The 30th AHSN Conference will take place from 7-9 February 2024 at the University of Queensland, Brisbane.
The Conference theme will be: “The Language of Humour”. Language is one of the key means by which humour is accomplished across a whole range of different genres, ranging from everyday conversational humour through to political satire and literary humour. Language is also the primary vehicle for talking about and studying humour. The way in which humour varies across different languages also raises questions about how deal with the perennial problem of translating humour across cultures. Finally the intersection of language with other visual and physical modalities also presents enormous challenges (and opportunities!) for scholars of humour. Presentations addressing any aspect of language (in the broader sense of the word) and its relationship with humour are especially welcomed for this conference. However, potential delegates should note that, as usual with AHSN, papers focusing on any aspect of humour will also be warmly welcomed. Proposals for themed panels are also welcome.
The conference will be held in person at the St Lucia campus.
Important Dates:
Submission portal opens: 3 July 2023
Deadline for submission of abstracts: 31 August 2023 extended to 30 September 2023
Registration portal opens: 1 September 2023
Student scholarship winners announced: 1 October 2023
Early-bird registration closes: 1 December 2023
General registration closes: 31 January 2024
AHSN2024 Keynote Speakers
We are delighted to announce our two keynote speakers for the AHSN2024 conference:
Professor Chiaro from the Department of Interpreting and Translation at the University of Bologna (Italy) is a world-renowned expert in translation and humour studies, with a particular focus on the perception of verbally expressed humour on screen (film, television and video games) across different linguistic and cultural boundaries. She was also President of the International Society of Humor Studies (ISHS) from 2015-2017.
Associate Professor Kerry Mullan from the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University (Australia) is an internationally recognised expert in cross-cultural communication, with particular focus on humour studies and pragmatics. Much of her work on humour has focused on conversational humour in French and (Australian) English, and more recently she has also been advancing work on humour in social media. She is currently Chair of the Board of the Australasian Humour Studies Network.
Proposal guidelines:
Proposals should be around 250-300 words in length. Please add a presentation title above the abstract. Members of the AHSN Review Panel will check and review all submissions. They may recommend changes and revisions to presenters. All accepted conference abstracts will be published on the AHSN website and in the booklet of abstracts leading up to the AHSN2024 conference. Proposals for themed panels are also welcome.
Student scholarships:
AHSN awards up to five conference registration fee-waiver scholarships for research students enrolled for study primarily at Australian and Aotearoa/New Zealand universities.
Getting to UQ:
Delegates can take the bus or ferry out to the UQ St Lucia campus from either the CBD or Southbank (either side of the Brisbane River). The quickest way is the bus from Southbank which is less than 15 minutes. The bus from the CBD is a bit longer, and depends on the time of the day. The ferry ride takes longer (up to 25-30 minutes) but is very pleasant.
AHSN2024 Committee:
Wei-Lin Melody Chang, Michael Haugh and Valeria Sinkeviciute (co-convenors), Nick Hugman, Amir Sheikhan, Chantima Wangsomchok and Lara Weinglass
Review Procedures for AHSN Conference Proposals
