Dear All,

The winter has now turned to spring… May 1 has come quickly and so will our conference.

Our main task in these days is to compile the program – more than 1.000 submitted papers, organized in the General Panel, New Scholars’ Forum, and 26 Working Groups. We hope to be able to publish a first version within next week but – I guess it is fair to reveal as much – it is a splendid program, extraordinarily broad and diverse and gives all reason to be excited!

While your travel preparations might be on the way, we also would like to draw attention to an online workshop for the New Scholars’ Forum: 
»Post PhD?: Options and opportunities«, CET 3pm-5pm
What happens when a PhD is submitted and you are thinking about next steps? In this workshop, we offer several suggestions on postdoctorate options. Professor Milija Gluhovic (University of Warwick) discusses funding schemes and how to make competitive applications. Emerita Professor Jean Graham-Jones (City University of New York's Graduate Center and former President of IFTR) provides some guidance on applying for academic positions, while Dr Andrés Kalawski (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) reflects on using research in his dramaturgical, playwriting and programming work with Dr Kate Dorney (University of Manchester and former Senior Curator of Theatre at the V&A) speaking about her own experience of deploying research as a curator. Chaired by Maria Delgado (Vice President IFTR) and Ameet Parameswaran (JNU, India). Please register here.

CC/FoW: Whereas one interpretation reads Carnival as the symbolic expulsion of Winter, the advent of spring also calls for a symbolic marking: The Rhineland has this specific custom of putting up a Maibaum (Maypole) in front of the house of a loved one – during the night from April 30 to May 1. The Maibaum usually is a young birch tree, decorated with colored ribbons. I abstain from entering the much-discussed relation of love and foolishness, it clearly is something to see young urban romantics – the custom is no longer restricted to men – rushing through the city carrying small trees (some of them about 2-3m tall) over their shoulder, on a bike or even on a tram…

To avoid grubbing of the few woods and forests, there are professional providers who offer their services. Of course, since Academics are particularly romantic, the Campus of UoC also has a provider. (See the picture…)

And still there is the prejudice about the Germans’ lack of romantic gestures. If you come in June, some of the Maibäume might still be in the streets…

Alaaf – meaning as much as au fou de partout, to fools everywhere, we greet you!
Peter W. Marx
on behalf of the Cologne Team