Researching and Applying Metaphor (RaAM 9) Lancaster, UK, from 4-7 July 2012

[Vito Evola]

The ninth conference on Researching and Applying Metaphor (RaAM 9) will be held in Lancaster, UK, from 4-7 July 2012. The theme for 2012 is "Metaphor in Mind and Society", and the confirmed plenary speakers are:

* Masako Hiraga (Rykkio University, Japan),

* Albert Katz (The University of Western Ontario, Canada)

* Andreas Musolff (University of East Anglia, UK).

There will be pre-conference workshops on:

* Corpus linguistics methods in metaphor analysis - facilitated by Anatol Stefanowitsch (University of Hamburg, Germany), and

* Methods of researching metaphor and gesture - facilitated by Irene Mittelberg (RWTH Aachen University, Germany) and Cornelia Mueller (European University Viadrina, Frankfurt-Oder, Germany).

In addition to the social programme, the conference will involve a book launch as well as a metaphor-themed exhibition and performance in cooperation with the Lancaster Institute of Contemporary Arts.

The international Association for Researching and Applying Metaphor <http://www.raam.org.uk/Home.html> welcomes researchers from various theoretical approaches studying metaphor and metonymy in different forms of expression (not just language but also, for example, designed artefacts or performed works) and in different realms of use in society (e.g., educational, political, commercial, artistic). Contributors to the 2012 conference may approach metaphor and metonymy from a variety ofperspectives (including cognitive, discursive, cultural, pedagogical, social, ideological, etc.) and by applying a variety of methods (including discourse analytical methods, corpus-based methods, experimental methods, etc.)

We are inviting abstracts for:

a) 20-minute papers

b) Poster presentations

c) Themed panels (including between 5 and 8 papers).

Prizes will be awarded for the best paper by a PhD student and for the best poster. Abstracts for papers and posters should be no more than 300 words (excluding references). Proposals for themed panels should be no more than 800 words (excluding references) and comprise abstracts foreach paper included within them.

The deadline for abstracts and proposals is 31 December 2011. We will notify all colleagues who have submitted an abstract or proposal by 15 March 2012 to let them know whethertheir submission has been accepted or not.

Abstracts should be submitted via the onlinesubmission system Conftool, which can be accessed at <https://www.conftool.net/raam2012/>. Please follow the instructions on how to create a new user account. Once you are registered, you will be able to log on to Conftool, create your abstract, modify it as necessary, and submit it.

For further information, please visit http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fass/events/RAAM/ or email raam...@lancaster.ac.uk .

Elena Semino and Veronika Koller

(for the local organising committee)