This one-day conference aims to bring together a range of academic researchers from the fields of media and communication, international relations, literary and visual culture to discuss the ways in which the causes and consequences of war are portrayed through diverse texts, artwork and media. The conference aims to investigate how various representations, with their proffered definitions, repetitions and archetypes, become the dominant narratives of conflict; or, alternatively, are effectively contested and resisted. To what extent do representations of contemporary warfare sustain or disrupt collective understandings of conflict? How do different voices get heard in debates over war and the management of its consequences? We are particularly interested in encouraging a conversation across disciplines on the varied depictions of war and conflict.

Keynote Speaker: Dr Piers Robinson, University of Manchester

Possible themes include (but are not limited to):
- Mediatised war
- Media influence and foreign policy
- Visualising conflict
- NGOs, human rights and war
- Reportage and literary journalism
- Social media and conflict
- Protest and dissent
- From the ‘war on terror’ to the ‘long war’

The conference will be followed by an informal book launch for ‘Pockets of Resistance: British News Media, War and Theory in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq’ by Piers Robinson, Peter Goddard, Katy Parry, Craig Murray and Philip Taylor.

Potential contributors are invited to submit a 200-300 word abstract (with title) to communicatingwar@gmail.com by 15 November 2010. Please include full contact details: title and name, institutional affiliation and preferred email address. If you have any queries please contact us via the email address above or via the organisers’ direct email addresses: Dr Katia Balabanova (katiab@liv.ac.uk) or Dr Katy Parry (katy.parry@liv.ac.uk).

Important dates:
- Abstract deadline: 15 November 2010
- Acceptance notification (by e-mail): 1 December 2010
- Registration deadline: 18 December 2010 (registration after this date will incur a higher fee)
- Conference date: 28 January 2011

Registration: Conference fee: £40, with reduced rates for University of Liverpool staff (£35), and postgraduate students/unwaged (£20). The fee includes access to all talks, buffet lunch and tea/coffee breaks during the day. Registration instructions and the provisional programme will be emailed to speakers and posted on our website (http://www.liv.ac.uk/communication-and-media/commwar.htm)as soon as the details are available.