This collection aims to expand previous regional and individual studies of queenship and female political agency in order to engage in a comparative study on a global scale. While the field of queenship studies and examinations of gender and power have been fruitful to date, there has been a tendency to focus almost exclusively on the European sphere. Fatima Mernissi and Lesley Peirce have contributed exciting studies on female agency in the Islamic world and the recent collection Servants of the Dynasty : Palace Women in World History (2008) finally brought together a global examination of women in royal courts. However, a collection which can provide a series of case studies of female rule and political agency in a truly global context is still lacking. This volume aims to fill this historiographical lacuna, enabling a greater understanding of the ideals and practice of queenship through a comparison based on different cultural, religious and geographical settings. The volume will be edited by Elena Woodacre and is currently under contract with ARC Humanities Press (linked to the international CARMEN network), with a tentative publication date of 2018/early 2019. Proposals are invited which highlight or examine female rule (co-rule, sole rule, regency), political agency and/or influence in an extra-European context. Proposals which compare European modes of queenship to those outside of Europe or compare female political rule/agency in the context of different geographical areas, cultures and/or religious contexts are also very welcome. Proposals should be 250-500 words in length, give a proposed title and outline the key premise/argument of the chapter.
Please email your proposal to the editor at Ellie.Woodacre chez winchester.ac.uk by 1 November 2015.
If accepted, the final contribution would be approximately 8,000-10,000 words in length (including notes and bibliography) and would be submitted by 31 December 2016. If you have any queries about the volume or would like to discuss your ideas before submitting a proposal, feel free to contact the editor at the same email address