Deadline: 30 September 2026
Contact: Dr. Nikoleta Zampaki
Email: nikzamp@phil.uoa.gr
University of Bucharest Review
Special issue (2/2026): “From the volcanic to the narrative arc: spectacles of volcanoes in humanities and geosciences”
Guest Editors
Dr. Nikoleta Zampaki, Postdoctoral Researcher, Faculty of Philology, School of Philosophy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Dr. Paula Wieczorek, Assistant Professor, Department of English Studies, University of Information Technology and Management, Poland
Dr. Paraskevi Nomikou, Professor of Geological Oceanography and Natural Geography, Department of Geology & Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
Dr. Andreas Markantonatos, Professor of Ancient Greek Literature, Faculty of Philology, University of the Peloponnese, Greece
Volcanoes are primal spectacles of the environment that simultaneously embody creative and destructive forces. They shape landscapes, forge islands, enrich soils, and precipitate climatic shifts, while also unleashing cataclysm, burying civilisations, and inspiring profound existential awe. This duality positions the volcano as a uniquely potent object of study, one that transcends disciplinary boundaries. It is a geophysical entity governed by the laws of the Earth’s interior and a cultural symbol erupting into human consciousness through myth, narrative, image, and memory (Sigurdsson, 1999).
This special issue, From the volcanic to the narrative arc, seeks to explore the multifaceted spectacle of volcanoes by forging a robust dialogue between the Humanities and Geosciences. We aim to move beyond a simple dichotomy of “scientific fact” versus “cultural representation” and instead investigate the fertile intersections where these modes of knowing coexist, conflict, and co-create meaning. We invite contributions that examine how the material reality of volcanism is translated into storytelling diachronically, educational tools, heritage sites, and spatial imaginaries, and conversely, how human narratives and interventions shape our scientific understanding and environmental engagement with volcanic spaces (e.g., Stewart & Nield, 2013; Yusoff, 2013).
We are particularly interested in abstracts that engage with the following interdisciplinary axes:
Axis 1: Classics, literature, and myth (the archaic spectacle)
Volcanoes in classical mythology and literature (e.g., Vulcan/Hephaestus, the Phlegraean Fields, Vesuvius in Pliny).
The volcano as a locus of the sublime in Romantic and modern literature.
Literary representations of historical eruptions as narrative events.
The volcano as metaphor in poetry and prose: passion, social upheaval, creativity, trauma.
Axis 2: Cultural, media, and visual studies (the mediated spectacle)
The iconography of volcanoes in painting, photography, and film.
Cinematic eruptions: disaster genres, documentary aesthetics, and special effects.
News media framing of volcanic crises and risk communication.
Digital and social media representations of volcanoes (e.g., viral eruption footage, influencer tourism).
The volcano in video games and other interactive digital media.
How do narrative forms (myth, novel, film, game) structure our temporal and emotional experience of geological deep time and sudden eruption?
Axis 3: Geo-spatial humanities and digital approaches (the mapped spectacle)
Historical cartography of volcanic regions and the evolution of spatial understanding.
GIS applications to study the interplay between volcanic landscapes and human settlement patterns, cultural pathways, or literary geographies.
Digital humanities projects that model, archive, or interpret volcanic events and their cultural footprints.
The use of VR/AR to recreate historical eruptions or visualize geological processes for scholarly and public engagement.
Axis 4: Geoheritage, geoparks, and education (the pedagogical spectacle)
The role of UNESCO Global Geoparks in framing volcanic heritage for sustainable development.
Narratives of risk and resilience in community engagement at volcanic sites.
Comparative studies of interpretation and storytelling at different volcanic geoheritage sites (e.g., Pompeii, Hawai‘i, Iceland, Santorini, Nisyros).
Educational methodologies for teaching volcanism interdisciplinarily.
The ethics and politics of “dark tourism” at sites of volcanic disaster.
Axis 5: Geoscience and its narratives (the scientific spectacle)
Critical analysis of the narratives and metaphors used within geoscience itself (e.g., “plumbing systems,” “eruptive behaviour,” “sleeping giants”).
Historical case studies of how scientific knowledge of a specific volcano was constructed and communicated.
The role of artistic and visual collaboration in geoscientific practice and data visualization.
Interdisciplinary fieldwork: what happens when poets, artists, or philosophers accompany volcanologists?
In what ways do geoparks and museums curate the “spectacle” of volcanism, balancing education, conservation, and tourism?
How can interdisciplinary collaborations produce new forms of public understanding and environmental stewardship?
How does the material agency of volcanic matter (ash, lava, pumice) constrain or inspire cultural production?
What are the different “spectacles” witnessed by a sensor, a satellite, a survivor, a poet, and a geologist?
The volcanic arc and the narrative arc are profoundly connected through a shared logic of transformation. A volcanic arc is a geological process of accumulation and eruption: pressure builds from subterranean forces, reaches a critical threshold, and culminates in a spectacular, landscape-altering release. Similarly, the narrative arc is a structure of tension and catharsis: conflict gathers, rises toward a climax, and resolves, leaving the characters and the reader’s understanding irrevocably changed. This parallel makes the volcano not just a setting but an active narrative engine. Its physical stages—quiescence, unrest, paroxysm, aftermath—mirror plot dynamics of calm, rising action, climax, and denouement. Furthermore, the volcano’s material outcomes—destruction, creation of new land, atmospheric effects—provide potent metaphors for thematic exploration: trauma and resilience, societal upheaval, the sublime interplay of beauty and terror. Thus, to study the “volcanic arc” in the geosciences is to analyze a planetary mechanism; to study it in the humanities is to decode a foundational story pattern. The connection lies in their mutual revelation of how latent power, through a necessary rupture, forges a new reality—whether of rock or of meaning.
This special issue aims to be a foundational text for the growing field of Critical Volcano Studies (CVS), providing a comprehensive and innovative roadmap for scholars, educators, and practitioners interested in the profound entanglement of fire, earth, story, and image.
UBR makes it possible for all its hosted articles to be included in such international databases as SCOPUS, ERIH PLUS, EBSCO, DOAJ and CEEOL.
If you are interested in having your article considered for publication, please send contributions in electronic form by September 30, 2026 at the latest. You will receive a confirmation message.
Articles are invited in: British, Irish and Commonwealth Literatures, American Literature, World and Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies, Intellectual and Cultural History, Art History and Visual Culture, Literary Theory, Translation Studies.
All articles must be written in MLA Style English. Please consult our Instructions for authors section before submitting your material at UBRpublication@gmail.com
Posted on March 2, 2026
