The African Studies Association 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, poetry readings, 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.
Current event suggested topics for 2026 could include (but are not limited to):
– Recent developments in Congo, Senegal, Libya, Uganda, etc.
– Impacts of US Government Funding Cuts
– Academic Freedom
– 2026 World Cup
– Literary & Film Analysis: Women Rent Men and Secrets Here, Behind These Four Walls, Kabelo, etc.
– All 2026 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 will open August 17, 2026! – SUBMIT HERE THIS AUGUST.
The submission portal will close Saturday, September 13, 2026