news
Call for (Self-)Nominations: Ombuds Group
In 2024, the AGM decided to appoint an Ombudsperson or Ombuds Group and establish a Code of Conduct. This Code of Conduct has now been finalized and can be downloaded here.
Now that the Code of Conduct has been finalized, the election process for the first Ombuds Group begins. If you are interested in becoming an ombudsperson for GAPS, please nominate yourself by stating your interest to the GAPS board (president [at] g-a-p-s.net), including a 100-word bio note, ideally by 15 April 2026. Later nominations are also welcome. You can also nominate another person for this role. In this case, the board will reach out to the nominee and inquire if they want to run for election. Please note that this is an unpaid position, and that ombudspersons should be available for GAPS conferences. Also note that ombudspersons cannot be board members.
After having received your (self-)nominations, the board will send out an email to all members that presents the candidates and provides an opportunity to voice concerns. Ideally, we aim to have completed the election process for members of the first Ombuds Group before the annual conference in May.
GAPS conference 2026: registration now open!
Registration for the 2026 GAPS conference “Postcolonial Transfers – Translation, Transition, Transformation” in Osnabrück is now open. Register here! Early Bird Registration closes 29 March 2026. All registration closes 15 April 2026.
Photos from GAPS conference 2025 in Bielefeld
Photos from the 2025 GAPS conference “Neoliberal Global Capitalism” in Bielefeld are now available on the 2025 conference website. Hopefully, you can spot yourself in a picture or two!
GAPS conference 2026: website
The website of the annual GAPS conference “Postcolonial Transfers – Translation, Transition, Transformation” is now live. Visit the website here. The conference will take place at the University of Osnabrück, Germany, from 14 to 16 May 2026.
GAPS project fund deadline announced: 20 April 2026
GAPS provides up to € 2000 each year to non-tenured GAPS members to support academic events in the field of postcolonial studies (anglophone literary studies, cultural studies, linguistics, and/or didactics). The board has recently decided to implement two deadlines per year. Interested members can apply by 20 April. Find out more about the project fund here.
Volume 3 of Anglophone Postcolonial Studies published!
We are delighted to announce that the end of 2025 also saw the publication of Anglophone Postcolonial Studies 3 with heiUP under the title Contested Solidarities: Agency and Victimhood in Anglophone Literatures and Cultures. We are grateful to the editors Pavan Kumar Malreddy, Frank Schulze-Engler and Kathrin Bartha-Mitchell and all contributors for their work. For a detailed abstract and the table of contents click here.
Volume 2 of Anglophone Postcolonial Studies published!
GAPS is proud to share that Anglophone Postcolonial Studies 2 has been published with heiUP under the title Science, Culture, and Postcolonial Narratives. We would like to thank the editors Anton Kirchhofer and Karsten Levihn-Kutzler and all contributors for their work. For a detailed abstract and the table of contents click here.
Annual GAPS conference 2026
The 2026 annual GAPS conference, titled “Postcolonial Transfers – Translation, Transition, Transformation”, will take place at the University of Osnabrück, Germany, from 14 to 16 May 2026. The call for papers (now closed) can be found here.
Winner of GAPS 2025 Graduate Award announced!
GAPS is proud to announce that Daniel Fernandez (University of Bonn) has been awarded this year’s GAPS graduate award for his M.A. thesis entitled “Decolonizing Cosmic Horror: An Analysis of Contemporary Lovecraftian Fiction through a Postcolonial Lens”. The thesis was supervised by Prof. Dr. Barbara Schmidt-Haberkamp and Prof. Dr. Marion Gymnich. The award was presented during the society’s annual conference 2025 in Bielefeld. Congratulations on this achievement!
New board elected!
We are pleased to announce the election of our new board during our annual conference “Neoliberal Global Capitalism – Challenges for Postcolonial Studies”, held in Bielefeld (GER) from 29-31 May 2025. The newly elected board members will serve a two-year term.
We extend our gratitude to the outgoing board members for their dedicated service and contributions, and warmly welcome the new members as they begin their terms.
Free GAPS memberships available
We invite applications by students who find it difficult to pay the membership fees. The fee will be subsidized by the Sustained Members of GAPS. Applicants should write to the president as well as the treasurer of GAPS, briefly explaining why they wish to be considered under this category.