The gothic is a genre of marginalization, foregrounding locales and figures that are ghostly, monstrous, or abandoned. It is no surprise, then, that authors across the Global South, from Akwaeke Emezi to Nick Joaquín to Mariana Enríquez, embrace the gothic when constructing narratives that resist colonialism and its myriad legacies. For this special issue of The Global South, the guest editor is inviting submissions from scholars whose research engages with gothic creators throughout this nebulous region. The gothic is likewise a broad term, and, given the innumerable repercussions of colonization, we welcome contributions from across gothic subgenres—ecological, gendered, neoliberal, or queer, to name a few. How does gothic subversiveness complement critiques forwarded by authors of the Global South? In what ways do creators from developing nations reimagine the genre and its purposes? Can these entanglements extricate colonial histories or, perhaps, generate new possibilities? Because the gothic is known for repositioning characters who are traditionally sidelined as protagonists, novel or underrepresented texts and perspectives are particularly encouraged.

Contributions must be original, and authors must cite all publications and acknowledge all sources that have shaped their scholarship. Manuscripts will be sent out for anonymous (“double blind”) peer review. Citations should be formatted according to the guidelines of the 9th edition of the MLA Handbook.

The Global South is published by Indiana University Press and available via JSTOR and Project Muse. An interdisciplinary journal, it publishes articles in many areas of the humanities and social sciences. For inclusion in this issue, please send 500-word proposals plus a short bio to guest editor Amber Hodge (ahodge@choate.edu) by November 1, 2025. If selected, manuscripts of 6,000 to 10,000 words will be due by July 1, 2026.