Deadline for proposals: 18 September 2026

Conference: 8-9 October 2026 (online)

​CFP: LONELINESS

What makes us happy and content in our life? Some people may point to fabulous fame, fortune, or money. Others may argue that interpersonal relationships are the key to happiness. But what if someone is alone? Is loneliness truly disastrous? Are there any benefits of loneliness? Can loneliness become an epidemic? To address these questions, this event focuses on a wide range of specific issues. We are interested in exploring all aspects of loneliness, both in the past and in the present-day world.
The conference is intended as an interdisciplinary event. Hence, we invite researchers representing various academic disciplines: sociology, psychology, psychiatry, philosophy, anthropology, gender studies, literary studies, theatre studies, film studies, consciousness studies, social policy, cognitive sciences, and history, among others.

The aim of our conference is to provide opportunities for researchers from a range of disciplines and countries to share their research, create an academically challenging and productive space for discussion, and enable them to establish long-lasting, ever-growing scientific networks and contacts with professionals worldwide.

We welcome submissions from both experienced scholars and young academics at the beginning of their careers, as well as doctoral and graduate students. We also invite individuals interested in participating in the conference as listeners, without giving a presentation.

The topics of the conference include but are not limited to the following suggestions:

1. Loneliness and Society
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loneliness and social relationships (in families, marriages, partnerships, workplaces, etc.)​
loneliness and war
loneliness and illness
loneliness and self-isolation, social distancing
loneliness among children
loneliness among seniors
the lonely crowd
loneliness in urban spaces
loneliness as an epidemic
loneliness and pandemic
loneliness and social exclusion (social class, racism, gender factors, educational status)
loneliness and social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)


2. Loneliness and Culture

loneliness in different parts of the world
loneliness and religions
loneliness and initiation rituals
lonely communities
abandoned nations
expelled minorities
loneliness and digital cultures / virtual communities
the cultural taboo of solitude vs. hyper-individualism
migrant loneliness and diaspora experiences


3. Individual experiences
​
loneliness during self-isolation, quarantanne,
loneliness as a state of mind
loneliness and emotional isolation
loneliness and depression
loneliness and shame
creative loneliness
loneliness as a rest
situational loneliness
existential loneliness
loneliness, aloneness, and solitude
the commercialization of loneliness (the "rent-a-friend" industry, monetized companion apps, dating algorithms, and AI relationships)
synthetic companionship & AI (digital intimacy, dating algorithms, and robotic care)


4. Literature and Arts

loneliness in literature, film, theatre and visual arts
lonely artists
aesthetics, spaces, and narratives of isolation (e.g., in pop culture, life-writing, and architecture)

Please submit abstracts (no longer than 300 words) of your proposed 20-minute presentations, together with a short biographical note, by 18 September 2026 to: lonelinessconference@gmail.com