The International Society for the Empirical Study of Literature and Media (IGEL: Internationale Gesellschaft für Empirische Literaturwissenschaft) is a learned society with the object of promoting empirical approach to the study of literature and culture.
History The society was founded in 1987 by Siegfried J. Schmidt of the University of Siegen. In 2010 IGEL became a registered society; it is registered as a Foundation in the Netherlands. The actual president is Moniek Kuijpers.
Governance The Society is led by a governing board. Members of the board are the president, a vice-president, treasurer, secretary, member at large, journal editor, and student representative. The board is elected at the bi-annual meeting usually held in August/September for a two or four-year term. Presidents of IGEL: 1987-1988: Siegfried J. Schmidt, University of Siegen 1988-1990: Elrud Ibsch, VU University Amsterdam 1990-1992: Arthur C. Graesser, University of Memphis 1992-1994: László Halász, Hungarian Academy of Sciences 1994-1996: Steven Tötösy de Zepetnek, University of Alberta 1996-1998: Els B. Andringa, Utrecht University 1998-2000: Gerald C. Cuphik, University of Toronto 2000-2002: János László, University of Pécs 2002-2004: David S. Miall, University of Alberta 2004-2006: Willie van Peer, LMU Munich 2006-2008: Max Louwerse, University of Memphis 2008-2012: Marisa Bortolussi, University of Alberta 2012-2016: Frank Hakemulder, Utrecht University 2016-2020: Don Kuiken, University of Alberta 2020-: Moniek Kuijpers, University of Basel
Conferences The Society holds biennial conferences, alternating between Europe and North America. 1987: Siegen 1990: Amsterdam 1992: Memphis 1994: Budapest 1996: Edmonton 1998: Utrecht 2000: Toronto 2002: Pécs 2004: Edmonton 2006: München 2008: Memphis 2010: Utrecht 2012: Montreal 2014: Torino 2016: Chicago 2018: Stavanger 2021: Liverpool 2022: Orlando (online) 2023: Monopoli
Publications Scientific Study of Literature (SSOL) is the official journal of IGEL. IGEL membership includes a subscription to SSOL.
See also Cognitive linguistics Cognitive philology Cognitive poetics Cognitive psychology Empirical study of literature Literary theory Society for the History of Authorship, Reading and Publishing
References
External links Official Website On Twitter: @igelsociety, #igelsociety Society for the Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity and the Arts International Association of Empirical Aesthetics (IAEA) Poetics and Linguistics Association (PALA) Society for Text and Discourse On Fiction. The Psychology of Fiction Literature, Cognition and Brain