Willow Moot 2025 Registration

Signum University and the Mythgard Institute invite you to join us on 26 April for Willow Moot 2025. This English-language hybrid event will occur at the Collegium Veteranorum at Maria Theresa College in Leuven, Belgium. For our first appearance in Belgium, we invite you to contemplate How Culture Influences Our Creation and Interpretation of Fiction. 

Culture sits at the core of our being. It shapes how we view and interact with the world around us and connects us to others regardless of boundaries. When we seek to better understand the cultures of others, we will gain not only a better understanding of our own but also more appreciation for the beauty and diversity of the world around us.

It should come as no surprise, therefore, that culture has a massive impact on fiction as well. Whether it is the fictional cultures of Tolkien's Middle-earth, Terry Pratchett's Discworld, or the BBC's Doctor Who universe, many cultures exist within these worlds, often inspired by real-world cultures. Our worldview also changes how we create fictional worlds and the morals, lessons, and ideals we want to convey to our audience. Just as it influences the lessons you learn from fiction. Certain story events may have a different meaning to you than they do to someone else or even to the story's author.

During this moot, we seek to celebrate and better understand the many diverse cultures of this world and how they interact with fiction. If you would like to share something at the moot, we welcome papers about this. Below are some prompts that may help inspire you if you’re struggling to think of something.

Author’s Culture - How does an author’s culture influence the (type of) stories they tell? How does this differ from other cultures? What morals/themes are common in a certain culture? How does your culture express itself?

Reader’s Culture - How does your interpretation of fiction differ from that of the author/other readers? What elements or story beats have a certain connotation in one culture but not in another? How do differences in translation signify differences between your culture and the author’s?

Fictional Culture - What cultural identities can you find in fiction, why are these significant? Is a fictional culture inspired by reality, or did the author create one themselves? How does a character’s culture set them apart?

Join us in the heart of Leuven for Willow Moot 2025.