On 29th September, the
Mapping Space | Mapping Time | Mapping Texts Conference was held online by
Chronotopic Cartographies, in partnership with the British Library. Chronotopic
Cartographies is a research project at Lancaster University, developing digital
methods and tools that enable the mapping of literary works.
This interdisciplinary conference
aimed to explore creative, conceptual and digital methods of mapping the spaces
and times of a range of texts, bringing together fields as varied as the digital
humanities, cartography, geography, literature, narratology and gaming. It
asked what mapping a text can reveal and the challenges of doing so; how we can
meaningfully connect the digital, imaginative and actual spaces of literary
texts; and what methods and models might be useful in these endeavours.
This conference was originally
due to be held in person at the British Library in July, but after the full
scale of the pandemic became apparent earlier in the year, it moved completely online. Instead of
presenting papers, delegates were invited to submit posters of their research
to be displayed on a virtual poster wall on Flickr. Participants could then
network via chatrooms on Microsoft Teams, or in Gathertown – a virtual conference space that allows users
to walk up to a person’s avatar and have a separate conversation with them via
video call. The keynote presentations still went ahead as recorded videos which
were shared in advance, while live Q&As with each presenter were held at
designated times throughout the day.
Though it was unfortunate that we
couldn’t hear all the papers in full, the conference team handled the online
move very effectively, creating a well-organised and flexible format for
engaging with each other’s work. On a personal level, this was also the first
time I had produced a poster for a conference, and I was grateful to get
experience in showcasing my work concisely using only visual means. I was
pleased to get some positive feedback on what I’d produced from those who got
in touch with me during the conference.
Here is my poster. You can also view it full-size alongside the other fascinating projects featured in the conference here. It outlines
the design of my location-based game Canterbury in 3 Words, explaining the
research questions I was asking, how the game works, the design challenges I
faced, and the observations I made throughout my fieldwork in making and
testing the game.
Big thanks to the conference organisers for making this event happen, and the other presenters for sharing such inspiring and thought-provoking projects.
