The Great Lakes Adiban Society (GLAS) invites submissions for its tenth annual workshop, scheduled to take place in Kalamazoo, MI, on October 3-4, 2026. We welcome works in progress that would benefit from extensive discussion and feedback, and especially encourage graduate students to participate.

The Society aims to provide a regional forum for scholars of Islamicate adab to meet and share their work, particularly on the medieval and early modern periods. We leave our parameters of language and genre intentionally open in order to invite as wide a collaboration as can be useful, but as a group we are generally interested in the literary production of the broad complex of premodern Muslim societies across the Eastern Hemisphere. This includes the major Islamicate languages of Arabic, Persian, Turkish, and Urdu, as well as many others (Armenian, Kurdish, Georgian, Hebrew, Spanish, etc.) that participate in similar literary conventions.

Those who wish to participate can apply by filling out our online application before August 30, 2026 [updated deadline: September 9].

Please note that each accepted participant will be given 45 minutes to present and discuss their work; because of this, we have limited space and may have to turn down some submissions if we receive too many. In such an event, preference will generally be given to graduate students, junior scholars based in the Great Lakes region, and works in progress. This year we have funds to cover the usual meals—Friday dinner through Sunday lunch—plus accommodation for two nights at a local hotel.

All applicants can expect to hear back from us by early September when the schedule is finalized.