‘Changeable too, yet somehow “Idem semper”’ (Don Juan, XVII.11). The concept of identity suggests stability, lasting self-sameness. And yet, Byron’s proclamation of being ‘idem semper’—‘always the same’—somehow includes changeability. Byron’s version of the Ship of Theseus paradox points to a problem at the heart of the idea of identity: how can something, or someone, stay the same if everything is in flux? Identity’s supposed elimination of differences is further complicated by its fragmentation into various, at times competing, forms, which are seldom stable: comprising personal and professional constructions, as well as questions of nationality, sexuality, political leanings and authorial style, identity invoked mutability in Byron’s own times no less than in ours. The chameleonic poet was intimately aware of the innate mutability of identity, playfully shaping and reshaping his personal and poetic identities as he engaged with (and disengaged from) different audiences. This ‘mobilité’, to use a Byronic term, perhaps lies at the heart of his enduring popularity—yet it also forms the crux of many attacks against Byron and his works by past and present critics.
For the 2026 Newstead Abbey Byron Conference, we therefore invite papers on topics relating to the theme of Byron and Identity, including but not limited to:
- National identity
- Political identity
- Poetic identity
- Gender ideologies
- Authorial self-perception and public personas
- Literal and figurative mobility
- Philosophical conceptions of identity (Heraclitean, Aristotelian, or modern notions of flux, sameness, and difference)
- Byron’s own constructions of identity
- The configuration of Byron’s (and Byronic) identities by the contemporary peers and reviewers, and modern scholars and critics
- Issues of ‘the self’ and ‘the other’
- Borders, barriers, and boundaries
- Merging and separating art and life
- Posthumous reputations and biographical constructs
- Role-playing, parody, and theatricals
- Cultural mediation and appropriation
The conference will take place at Newstead Abbey, from 24–25 April 2026. Please send proposals of no more than 300 words to Emily Paterson Morgan newsteadbyronconference@gmail.com.
Proposals should be sent as a word document, containing the paper title, abstract, your name and affiliation, and the file name should be your own name.
The Call for Papers closes on 1st January 2026.
There will be two student travel bursaries available. If you would like to be considered for a bursary, please include a separate letter of application, mentioning any additional funding you are receiving.