As co-curators Saarah Jappie and editor Mona Oraby write in their introduction, “this forum initiates a conversation on the meaning and consequences of death across societies and time periods. It draws together scholars of state and society to explore the limits and possibilities of burial practices, mourning, and commemoration of the dead in cases where migration and distance have played a significant role, in colonial contexts, and in rapidly shifting sociocultural landscapes. To capture the complexity of these dynamics, the forum spotlights research in a diverse range of contexts: from early twentieth-century Egypt to contemporary Japan. Thus, individual contributors reflect on the nuances of social, cultural, and political processes set in motion by death and burial across space and time, in turn collectively providing a multifaceted exploration of what historian Vincent Brown has termed ‘mortuary politics.'”

Continuing reading the introduction by Jappie and Oraby for an overview of the forum’s animating questions and a preview of the essays to come.