The South Central Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies is pleased to invite you all to its 2026 meeting on February 20-21 2026 in Pinehurst, NC.
We especially encourage papers related to the theme: rural sports; golf, spas, and resorts; shopping; competitions; gambling; drinking; music; theatre, and any other eighteenth-century pleasures. Equally enthusiastically encouraged are papers on any long eighteenth-century idea. Those speaking on any eighteenth-century topic will be providing pleasure, hence in keeping with the theme.
Here is our timeline:
- May 1 Panel topic proposals due
- June 1 CFP opens
- Sep. 25 Individual proposals due
- Oct. 15 Acceptances sent out
If you would like to organize a session, please send your topic with a description by May 1. If you would like to present a paper and are so excited that you cannot wait to submit your paper proposal you may send it at any time to Catherine.parisian@uncp.edu. BUT individual paper proposals are not due until Sept. 25.
About Our Venue
Founded in 1895 by the Boston philanthropist James Walker Tufts, Pinehurst served as a health resort, where the middle-class retreated from cities to recuperate from respiratory ailments. Tufts believed the “pine ozone” only found in this region of the country held curative properties. Visitors engaged in popular activities of the day such as riding, polo, lawn bowling, archery, bicycling, and tennis. Golf followed shortly. Pinehurst continues today as a world-class resort. Nestled in a late 19th-century village, it features bountiful restaurants, quaint shops, and an array of activities. Guests might relax at the spa, take a carriage ride through the village, watch races at the harness track, visit the Tufts Archives, take their turn in a round of croquet, pedal through the streets of the village, or sip bourbon at the North South Bourbon Bar. Designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the village features beautiful well-maintained historic homes and Olmstead’s signature curvilinear and concentric system of streets. It offers a peaceful atmosphere for your morning run, afternoon walk, or quiet meditative moment. This would be the ideal conference to arrive early, stay late, and bring your plus one to enjoy the amenities of the resort.
We hope to see you all in Pinehurst in 2026! If you have questions, you may contact catherine.parisian@uncp.edu. Please also visit the SCSECS website where updates related to the conference will be posted https://www.scsecs.net/
