The Fifteenth Conference on Orality and Literacy in the Ancient World will take place in Ada, Ohio (US) from 26 June – 30 June, 2024. Classicists, historians, students of comparative religion, the Hebrew Bible, early Christian and Rabbinic traditions, as well as scholars in other fields with an interest in oral cultures are cordially invited.
The conference will follow the same format as the previous conferences, held in Hobart (1994), Durban (1996), Wellington (1998), Columbia (2000), Melbourne (2002), Winnipeg (2004), Auckland (2006), Nijmegen (2008), Canberra (2010), Ann Arbor (2012), Atlanta (2014), Lausanne (2016), Austin (2019), and Jerusalem (2021). It is planned that the refereed proceedings will once again be published by E.J. Brill in the “Orality and Literacy in the Ancient World” series.
Location: Ada, Ohio, US (Ohio Northern University)
Dates: 26-30 June 2024
Theme: Special Grammar
Keynote: Rodrigo Verano, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
The theme for the conference is “Special Grammar”. Albert Lord used the phrase “special grammar” to refer to the verbal art used by South Slavic guslari, Homeric bards, and other performers of oral traditions and he asserted that this special grammar was an adaptation of practices in everyday conversation (Lord, Singer of Tales, 35-36). However, Lord’s intuitive insight requires further exploration, especially concerning this adaptation of ordinary talk; therefore, the conference theme is to explore the relationship between the special grammar of oral traditions and literature with roots in oral tradition in relationship to everyday conversation by drawing from other disciplines (cognitive linguistics, conversation analysis, philosophy of language, etc.).
Papers in response to this theme are invited on topics related to the ancient Mediterranean world or, for comparative purposes, other times, places, and cultures. Papers should be 20 minutes in length. Anonymous abstracts of up to 350 words (not including bibliography) should be submitted as Word files by 31 December 2023. Please send abstracts to: r-person@onu.edu
Conference fee: Registration of $100 will help to cover the cost of lunches, reception, and refreshments. In January, we will provide here and in emails for accepted papers a link for payment of the registration fee.
Accommodations: We have arranged a special rate at the Inn at Ohio Northern University of $127.15 per night for June 26-29. This rate includes breakfast. In January, we will provide here and in emails for accepted papers a link for making reservations.
Excursion: As in past conferences, we will have an optional activity of visiting a place of local interest to break up the presentation of academic papers and to provide additional time for enjoying each other's company.
Conference dinner (optional): In January, we will provide here and in emails for accepted papers a link for participants to select the conference dinner for an additional fee (TBD).
Travel: Ohio Northern University is located some distance from a variety of airports (Toledo, OH; Columbus, OH; Detroit, MI; and Fort Wayne, IN are all within about 2 hours), but the most convenient is Dayton, OH. ONU will schedule a van to help with transportation to and from the Dayton airport for a couple of runs on both June 26 and June 30 as a courtesy to those participants who can arrange their schedules for these trips both ways. However, some participants (especially those using other airports) will need to provide their own transportation. Taxis, Uber, Lyft, etc. are expensive, so it is more cost-effective and convenient to rent a vehicle. Sometime in January, we will announce when vans will be available for transportation to and from the Dayton airport, so that participants can consider this as an option, when planning their travel.