Muwashshah, zajal, and the Early European lyric

25-26 February 2027, Palermo

The Muwashshah Conference (No. 2)

This is an invitation to join us in Palermo in February 2027 for our second conference on the poetics of al-Andalus and the Early European lyric.

The Church of St. Anthony the Abbot, Steri Monumental Complex, Piazza Marina, University of Palermo, Sicily

REGISTRATION: Free and open to the general public

WEBSITE

INTRODUCTION

This will be the second in our cycle of three conferences exploring the relationship between the poetics of Early Europe and the poetry of Al-Andalus and the Iberian Peninsula. The first conference was held in North Africa, at the University of Sousse [April 2026], and the third will be held at the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 2028.

Our conference is effectively the seventh in a series looking at the history and development of Arabic and Hebrew strophic poetry (/tawshih/). Previous conferences included the Exeter “Colloquium on /Muwashshah/ and /Kharja/” in 1988 and the two SOAS “Conferences on Arabic and Hebrew Strophic Poetry and its Romance Parallels” held at the School of Oriental and African Studies in 2004 and 2020.

This two-day conference, held in Palermo, will explore all aspects of these cultures from their earliest times to the present day, but with a particular focus on Sicily and the /Scuola siciliana/. Our proceedings will include a musical concert in the Antonio Pasqualino International Puppet Museum.

INVITATION

Papers are invited which explore any of the following topics:

- The general history and enactment of /muwashshah/ and /zajal/ from the times of their origin down to the present day.

- Transmissions of forms, thematics, etc of Arabic and Hebrew poetics into Early Europe.

- The trans-Pyrenees transmission of musical forms.

- Relations of the Norman and Hohenstaufen courts with the cultures of North Africa and the Iberian peninsula.

- The poetics of exile / diaspora in the medieval Mediterranean.

- The poetic and musical culture of the Arabs and Jews of medieval Sicily.

- The poetics of the Sicilian court of Federico II, setting them in their historical context.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

If you wish to present a paper at the conference, please send an ABSTRACT of not more than 200 words.

Please include the TITLE of the paper and your NAME and INSTITUTIONAL AFFILIATION (if any).

Please also include a brief BIO / CV of not more than 100 words.

Proposals should be sent by e-mail to the conference organiser at the following address

PLEASE NOTE: The DEADLINE for submissions is 30 September 2026.

The final programme will be confirmed on 15 November 2026.

Expressions of interest in advance of that date are also welcome, since this helps in the general planning process.

Registration for the conference is free, and is open to the general public. If you wish to register, or wish to receive further details, write to the organiser at the address above.

1. For the proceedings of the 2004 and 2020 SOAS Conferences, see:

https://www.geocities.ws/muwashshah2004/

https://www.geocities.ws/muwashshah2020/

https://www.geocities.ws/muwashshah2026

The conference is hosted by the *Università degli Studi di Palermo*, and we thank them for their hospitality.

The conference continues our working relationship with the Higher Institute of Music at the University of Sousse, Tunisia.

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Dimanche 6 Septembre, 2026