Call for Contributors · Two-Volume Edited Collection · Routledge
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Understanding and Reconciliation
Edited by Mitchel Stimers, PhD · Luma Mahairi, PhD, PharmD
About the Project
Loss is not merely emotional — it is material, spatial, and structural. This project asks how loss reshapes identity and embodied experience across human lives, disciplines, and institutions.
Loss, Time, and Embodiment is a two-volume interdisciplinary collection that examines loss as a rupture in identity, structure, and meaning. Psychological scholarship on grief has moved well beyond stage-based accounts, expanding into meaning-making, relational continuity, and unequal exposure to loss across social structures. Somatic and embodied approaches have introduced another strand, linking grief to perception, action, and the lived body. The proposed volumes build on those developments while widening the frame to include disciplines that rarely engage in sustained dialogue.
A cross-domain structure supports comparison across personal, institutional, and ecological registers without sacrificing explanatory power to any single vocabulary. Each volume concludes with editorial synthesis chapters that trace recurring themes — embodied time, disrupted meaning, and structural exposure to harm — across all contributions. The design preserves disciplinary specificity while supporting integrative reading across fields.
The collection has been accepted by Routledge, with revisions currently in progress. Author recruitment is underway, with a targeted roster of 53 external contributors across both volumes. The project runs from April 2026 through August 2027.
Volume Structure
Each volume is designed to stand alone while contributing to an integrated argument. Volume I approaches loss through the existential and symbolic; Volume II through the biological, systemic, and professional.
Existential, cultural, and narrative frameworks of loss
Biological, environmental, and systemic dimensions of loss
Project Timeline
The timeline below covers the full production cycle from launch through final manuscript delivery. Benchmark points mark transitions between major project stages.
Author portal configured; volume structure finalized; all 59 chapter assignments locked; outreach templates and contributor materials prepared.
Wave 1 invitations sent to all 53 target authors; follow-ups with non-responders; alternates recruited to fill any gaps; signed agreements, bios, and headshots collected.
All 53 external author slots filled. All 59 chapter assignments locked. Portal fully populated.
Authors write and submit complete first drafts (7,000–9,000 words). Editors monitor progress, issue bi-weekly check-ins with lagging authors, and write their own solo and thematic chapters.
All 53 contributed chapter drafts logged in portal. Editorial review cycle begins.
Editors divide chapters and conduct full substantive edits (argument, structure, transitions, length, thematic fit). Authors receive feedback and revise by January 31, 2027.
All contributed chapters approved for copyediting. Thematic synthesis chapter drafting underway.
Line-level style, grammar, consistency, and formatting applied to all chapters. In-text citations and reference lists verified. Author queries returned through portal; responses due within two weeks.
Formatted proofs sent to authors for final review (factual accuracy and typographical errors only). Signed approvals collected. Final manuscript delivered to publisher by August 30, 2027.
Manuscript Guidelines
You will also be asked to submit a brief author biography (75–100 words, third person), your current institutional affiliation and title, a professional headshot (minimum 300 dpi, JPEG or PNG), and a preferred contact email.
Contributor Deadlines
Deadlines marked Hard are firm. Missing a hard deadline without prior communication may result in your chapter being removed from the collection. Extensions may be granted at the editors' discretion — contact Mitch at least two weeks before a deadline if you anticipate difficulty.
| Stage | Date | What Is Due |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmation & Orientation | May–Jul 2026 | Review contributor guidelines and style guide. Sign and return contributor agreement. Confirm chapter title and working scope. |
| Chapter Outline Hard | Jul 31, 2026 | 1–2 page outline including your central argument, proposed section structure, and a brief note on key sources. Do not begin drafting until your outline has been approved. Editors return feedback within two weeks. |
| First Draft Hard | Nov 15, 2026 | Complete draft (7,000–9,000 words, including citations and references). Drafts that fall significantly outside the word range may be returned before editorial review begins. |
| Editorial Review | Nov–Dec 2026 | Editors review your draft and return substantive feedback within four weeks. Feedback addresses argument, structure, transitions, length, and fit with the volume's themes. |
| Author Revision Hard | Jan 31, 2027 | Revised chapter resubmitted in response to editorial feedback. Authors who do not resubmit by this date risk removal from the collection. |
| Copyediting & Reference Queries | Mar–May 2027 | Your chapter enters copyediting. Queries returned through the portal; respond within two weeks of receipt. Corrected files due by May 15, 2027. |
| Proof & Final Sign-Off Hard | Jun 30, 2027 | Formatted proof sent for final review. Review for factual accuracy and typographical errors only. No new content, restructuring, or significant wording changes accepted. Return signed approval within one week of receipt. |
The Editors
Dr. Stimers is a geographer whose research on natural disasters, environmental trauma, and recovery has appeared in journals including Natural Hazards, Weather, Climate, and Society, and The Geographical Review. His work emphasizes spatial and temporal disruptions to human life and governance. He manages author communications, portal operations, and the project's organizational infrastructure.
Dr. Mahairi integrates clinical research, systems medicine, and public health, with a focus on resilience, regulatory ethics, and embodied care practices. She has authored works on genomics, neuroscience, and organizational transformation. She leads author recruitment and co-authors the volumes' front matter and thematic synthesis chapters.
Important Policies
Direct all project-related questions to Mitch and CC Luma on all correspondence. Please do not contact both editors simultaneously with the same question.
Contributing authors are expected to engage substantively with editorial feedback. Resubmissions that do not address the editors' notes may be returned for further revision. In cases where a chapter does not meet the collection's standards after two rounds of revision, it may be removed from the collection.
By submitting your chapter, you confirm that the work is original, has not been published elsewhere in substantially the same form, and is not under review at another venue. If your chapter includes previously published material, third-party figures, or extended quotations requiring permissions, you are responsible for securing those permissions before the copyediting stage.
A signed contributor agreement is required before your chapter can enter editorial review. The editors will send the agreement template upon confirmation. Return your signed agreement to Mitch during the confirmation stage (May–July 2026).
Extensions may be granted at the editors' discretion. Contact Mitch as early as possible — ideally at least two weeks before the due date. Extensions requested after a deadline has passed are handled case by case and are not guaranteed.
Interested in Contributing?
To express interest or ask questions about a potential contribution, email Mitch and CC Luma. Please include your disciplinary background and the chapter topic you have in mind.
Email the Editors