Call for Papers
The 120th Annual Meeting of the Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association
“Empires and Urban Spaces”
August 4-6, 2027
Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles
The Program Committee invites proposals for panels, roundtables, and individual papers on any subject, with particular interest in submissions that engage the conference theme, “Empires and Urban Spaces.”
In 2027, the PCB returns to Los Angeles, a city that the late historian Louise Pubols described as “born global.” Gathering in a city founded as part of conquest and global empire-building offers an opportunity to consider the ways in which urban spaces and imperial projects shape one another. We especially welcome papers that connect themes of empire and urbanization across time and space. What role have urban spaces played in conquest and settler colonialism? How have cities advanced imperial projects? How have urban centers fostered anti-imperial or anti-colonial protests and movements? In what ways have diverse urban communities contested and transformed city spaces to resist imperial power?
The Program Committee encourages proposals representing all geographies and chronological fields, not just US history. We want to enable conversations across specialist and institutional boundaries and engage a wide audience. We welcome submissions from diverse history practitioners, including faculty at 2-year and 4-year institutions, graduate and undergraduate students, Phi Alpha Theta regional award winners, specialized scholarly societies and associations, library and archival specialists, public historians, independent researchers, non-traditional scholars, and K-12 teachers. We welcome diverse and creative formats: panels, workshops, roundtables, seminars, and individual papers.
If you have questions, please email the PCB-AHA executive director at [email protected]. More information on submitting proposals, connecting with prospective panelists, and attending the conference (venue, registration, lodging, etc.) will be available at www.pcb-aha.org as these details are finalized. You can submit proposals at https://form.jotform.com/252587946096171.
Panel/workshop/roundtable proposals must include a contact person; a title and 250-word abstract of the panel or roundtable; a title and brief description (100 words) of each presentation; a one-page C.V. for each participant, with email address and affiliation; and any A/V requests. The Program Committee welcomes individual paper submissions, which should include a title, a 250-word abstract, and a one-page C.V. with email address and affiliation.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: February 1, 2027. Decisions on acceptance will be conveyed no later than April 1, 2027. Please note that submitting a proposal constitutes a commitment to attend the conference if it is accepted. Upon acceptance, graduate student presenters will receive information about how to apply for competitive travel subventions.
