VI International Congress of the John Gower Society 2026

I International Congress of the John Gower Society
29 June – 2 July 2026

“GOWER SEA TO SEA: ATLANTIC TO MEDITERRANEAN”

 

The VI International Congress of the John Gower Society will take place 29 June – 2 July 2026 and will be hosted by the University of Alicante, on Spain’s beautiful Mediterranean coast.

Venue & Excursions

The University of Alicante is outside of the city, but there is public transportation in the form of a tram which runs from campus into the city center. (A good stopping-off point is the central market–Mercado Central de Alicante–which in addition to vendors of wonderful fruit, vegetables, cheeses and wines has a variety of bars and restaurants, and is within easy walking distance of the beach, monuments and museums.)

A single tram trip from the University of Alicante to downtown is €1.45, or you can buy a €2.30 round-trip ticket for the same day. Alternatively, you can purchase a multi-trip card for €8.70 for 10 trips, plus a €2 fee for the card itself. This card can be used for both the tram and public buses in the city.  Or one can take a cab or Uber. Cab fare one-way from the University to downtown is @€10 (roughly $8.50, depending on traffic conditions, point of pick-up and deposit, etc.).

The optional excursion on Thursday (2 July) will be to Novelda, approximately 30 kilometers from Alicante, where there is a Gaudí inspired church, Sanatorio Santa María Magdalena, designed by José Sala Sala, and the Castillo de la Mola,  originally a Moorish fortress, followed by lunch at a bodega—an underground winery where grapes were pressed and stored, now often converted into restaurants. 

Travel

Attendees may find the following materials, prepared by the University of Alicante for international students, useful at this time:

More specific detail regarding travel to and from the Congress will be available shortly here on the Gower Society web site and in the spring eJGN.

Conference Registration

The University of Alicante delegates are working to secure grant funding to support the Congress, so the final registration fee amount is still indeterminant. Congress participants will be notified as soon as the Congress registration portal is available, and that link will be available on the JGS web site as well.

Accommodations

Housing accommodation has been arranged at discounted rates in the Villa Universitaria and at the Hotel Universa, directly across the street. It is recommended to get a bed-and-breakfast (“alojamiento y desayuno”); dinners at the Villa Universitaria are optional (“media pension”), and cafeteria-style. There are also several restaurants in the area within walking distance, and/or one can travel to the city center.

Accommodations Discount Code: GOWER

 Room prices using the GOWER discount code must be paid for at time of registration and are nonrefundable. Prices range (depending upon size and type of room and single or double occupancy) approximately:

  • 75 € – 120 € a night for room only
  • 90 € – 130 € a night for room with breakfast included
    (B&B | Alojamiento Y Desayuno)
  • 100 € – 165 € a night for room with breakfast and dinner included
    (half board | Media Pension)

Both accommodations offer the option of free cancellation, but the GOWER discount code does not apply to that option, and the rates are therefore higher, ranging from approximately 90 € – 150 € a night for room only.

 Note: When finalizing your accommodations reservation, you may be offered the option to have a service automatically exchange the cost from Euros to USD, for a fee. Prior to reserving, attendees may wish to verify the international transaction fee applied by their credit card, if any, in order to see if that option is more preferable than having the offered service exchange the reservation amount prior charging  it to the credit card.

 

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CALL FOR PAPERS

The Congress theme, “Gower Sea to Sea: Atlantic to Mediterranean,” is intended to encompass both Gower’s homeland and the Mediterranean world, with geographies in between. Proposals (<150 words) for papers of 20 minutes in length are solicited by 15 August 31 August, 2025, with acceptances by 15 September. All scholarship related to Gower is welcome, but subjects prompted by the Congress theme are especially encouraged. Proposals should be sent to R. F. Yeager, Society President (rfyeager@hotmail.com).

 Deadline for proposal submission has been extended to
31 August.