The call for papers for the 11th International Conference on Bantu Languages (Bantu11) at Ghent University (August 18-21, 2026) is now open. The conference will include a general session which welcomes contributions on any aspect of the Bantu languages, alongside eleven workshops on specific topics (see the workshop descriptions here).
The deadline for abstracts is December 1st, 2025 (23:59 UTC/GMT+2). Abstracts are limited to 2 submissions per author, of which only 1 may be single-authored. Abstracts should be a maximum of 1 page of text (including figures/tables/linguistic examples) with up to 1 additional page for references, in 11pt Charis SIL or 12pt Times New Roman font, single spaced, with standard A4 margins (2.54cm). Talks may be given in-person or online. There will be a reduced conference fee for students (including PhD students) and participants from lower-income countries.
Abstracts can only be submitted through the EasyAbs platform. If you do not already have an EasyAbs account, first make a free account on EasyAbs, and then submit your abstract to the Bantu 11 conference, following the formatting guidelines above. Please ensure that the abstract file is anonymous (including the filename) and in .pdf format. Please add the code for the relevant workshop (e.g. ‘WS01’) or use ‘GS’ to indicate a submission to the general session, and add 3-5 keywords that describe your submission (e.g. ‘phonology’, ‘sociolinguistics’, ‘Southern Bantu’). If you are submitting a single-authored paper, please indicate whether you expect to be present in Ghent. If you are submitting a co-authored paper, please indicate how many authors expect to be present in Ghent.
If you have any issues with the EasyAbs platform, try refreshing the page, check the EasyAbs website (https://easyabs.linguistlist.org/about/), or contact the Bantu11 organizing committee at Bantu11@UGent.be.
Further practical information about the conference can be found on the conference website. All questions can be sent to Bantu11@UGent.be.