Impossible Pastimes

Welcome to the official page for the 35th Annual International Conference on Medievalism. The conference will be held from November 12-14, 2020 at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. Out of an abundance of caution due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, this year’s ISSM Conference will be held entirely virtually.

Themed “Impossible Pastimes,” the 35th Annual International Conference on Medievalism explores the ways that our contemporary notion of the Middle Ages is produced as a historical, political, and cultural reality in popular imagination and mass culture through play, games, and other forms of leisure.

The conference features 16 panels and approximately 48 individual presentations by scholars from a diverse range of institutions and countries, including universities in Brazil, Canada, India, Ireland, Poland, and the United Kingdom. The conference also features three keynote speakers, a storyboarding workshop, and a medieval-themed sock puppet costume party.

As with the Middle Ages itself, this site is currently under construction. Please check back regularly for updates.