AmLit - American Literatures
The online journal AmLit - American Literatures, located at the Research Area American Studies II at the University of Graz, offers a publication forum for scholarly essays from the fields of American, Canadian, and Latin American literary studies that deal with fictional, non-fictional, and graphic texts, as well as book reviews. The unique philosophy of the journal is its focus on current questions and discourses in literary studies, especially with regard to the research areas ‘Digital Literature & Cultures’, ‘Transnational & Border Studies’ and ‘Visuality & Trans-/Intermediality.’
CALL FOR PROPOSALS - Diamond Open Access Journal (AmLit)
We invite proposals from prospective guest editors interested in curating a special issue for AmLit – American Literatures, a Diamond Open Access journal dedicated to publishing cutting-edge scholarship on contemporary developments in American literatures. AmLit serves as a platform for both established and emerging scholars, fostering discussions on how literary texts from North, Central, and South America engage with and narrativize cultural shifts such as digitization, migration, globalization, trans- and interculturality, as well as visuality and intermediality.
We welcome proposals for special issues featuring five high-quality essays, alongside potential book reviews. Contributions should engage with fictional, non-fictional, and graphic texts within the fields of U.S. American, Canadian, and Latin American literary studies. The journal’s methodological orientation spans a broad spectrum of literary theories, including but not limited to:
- African American & Ethnic Studies
- Gender, Feminist & Queer Theory
- Marxist Theory
- New Historicism
- Postcolonial Studies
- Sociolinguistics
- Structuralism and Poststructuralism
- Visuality & Intermediality
Proposal Guidelines
We invite potential guest editors to submit a detailed proposal (400-500 words) outlining the thematic scope and scholarly significance of the special issue. Please also specify:
- The current stage of the volume’s development: Indicate whether contributions have already been secured (e.g., from a previous conference, workshop, or research network) or if a Call for Papers will be issued to solicit new essays.
- Submission format:
o If proposing a fully developed special issue, please include a general abstract (400-500 words) and individual abstracts (250 words each) for all planned contributions, all in one document.
o If submitting a new project, please provide an abstract of the issue along with a draft Call for Papers.
Potential Topics
We encourage submissions on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:
- New Materialism & Material Studies
- Affect Studies
- Digital Studies
- Adaptation Studies & Generic Transformations
- Queer & Disability Studies – ‘Failure’
- Class & Poverty Studies
- (Post-)Nation, Home, and/or Migration
- Transnational & Transcultural Studies
- Graphic Narratives
- Critical Regionalism
- (Post-)Race Studies
- The New Right & Christianity Revisited
Submission Details
Please send your proposal along with:
- A CV and short bio of the guest editor(s)
- A list of potential contributors (if applicable)
Submissions should be sent to amlit-journal(at)uni-graz.at by Monday, September 15, 2025.
For more information, visit www.amlit.eu.
We look forward to your submissions!
The Editorial Team of AmLit – American Literatures
Current issue:
Check out our new special issue of AmLit, titled Potentials of Positionality and/or Ethics of Exclusion? Critical Reading Approaches to Minority Literatures from the Americas!
Since the U.S. Civil Rights movements, research on BIPOC, women, LGBTQQIA+, and disabled authors has thrived. Scholars from marginalized communities and allies bring unique insights by acknowledging their scholarly and personal positionalities. For instance, Lutz, Strzelczyk, and Watchman (Navajo) emphasize self-reflexivity in Indianthusiasm (2020), highlighting researchers’ responsibilities when working with Indigenous knowledge. Without such awareness, external scholars risk applying theories unethically, as Tuck (Unangax) and Yang argue that academia often distorts non-Western knowledge. This issue is particularly relevant for European literary scholars engaging with global postcolonial discourses. However, Watchman, Smith, and Stock suggest that Indigenous and German Studies can intersect through mutual reflection. Comparative approaches resonate globally, as seen in Asad Haider’s account of how Huey P. Newton’s autobiography shaped his intellectual path beyond the constraints of “model minority” expectations. This journal issue explores how minority literatures balance universality and particularity, drawing from a workshop on European studies of Indigenous cultures. Expanding “literature” to include figurative narratives, it seeks to enrich decolonial perspectives by highlighting cross-contextual overlaps.
