Women's Writing

This special issue invites proposals for articles on any aspect of Behn’s later career (c.1679–89). While Behn’s dramatic outputs at this time continued to adapt in response to changing political, literary, and theatrical contexts, her writing also became increasingly diverse. She embraced a variety of non-dramatic literary forms and genres including prose fiction and translation, extended her poetic range, and edited literary miscellanies. This special issue will encourage further engagement with this exciting phase of Behn’s career, with the intention of fostering greater recognition of the range and quality of outputs she produced.

Topics might include but are not limited to:

• The political, philosophical, social, medical, economic, and/or religious contexts for Behn’s later work;
• Behn’s engagement with other writings in her later work (e.g., in the form of translation, adaptation, or allusion);
• Behn’s reappropriation and re-imagining of contemporary genres, topics, and character types in her later work;
• The influence and reception of Behn’s later work;
• The theatrical or publication contexts for Behn’s later work;
• The opportunities and challenges inherent in editing Behn’s later work for modern readers.

Please submit for consideration abstracts of at least 250 words to Rachel Adcock, Keele University ([email protected]) and Margarete Rubik, University of Vienna ([email protected]) by 1 June 2023. If accepted, finished articles of between 6,000 and 7,000 words must be received by 1 September 2024. Further instructions for the successful participants will be sent following acceptance.

Instructions for AuthorsSubmit an Article