Call for submissions: Sherlock Holmes Fandom

Transformative Works and Cultures Special Issue CFP: SHERLOCK HOLMES FANDOM, SHERLOCKIANA, and THE GREAT GAME (3/1/16; 3/15/17)


Sherlock Holmes has attracted devoted fans almost since the date of first publication in 1887.  The oldest still-existing Sherlockian society, the Baker Street Irregulars, was founded in 1934, while the Sherlock Holmes Society of London dates from 1951.  More recent additions to the ever-growing network of organized Sherlock Holmes literary societies include the formerly all-female Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, and fan groups in the media fandom model have arisen, such as the Baker Street Babes and other online communities. This special issue seeks to engage both academics and fans in writing about the older, long established Sherlockian fandom. We welcome papers that address all fandoms of Sherlock Holmes and its adaptations, particularly those that trace the connections and similarities/differences among and between older and newer fandoms.

We welcome submissions dealing with, but not limited to, the following topics:

* Questions of nomenclature, cultural distinction, class, race, gender, and sexuality
* The role of Sherlockian fandom and the Great Game in fandom history
* Academic histories of Sherlockian fandom, both organized and informal
* Connections between new adaptation-based fandoms and the older fandom
* Fan productions, e.g., pastiche, fan works, and Sherlockian writings on the Canon
* Influence of intellectual property law and norms on adaptations and fan productions
* Sherlockian publishing, e.g., MX, Titan, BSI Press or Wessex Press
* Community, e.g., Sherlockians on the Internet
* Specific national fandoms, e.g., Japanese or Chinese Sherlock Holmes reception

Submission guidelines

Transformative Works and Cultures (TWC, http://journal.transformativeworks.org/) is an international peer-reviewed online Gold Open Access publication of the nonprofit Organization for Transformative Works copyrighted under a Creative Commons License. TWC aims to provide a publishing outlet that welcomes fan-related topics and to promote dialogue between the academic community and the fan community. TWC accommodates academic articles of varying scope as well as other forms that embrace the technical possibilities of the Web and test the limits of the genre of academic writing.

Theory: Conceptual essays. Peer review, 6,000-8,000 words.
Praxis: Case study essays. Peer review, 5,000-7,000 words.
Symposium: Short commentary. Editorial review, 1,500-2,500 words.

Please visit TWC's Web site (http://journal.transformativeworks.org/) for complete submission guidelines, or e-mail the TWC Editor (editor@ transformativeworks.org).

Contact

Contact guest editor Betsy Rosenbaum and Roberta Pearson with any questions or inquiries at twcsherlock@gmail.com.

Due date

Contributions are due March 1, 2016.