Dracula: A Companion is intended to both be an essential guide to interpreting Bram Stoker’s Dracula and a collection of new perspectives supporting a reshaping of the way the text is taught and engaged with by students.
Fundamental to the approach of this companion is placing the text at the epicentre of its own cultural afterlife and pop culture status. Beginning with the novel’s inception and influences, Dracula is positioned as a ‘spark’ that ignited the character’s enduring popularity and presence across the globe. From here, the familiar topics the novel is understood through will see novel perspectives, accounting not only for new and exciting research, but exploring how Dracula’s immortality stems from how it can be subjected to new approaches, showcasing the versatility of the book, and its continued capacity to lend itself to readings that speak of topical cultural concerns.
The final sections prioritise the way the text has been reshaped to suit contemporary audiences, distanced from the ‘original’ novel through adaptation and literary pastiche. Every ‘version’ of Dracula has the potential to be someone’s first encounter with the character, and may be what they think of when hearing the name. By giving this aspect a clear focus it establishes to students and readers alike that ‘Dracula’ is not contained within the novel, but has become a myth recognised across the globe.
We kindly request abstracts of no more than 250 words for either full essay style chapters of 4,500 words or shorter case studies focusing on individual texts of approx 2000 words. We are also open to further ideas, suggestions, and questions. The deadline for abstracts is Monday March 31st 2025. Full contributions are expected to be due at the end of Summer 2025.
Please email abstracts or any other enquiries to [email protected]
Potential topics (but by no means limited to):
- Theatrical Influences on the novel’s form Historical influences
- Transylvania as a mosaic (Hungarian and Irish Parallelism)
- Stoker: a biographical reading
- Global Dracula – Stoker’s own travels
- Dracula in translation
- New perspectives on sexuality: LGBTQA+ readings/drag
- New scientific & medical readingsNew perspectives on race
- Romany enslavement
- Dracula as Sensation fiction/Victorian popular fiction
- Publishing practices
- Reception of Dracula
- Reading Dracula as a werewolf text
- Neo-Victorian readings
- Wider cultural understanding of Dracula [Intended as shorter chapters, akin to case studies of texts]
- Dracula adaptations, appropriations and pastiches
- Neglected adaptations (eg. The Claes Bang/Gatiss version, The 1977 Louis Jourdan version)
- Neglected adaptations from non-anglo/American countries
- Non-Western Draculas
- Dracula for children: eg. Hotel Transylvania eg. Count Duckula
- Dracula games (computer and table-top)
- Dracula in New Media & Fandom