CfP: ReFocus Mira Nair (collection)
Edited by Professor Meenakshi Bharat (University of Delhi) and Dr. Blythe Worthy (University of Sydney)
Under preparation for submission to the ReFocus: International Directors series, Edinburgh University Press
We invite proposals for chapter contributions to a scholarly volume on the films of Mira Nair, intended for publication in Edinburgh University Press’s ReFocus: International Directors series. This will be the first academic collection devoted to Nair’s wide-ranging body of work, which spans feature films, documentaries, shorts, and serial television. Despite the international circulation of her films and the longevity of her directorial career, Nair’s work has not yet received sustained analytical attention in a volume-length format.
This collection aims to bring together a diverse range of approaches to examine how Nair’s work engages with cinematic form, narrative, adaptation, and the shifting social, cultural, and political contexts in which her films are produced and received.
Scope and Methodologies
We welcome proposals that apply established methodologies in film and media studies, including (but not limited to):
- Aesthetic and stylistic analysis
- Feminist and gender-based approaches
- Psychoanalytic frameworks
- Postcolonial or diaspora studies
- Genre and narrative analysis
- Adaptation and intertextuality
- Production studies or industry analysis
- Reception and audience studies
- Archival or historiographic research
The volume is structured around three thematic sections:
- Navigating Global Borders – questions of migration, diaspora, cosmopolitanism, and transnational production
- Reimagining Identity and Power – representations of gender, sexuality, race, class, caste, and religion
- Reframing Narrative Traditions – adaptation, genre hybridity, visual storytelling, and formal experimentation
Contributors are invited to examine how Nair’s work negotiates the intersections of global and local cinematic practices, and how her films interact with questions of representation, authorship, and audience across different platforms and periods.
Focus on Under-Examined Works
We are only seeking contributions on the following films and projects, which remain unassigned:
- The Perez Family (1995)
- Vanity Fair (2004)
- Uncollected short films (please specify in your abstract/proposal)
- Not Migration (2008)
- Amelia (2009)
- Givenchy commercial (2009)
- Queen of Katwe (2016)
- National Treasure: Edge of History (2022, Disney+ episode 1)
Proposals may consider a single film or cluster several works around a shared theme or method. Projects that explore lesser-studied or commercially overlooked material are especially encouraged.
Archival Access
The editors have secured permission from Mira Nair to access previously protected personal and protected papers held at the Schlesinger Library (Harvard University). These archival materials may be available to contributors in 2026 for use in final chapter revisions, pending funding approval.
Timeline and Submission Guidelines
- Expression of interest with brief topic description (1 paragraph): by 31 August
- Full abstract (approx. 200 words, developed in consultation with the editors): due 15 September 2025
- First full chapter draft (5,000–6,000 words): due 31 January 2026
- Revised final chapter: due 30 June 2026
- Manuscript delivery to Edinburgh University Press: September 2026
To Submit
Please email your proposal and a short biographical note to the editors by 31 August 2025. Early expressions of interest are encouraged to facilitate topic coordination and to avoid duplication.
The volume is particularly interested in scholarship that engages with transnational, interdisciplinary, or comparative perspectives. Proposals are welcome from scholars at all career stages.
Contact
Professor Meenakshi Bharat (University of Delhi)
meenakshibharat[at]gmail.com
Dr. Blythe Worthy (University of Sydney)
blythe.worthy[at]sydney.edu.au