Here is a call for papers for the conference Salem Meets the Noir 2026, which takes place from May 19 to 21, 2026, at Salem State University (352 Lafayette Street, Salem, Massachusetts). The keynote speakers at the conference will be authors Carmen Amato, Susana Martín Gijón, and Wilfredo Mattos Cintrón. The deadline for submissions of abstracts is February 8, 2026. Here are more details.
Description: We’re excited to announce Salem Meets the Noir 2026, the first U.S. conference dedicated to Hispanic Noir across literature, TV, and cinema. The event brings together scholars, writers, filmmakers, and students for panels, roundtables, workshops, film screenings, and curated cultural activities in historic Salem. Sessions will be offered in English and Spanish, with interpretation available.
Topics of Interest
- Noir and the Gothic
- Rural Noir
- Motherhood, Family, and the Noir Domestic
- Colonization and Post-Colonial Crime
- Gendered Investigations and Female Agency
- Queer Identities and LGBTQ+ Themes
- Transnational Crime
- Adaptation (Film, TV, Graphic Novels, Podcasts)
- Masculinities in Crisis
- Noir and Economic Trauma
…and more!
Submission Details
Deadline: February 8, 2026
Notification: by February 22, 2026
Languages: English or Spanish
Submission Form: Salemeetsthenoir
Contact: salemeetsthenoir@gmail.com
Presentation Formats
- Individual Papers (20 minutes)
- Roundtables or Panels (3–4 participants)
Guidelines:
- Individual abstract: max 250 words
- Panel proposal: 200–300 words
- Bio: max 150 words
The organizers are pursuing publication opportunities for selected papers.
Keynote Speakers:
Susana Martín Gijón (Spain) award-winning novelist and screenwriter; creator of police officer Annika Kaunda and Seville homicide inspector Camino Vargas.
Carmen Amato, a CIA veteran turning real-life danger and deception into crime fiction, author of the Detective Emilia Cruz mystery series set in Acapulco and longlisted for the 2020 Millennium Book Award.
Wilfredo Mattos Cintrón, creator of Isabelo Andújar, the detective in most of his novels, who only takes on special cases while reflecting on the political reality of Puerto Rican history.
For more information, visit the Salem Meets the Noir webpage or email us at salemeetsthenoir@gmail.com.
[Unrelated photo above—The Salem Witch Museum—from https://seeplymouth.com/listing/salem-witch-museum/.]
Here is a call for papers for the conference Salem Meets the Noir 2026, which takes place from May 19 to 21, 2026, at Salem State University (352 Lafayette Street, Salem, Massachusetts). The keynote speakers at the conference will be authors Carmen Amato, Susana Martín Gijón, and Wilfredo Mattos Cintrón. The deadline for submissions of
