XXI SYMPOSIUM OF IRISH STUDIES IN SOUTH AMERICA & IV SIMPÓSIO DE ESTUDOS IRLANDESES NA BAHIA: Cultural heritages and languages in Irish contemporary narratives

The XXI Symposium of Irish Studies in South America & IV Symposium of Irish Studies of Bahia is being organized by Universidade Federal da Bahia and by the Universidade do Estado da Bahia, in colaboration with the Associação Brasileira de Estudos Irlandeses - ABEI. The event aims to encourage studies on Irish history, language, and literature, fostering dialogues with other literatures, arts, and media. Furthermore, the event seeks to establish a forum for discussion among researchers at different levels in the fields of Humanities, Language and Literature, based on Irish Studies.

In 2026, the event will be held at Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), in the Instituto de Letras, campus Ondina - Salvador/BA. The theme of the symposium is Cultural Heritages and Languages in Irish Contemporary Narratives, reflecting an interest in strengthening connections between Irish, Latin American and Bahian culture, while also celebrating cultural and linguistic heritages in contemporary narratives. These narratives sometimes represent historical and social processes that continue to shape the construction of the Irish nation.

Irish narratives resulting from historical processes can reflect elements of local ancestry, as well as broaden understandings of contemporary phenomena. According to Seán O'Faoláin (1947), the Irish mind may have been forged from a mixture of myth and realism, gently oscillating between the two. In this sense, the discussion is established from the dualism of how to reflect the historicity and ancestry of a territory through reflections that engage with historical and cultural heritages. Alexandre Sampaio (2008) reflects that the Celtic imagination was responsible for bringing epic purposes to human causes within Irish mentality. The Irish susceptibility to uniting legends and myths with historical events reveals one of the ways of associating Celtic ancestry and national identity. The bond between legend and reality may fairly produce an environment conductive to discussions about pasts and legacies in contemporary Ireland. A legacy that spans generations and reverberates in the present day.

Thus, this initiative proposes a space for reflection on Ireland and its historical, political, literary, social, and linguistic transformations, encompassing various areas of knowledge with the aim of promoting research conducted in Brazilian public and private universities across multiple fields within Language and Literature, Social Studies and Humanities. The event welcomes research in the areas of literature, linguistics, culture, anthropology, sociology, and history, even when not directly related to Ireland. In this way, undergraduate and graduate students will find a space to share extension activities, PIBIC projects, undergraduate theses, scientific initiation research (PIBIC), as well as master's and doctoral research. It is expected that the event will provide a space for debate among researchers engaged in diverse topics within the Humanities.

The XXI Symposium of Irish Studies in South America & IV Symposium of Irish Studies of Bahia will take place on September 30 and October 1–2, 2026, during morning and afternoon sessions, in an in-person format. The official languages of the event will be Portuguese and English. The event promotes cultural interweaving, to be explored through roundtables and individual presentations, open to undergraduate and graduate students, professors, and other researchers.

Click here to access the general information on abstract submission and paper presentations.

Click here to access the submission template.

Abstracts must be submitted via email to: irishsymposiumbahia@gmail.com. The submission deadline is June 30, 2026.

Clique aqui para visualizar as informações sobre as submissões de resumos e apresentação de trabalhos.

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Os resumos de trabalhos a serem submetidos deverão ser enviados no email irishsymposiumbahia@gmail.com. O prazo para submissão de trabalhos é: 30/06/2026.

• Brazilian full-time researchers delivering papers: R$ 250 (R$ 200 ABEI membership + R$ 50 registration fee)
• International researchers delivering papers: R$ 200 (registration fee)
• MA/PhD/Part-time researchers delivering papers: R$ 150 (R$ 100 ABEI membership + R$ 50 registration fee)
• Undergraduates presenting papers: R$ 20 (registration fee)
• Registered attendants: R$ 10 (registration fee, attendance only)