Call for Proposals

The Association for Spanish and Portuguese Historical Studies (ASPHS) invites you to participate in our 55th Annual Conference, taking place at York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, from Wednesday April 22 to Saturday April 25, 2026 (inclusive).

Historians and other scholars in related fields studying global Spain and Portugal – including its diasporas – are invited to submit individual paper and panel proposals in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. The papers will be delivered in-person.

Participants are encouraged to engage with the conference’s theme: “The Politics of Home: Mobility, Memory, and Belonging in the Portuguese and Spanish Worlds.” Proposals must include a 300-word presentation outline. Please submit your proposals no later than October 15, 2025. Acceptance letters will be sent by November 2, 2025. Please submit your proposals here.

Grants:

The ASPHS will provide a limited number of $300 travel grants to graduate students presenting at the conference. Preference will be given to first-time presenters and those who have not previously received this grant. If you wish to apply for a grant please fill out this application when you submit your proposal to the conference. Questions can be addressed to president@asphs.net.

The ASPHS will also provide modest grants to defray the costs of childcare for conference participants. If you wish to be considered for these grants, please send an email to president@asphs.net

Planned Events:

Wednesday, April 22, 2026:

Keynote speaker by Giles Tremlett, author of The International Brigades: Fascism, Freedom, and the Spanish Civil War at York University. This event is sponsored by the Mackenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund. This event will be open to the public.

Thursday, April 23, 2026:

International Book Day: Book Bash and Open Mic Readings @ The Supermarket Bar – https://www.supermarketto.ca/ – in Kensington Market. This will be a fun night of learning about and celebrating each other’s books in a non-academic setting – though one very familiar to academics – the bar. Bring a copy of a monograph or edited volume you have published, step up to the open mic on stage, and get the audience hooked by reading a small passage (5 minutes) from your work. Then bask in the glorious applause as you walk off stage and mingle with your new readers, who will want to know more about your work. Please exchange books at the end of the event! This event will be open to the public.

Friday, April 24, 2026:

Retirement celebration of University of California–San Diego’s Professor Pamela Radcliff @ The Supermarket Bar. This event will be open to the public.

Saturday, April 25, 2026:

Banquet at Casa do Alentejo of Toronto – https://casadoalentejotoronto.com/ – and commemoration of Portugal’s Carnations Revolution. This event will include communications by Portuguese diplomats, a Movimento das Forças Armadas “April Captain,” a roundtable discussion, and a musical performance by Marito Marques and his ensemble. This is a ticketed event.

For any inquiries, please contact: asphs2026@asphs.net

Organizers:

Dr. Aitana Guia, MacKenzie-Papineau Memorial Fund Chair in Modern Spanish History, York University (guia@yorku.ca)

Dr. Gilberto Fernandes, Research Lead, Department of History, York University (pchp@yorku.ca)