Deadline for submission of abstracts: Friday 29 January 2021.

Proposals are invited for contributions to an edited collection titled The Sex Scene, the first book to be published as part of Edinburgh University Press’s new “Screening Sex” book series.

Screening Sex: The Sex Scene is intended to serve as a primer for the series. Taking the “sex scene” as a critical starting point for the series, the book will be a critical exploration of the significance of the depiction of sex on screen and in sexual cultures. This volume seeks a range of essays that will collectively consider histories and controversies (screen, legal, censorial, critical), industrial contexts and labour (writing, directing, performing and editing), the mise-en-scène of the sex scene (content, aesthetics, representation) and temporality and approach (in genres, form and style).

We are working with a purposefully wide remit to encourage a diverse collection of essays from a diverse range of writers and are keen to encourage a broad interpretation of “sex scene” – it could apply as much to a specific scene in a film as to a geographical scene or place in time.

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION:

Chapters proposals should be submitted as a 300-400 word abstract to the editors Darren Kerr and Dr Donna Peberdy (screeningsex@gmail.com) by Friday 29 January 2021, using the subject line “The Sex Scene proposal”. Please include a proposed title and author bio (150 words). Acceptance notices will be sent out in February 2021. Completed chapters (5,000-6,000 words) will then be due Friday 3^rd December 2021. Please feel free to email with any queries prior to the submission of abstracts.

A NOTE ON THE SCREENING SEX SERIES:

The series’ scope and approach encourages a broad range of critical, contextual and cultural methodologies relating to sex on screen, drawing on cross-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary research as well as encouraging intersectional observations and approaches. There will be a range of critical approaches covered across the series that will often be determined by theme proposed by the author/s. Approaches to queer theory, feminism and psychoanalysis will sit alongside genre studies, cultural studies and the social sciences. Besides analytical considerations of representational strategies, the series will also give space to examine the scope and change seen in industry practice, spanning production techniques, changing modes of exhibition and new strategies of distribution. The central argument throughout the series will be to address the importance of confronting, examining, challenging and re-framing social and cultural perceptions of sex in a meaningful and engaging way. While the series will include consideration of western, canonical, mainstream cinema, key features expected of the series will be to also account for non-western film cultures as well as marginal, alternative, underground, low-budget and independent films from a diverse range of voices, histories and material cultures beyond those that have been historically dominant. We are particularly keen to include previously unexplored/underexplored case studies. For more information, visit the Edinburgh University Press series page, read the proposal guidelines or contact Darren and Donna for more details.