The African Studies Association (ASA) is excited to continue our AfricaNow! format to accommodate emerging issues on our Annual Meeting program. These sessions will feature current events, new practitioner work, discussion of preliminary research, informal art analysis, non-traditional presentation formats (eg: photo essays, spontaneous poetry, movement exhibition, etc.), memorials, and spark thesis presentations.
Format
Sessions can be proposed as group discussions (maximum of five presenters), individual presentations, memorials, or spark (3-minute thesis presentations). Please ensure that your AfricaNow! proposal meets the following criteria:
– Proposals should relate in some way to Africa, African Diaspora, and/or questions or concerns in the field, broadly defined.
– All AfricaNow! organizers and presenters must register for the Annual Meeting in MyASA prior to submission.
Submit under the following categories:
AfricaNow!: Current events, preliminary research, and practitioner presentations.
Alternative Format: May include formats such as art, film, and literature analysis, photo essays, image displays, spontaneous poetry, movement exhibitions, etc.
Memorial: In memory of colleagues, intellectuals, cultural icons, or other individuals broadly related to the field.
Spark: 3-Minute Thesis presentations. Open to all, submissions from undergraduate and MA students prioritized. Presentations are to be spoken word (no poems, raps, or songs), no electronic media (AV not available), 1-2 additional props (e.g., costumes, musical instruments, laboratory equipment) are permitted.
Suggested Topics for 2025 could include (but are not limited to):
– Recent developments in Kenya, Congo, Mozambique, Sudan, Uganda, etc.
– Academic Freedom
– Impacts of US Government Funding & Programming Changes
– Scholarly Publishing & AI
– Literary & Film Analysis: Dream Count, Harmattan Season, Promised Sky, etc.
– All 2025 Memorials
To Submit
Please prepare a (1) basic title, (2) an abstract that describes the session, (3) the format, and, (4) the names, emails, and affiliations of each presenter.
Submission Guidelines
AfricaNow! sessions will not be peer-reviewed and submissions of formal paper panels will not be accepted in this format. The participation rules do not apply to AfricaNow! sessions. Presenters who are already on the program may submit proposals. Abstracts that were already submitted prior to the submission deadline cannot be resubmitted for AfricaNow! consideration. All requests for sessions will be reviewed by the ASA Secretariat for general appropriateness.
The AfricaNow! submission portal via OpenWater is now open! – SUBMIT HERE THIS AUGUST.
The submission portal will close Monday, September 15, 2025