Scholarship on the relationship between humans and whales around the globe continues to be exciting and innovative. Yet, since the Sandefjord Whaling Museum last hosted a conference on the topic in 2013, there have been few opportunities for this community of scholars to come together. Therefore, we – a consortium of scholars from Iceland, Japan, and the United States – are soliciting papers for a conference on the history and present of humans and whales, to take place at the University of Iceland, in Reykjavik, from June 22 – 23, 2026. We hope to receive submissions examining as many different parts of the world oceans as possible.
Those interested in presenting work on any aspect of the entangled histories of humans and whales, please submit a short CV (2-page maximum) as well as an abstract proposal of no more than 300 words no later than December 21, 2025. Conference sponsors aim to cover participants’ food and lodging in Iceland, as well as travel costs for some graduate students and early career scholars. The conference will take place in connection with the Húsavík Whale Museum’s annual Whale Conference, on June 25, with participants warmly invited to extend their stay in Iceland to attend.
Please submit your CV and abstract in one email to: whales@hi.is
For inquiries, please use the same email address.
Conference committee & institutional sponsors:
- Kristín Ingvarsdóttir, main organizer, University of Iceland
- Ryan Tucker Jones, University of Oregon
- Akamine Jun, ArCS III (Arctic Challenge for Sustainability), Hitotsubashi University
- Lissa Wadewitz, University of Oregon
Updates will be posted on the conference website closer to the event, www.whales.hi.is
Venue
University of Iceland, Veröld – House of Vigdís (Faculty of Languages and Cultures).