The International Society for the Study of Medievalism is an academic organization that exists to promote the interdisciplinary study of the popular and scholarly reception of the Middle Ages in postmedieval times. The Society is based on the work and studies of

Leslie J. Workman Leslie J. Workman (5 March 1927 in Hanwell, London, England – 1 April 2001 in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA) was an independent scholar and founder of academic medievalism. Biography Workman received his education at the Russell School, London, ...

(1927–2001), who is recognized as formalising the academic study of medievalism in the English-speaking world. Katheen Verduin collaborated with Workman for nearly 20 years (as Verduin notes, as "Associate Editor and wife, not necessarily in that order") to establish the Society and its peer-reviewed journal, ''Studies in Medievalism'' (''SiM''). The Society additionally maintains an online journal for shorter articles,
The Year's Work in Medievalism
', and a review journal,
Medievally Speaking
' edited by

Richard Utz Richard Utz (born 1961) is a German-born medievalist who has spent much of his career in North America. He specializes in medievalism, medieval studies, and served as President of the International Society for the Study of Medievalism (2009–2020) ...

. They also organize annual conference sessions at the

International Congress on Medieval Studies The International Congress on Medieval Studies is an annual academic conference held for scholars specializing in, or with an interest in, medieval studies. It is sponsored by Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and is held during ...

at Western Michigan University and the

International Medieval Congress The International Medieval Congress (IMC) is an annual academic conference held for scholars specializing in, or with an interest in, the study of the European Middle Ages (c. 300–1500). It is organised and administered by the Institute for Med ...

at the University of Leeds, and hold their own Annual International Conferences on Medievalism at institutions of higher education worldwide.

Organisational aims

The work of ISSM is characterized as open to innovative and inclusive interdisciplinary scholarship. As Elena Levy-Navarro writes: "The Society has not restricted itself to a single definition of medievalism, and has, both by its calls for papers and by its acceptance and inclusion, encouraged academics to explore medievalism in such disparate phenomenon as the 'Celtic' tattoo, medieval gaming, and the early modern. Such an expansiveness that resists firm boundaries, and thus resists any efforts to develop a concrete field of specialty over which the academic can preside as expert is evident to the continued commitment of its members to electronic media that can provide (for those who can afford it) open access to its collective work, including its journal, ''Year’s Work in Medievalism'', and its community-authored blog, ''Medievally Speaking''. One need only consider the subtitle of this blog—'An Open Access Review Journal Encouraging Critical Engagement with the Continuing Process of Inventing the Middle Ages' (emphasis mine)—to see that the members insist on an openness, in which they critically engage—but not adjudicate—the 'continuing process of inventing the Middle Ages.'" As founder, Workman insisted that "a sense of

nostalgia Nostalgia is a sentimentality for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The word ''nostalgia'' is a learned formation of a Greek language, Greek compound, consisting of (''nóstos''), meaning "homecoming", ...

for a lost past percolates throughout many medievalist endeavours", and he discussed "the connection between scholarship and medievalism, in that even academic studies of the Middle Ages become implicated with such nostalgia". In 2017, the ISSM's president, Richard Utz, published a short monograph, ''Medievalism: A Manifesto'', that embedded the subject of medievalism studies within the larger academic contexts of reception studies, feminism, gender studies, and medieval studies.

''Studies in Medievalism''

''Studies in Medievalism'' (''SiM'') is an

annual publication Annual publications, more often simply called annuals, are periodical publications appearing regularly once per year."Annuals", in ''Encyclopedia of library and information science'' (1968), vol. 1, pp. 434–447. Although exact definitions may var ...

that, as noted on its title page, "provides an interdisciplinary medium of exchange for scholars in all fields, including the visual and other arts, concerned with any aspect of the post-medieval idea and study of the Middle Ages and its influence, both scholarly and popular, of this study on Western society after 1500." The series was founded in 1979 by

as an independent publication. The first issue of SiM featured a quote attributed to the British Victorian writer and Member of Parliament Lord Acton on its masthead: As Professor David Matthews notes, the statement has appeared on "every issue" of ''SiM'' since, and "argues for the pervasiveness of medievalism". ''SiM'' now published by

Boydell & Brewer Boydell & Brewer is an academic press based in Woodbridge, Suffolk, England, that specializes in publishing historical and critical works. In addition to British and general history, the company publishes three series devoted to studies, edition ...

, Ltd., and has been edited since 2006 by Karl Fugelso. Since 2009, each volume has begun with a series of 3,000-word, commissioned essays on such topics as "Defining Medievalism(s)," "Defining Neomedievalism(s)," and "Medievalism and the Corporation." The series is otherwise open to any paper that addresses medievalism in at least 6,000 words, and recent topics have ranged from representations of King Alfred in Charles Dickens' '' A Child's History of England'' to medievalist music in

Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...

's '' The Lord of the Rings'' films. ''Studies in Medievalism'' does not publish reviews. All reviews of works, performances, or other cultural productions or political events that re-imagine or re-use the Middle Ages in postmedieval times are published in the journal's online review website ''Medievally Speaking''.

''The Year's Work in Medievalism''

The journal
The Year's Work in Medievalism
' is currently edited by Valerie B. Johnson (Montevallo) and Renée Ward (Lincoln). Former editors include Edward L. Risden (

St. Norbert College St. Norbert College (SNC) is a private Norbertine liberal arts college in De Pere, Wisconsin. Founded in October 1898 by Abbot Bernard Pennings, a Norbertine priest and educator, the school was named after Saint Norbert of Xanten. In 1952, the co ...

) and Richard Utz ( Georgia Tech), Leslie J. Workman and Gwendolyn Morgan (

Montana State University Montana State University (MSU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 6 ...

International Society for the Study of Medievalism Conferences

ISSM conferences keynote speeches have been given by scholars and creative or cultural practitioners of medievalism, including Terry Jones, Ronald Hutton, and Verlyn Fleiger.

External links

The Year's Work in Medievalism
', the Society's online journal for shorter articles.
Medievally Speaking
', the Society's online review publication.

References

{{Authority control History organizations History journals