In a world increasingly marked by rising authoritarianism, global conflicts, wars, pandemics, climate trauma, callous capitalism, the machinization of humans, and the erosion of democratic values and human empathy, the relevance of the humanities—particularly literature, language, and critical thought—has never been more urgent. Inspired by W. B. Yeats’ prophetic poem The Second Coming, this international conference explores how a renewed engagement with the humanities can respond to the chaos of our times. As technology reshapes reality and silence descends over voices of dissent and care, we propose a ‘second coming’ of the humanities: not as a nostalgic return, but as a radical reawakening. This gathering invites scholars, writers, educators, and students to envision how literature, linguistics, and language studies can serve as acts of resistance, restoration, foresight, and renewal in an uncertain world.
Sub-themes:
Literature and Cultural Studies
- Literature as resistance in times of political crisis
- Rewriting trauma: Literary responses to war, displacement, and pandemic
- The role of literature in the preservation of human rights and empathy
- Post-truth, dystopia, and the literary imagination
- Revival of myth and prophecy in contemporary literature
- Environmental humanities and the Anthropocene in literary narratives
- Postcolonial critiques in the age of neo-imperialism
- Literature and the ethics of care
Linguistics and Language Studies
- Linguistic landscapes of conflict and reconciliation
- The politics of language in authoritarian regimes
- Language extinction and preservation in the global age
- Critical discourse analysis in times of misinformation
- Trauma linguistics: Language and memory
- Language, identity, and resistance in marginalized communities
Digital Humanities and Interdisciplinary Approaches
- The future of the humanities in the digital age
- AI, language models, and the ethics of representation
- Re-humanizing technology through literature and philosophy
- Storytelling in digital spaces: Podcasts, blogs, and interactive fiction
Pedagogy and Humanities Education
- Humanities in crisis: Rebuilding academic and public trust
- Teaching literature and empathy in polarized societies
- Decolonizing the humanities curriculum
- Literature in translation: Bridging global divides
- Reclaiming classroom spaces as sites of critical thought and resistance
Keynote Speakers
Faiqa Mansab
Novelist: This House of Clay and Water
Prof. Navid Shahzad
Writer and Educationist
Muneeza Shamsie
Author: Hybrid Tapestries
Aroosa Kanwal
Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad
Waqas A. Khwaja
Agnes Scott College, USA
Hu Kabau
Shanghai International Studies University, China
Wasima Shehzad
Air University, Islamabad
Abdel-Wahab Khalifa
Queen’s University Belfast, UK
Muhammad Afzaal
Shanghai International Studies University, China
Uzma Anjum
Air University, Islamabad
Wang Lan
Shanghai International Studies University, China
Yasir Hussain
Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad
Amara Khan
Lahore College for Women University, Lahore
Important Announcements
Abstract Submission Deadline
November 18, 2025
Open for Audience Registration
Fee for Audience Registration:
PKR 1000
Registration Deadline
Conference Date
January 8 – 9, 2026
Contact Us
Patron in Chief
Prof. Dr. Khalid Manzoor Butt (Dean, Faculty of Languages and Literature)
Patron
Prof. Dr. Tahir Saleem (Head of English Department)