattle are remarkably reasonable right now, and our session presiding officers are eagerly waiting to read your work. Take a look at the 100+ open sessions, find your niche, and give yourself something wonderful to look forward to this November.
Select your session and submit your abstract here before sessions begin to close: https://pamla.ballastacademic.