2nd Annual International Beatles Symposium: Celebrating A Hard Day’s Night at 60

July 5-7, 2024

Hosted by Liverpool Hope University

School of Creative and Performing Arts

Call for Papers

The Music Team members at Liverpool Hope University are delighted to announce an interdisciplinary, international Beatles symposium that will be held on July 5-7, 2024 at the School of Creative and Performing Arts, located in the heart of Liverpool’s vibrant city centre. This academic symposium honours the 60^th anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ album and film, A Hard Day’s Night. As the dynamic opening chord of the title track signalled a sea change in popular culture, this moment in music history is worth further, in-depth exploration. The symposium will feature keynote addresses from leading Beatles scholars Professor Walter Everett (University of Michigan), Professor Katie Kapurch (Texas State University), and Professor Kenneth Womack (Monmouth University). Along with these presentations, there will also be a screening of A Hard Day’s Night, as well as sessions featuring other special guests.  

You are cordially invited to submit abstracts for individual, 20-minute presentations or for panel presentations focusing on scholarly explorations of the musical, cultural, historical, political, and/or social contexts of the Beatles’ and solo Beatles’ works. We welcome in particular proposals regarding:

• The creation, influences and legacy of A Hard Day’s Night
• The influence of the music and photography of Mike McCartney, in honour of his 80th birthday
• The impact of Pattie Boyd on 1960s counterculture, in honour of her 80th birthday
• The creation and legacy of George Harrison’s Dark Horse, of Ringo Starr’s Goodnight Vienna, of John Lennon’s Walls and Bridges (in celebration of the 50^th anniversaries of those albums), or of Paul McCartney’s Run Devil Run (in celebration of the 25th anniversary of that album’s release)

We also welcome proposals for scholarly explorations of the Beatles or solo Beatles works, including but not limited to presentations concerning the Beatles and:

• Composition
• Diversity
• Education
• Film
• Fandom
• Gender
• Global approaches
• Inclusion
• Influences
• Language
• Legacy
• Literature
• Lyrics
• Music production
• Music theory
• Musicianship
• Nostalgia
• Parodies
• Poetry
• Race
• Social media
• Television
• Text
• Tourism

Abstracts for individual presentations should be no more than 300 words in length. Panel presentation submissions must include a panel title, along with abstract submissions from each of the panel participants. In addition to the abstract of no more than 300 words, please include 1) a list of any required equipment (e.g., piano, sound system, projector) for the presentation and 2) the presenter’s name, contact information, affiliation, and a short biography (100 words max). Please submit the proposal as a .docx or .pdf file to music@hope.ac.uk

Abstract submissions are due 11:59pm GMT Feb. 16th, 2024

Applicants will be notified by Feb. 23, 2024 regarding acceptance of their presentation proposal.

With best wishes,

The Liverpool Hope University Music Team