[csaa-forum] CFP Australasian Humour Studies Network (AHSN) Conference 2026: Difficult Conversations

[Nick Holm]

CFP: 32nd Annual Conference of the Australasian Humour Studies Research Network (AHSN)
11-13 February 2026, Wellington, Aotearoa/New Zealand

Difficult Conversations

Historically, it was once possible to study humour, comedy, and laughter as if they were largely innocent and benign forms of cultural and social interaction. However, if such an approach ever reflected the full reality of these topics, it certainly no longer does in the 2020s. Humour, comedy, and laughter are now increasingly and undeniably implicated in all manner of controversies and conflicts: from online abuse to the stoking of social polarisation or the ridicule of political opponents and vulnerable groups.

This conference asks participants to reflect on the difficult conversations regarding humour in two different but related ways.

First, what does it mean to study humour in an era of difficult conversations? How is humour implicated in many of the conflicts and controversies of our time, from new political conflicts to debates around the limits of acceptable speech? How is humour shaped by negative social forces ranging from sexism and racism to structural forms of exclusion? What role(s) do forms of humour often regarded as negative, like ridicule or abuse, play in our current social moment? Humour might be able to help us with these difficult conversations, but it also potentially contributes to their formation, which in turn suggests a difficult conversation about humour’s capacity to harm.

Second, this conference also seeks to reflect on how humour has been studied in ways that have sidestepped difficult conversations. Humour studies is one of the most well-established and successful examples of interdisciplinary scholarship. However, while those studying humour have a long and productive history of working alongside one another, we perhaps have not always worked with one another or sought to learn from one another in genuine ways. The differences have tended to be overlooked in favour of solidarity.

For this conference, we ask contributors to (politely and constructively) engage with those points of tension and disagreement between different disciplines, fields, and traditions: ask the difficult questions, have the awkward conversations, and maybe engage in some reflection about the limitations and problems with their own approaches to studying humour. All towards the service of building a field where we are better equipped to learn from, work with, and sometimes disagree with one another.

We invite proposals that address the frictions and fault lines, openly ask the questions, and reflect upon their own scholarly methods and theories. We especially welcome collaborative panels framed as conversations between different disciplines, subdisciplines, methods, and theories.

Possible topics include:

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Controversial and provocative humour
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Humour in/and political conflict
  *
Sexism, racism, and other forms of oppression in relation to humour
  *
Ridicule, abuse, and other negative forms of humor
  *
Wokeness, cancel culture, and culture wars in relation to humour
  *
Disciplinary differences in the study of humour
  *
Historical assumptions about the study of humour
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What justifies the study of humour?
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How do we meaningfully analyse humour?


Confirmed Keynote Speaker
Jessica Milner Davis, PhD FRSN
(more TBC)

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts should be no more than 300 words in length (excluding references).

All abstracts should include:
1.    A presentation title
2.    A list of authors
3.    An introduction of the research topic
4.    An overview of relevant texts, theories, data, methods, results (or anticipated
5.    results), and/or implications of the research for humour studies

With your submission, please also indicate:
1.    Whether your project engages directly with the conference theme (yes/no)
2.    Whether you would like to be considered for the student scholarship (yes/no)
      Note: All topics related to humour studies are welcome, regardless of engagement with conference theme.

Abstract should be submitted via email to Lydia Chan at: lydia.chan at vuw.ac.nz

Deadline for abstract submission: 30 September 2025

AHSN 2026 Committee
Dr Stephen Skalicky, Victoria University of Wellington
Assoc./Prof. Nicholas Holm, Massey University
Lydia N. C. Chan, Victoria University of Wellington

Inquiries: stephen.skalicky at vuw.ac.nz

Website: https://ahsnhumourstudies.org/annual-conference/



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Dr Nicholas Holm<http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/expertise/profile.cfm?stref=990001> |Associate Professor in Media Studies|Editor, Comedy Studies | Book Reviews Editor, Humor

Building 7, Room 7C43 |Massey University |Wellington |Aotearoa New Zealand

DDI 04 979 3544 |ext. 63544 | nhfholm at massey.ac.nz<mailto:N.H.F.Holm at massey.ac.nz>

https://nicholasholm.wordpress.com/

Recent Publications
Holm, N. (2024) Humour versus Dignity in the Public Sphere<https://elements.massey.ac.nz/rt2repositoryfile.html?sid=24&rid=942851&fid=00683ba9-e34a-44b6-b7f6-e188d62a51ce> The European Journal of Humour Research 12.1

Holm, N. (2023) Everyone’s a Critic (So what comes next?)<https://journalcontent.mediatheoryjournal.org/index.php/mt/article/view/200> Media Theory 7.1.

Holm, N. and E. Tilley. (2023) The Aesthetics of Creative Activism<https://academic.oup.com/jaac/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jaac/kpad015/7185629> Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 81.2.

Holm, N. (2023) Advertising and Consumer Society: A Critical Introduction<https://www.routledge.com/Advertising-and-Consumer-Society-A-Critical-Introduction/Holm/p/book/9781032181363> (2nd Ed), Routledge.
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