The Department of English at MTSU will celebrate its 20th anniversary as the sponsor and host of the Conference on John Milton Oct. 13-15 at the DoubleTree Hotel in Murfreesboro.

This photo shows the title page of the first edition of John Milton’s epic poem, “Paradise Lost,” circa 1668. (Photo courtesy Leeds University Library)

This 11th biennial conference, first held in Murfreesboro in 1991, attracts scholars of the great English poet Milton, who is best known for his 17th-century epic, Paradise Lost.

Dr. Kevin Donovan, MTSU English professor, says that past conference participants have traveled from Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Norway, as well as from every region of the United States.

John Milton

“Since its inception, the conference has attracted most of the leading American and Canadian scholars in the field of Milton studies,” Donovan said.

“It also has resulted in a series of collected essays, two of which have won the prestigious Irene Samuel Prize from the Milton Society of America.”

Donovan and MTSU Professor Emeritus Charles W. Durham, past president of the Milton Society of America, and Kristin A. Pruitt, professor emerita of Christian Brothers University, again will serve as co-directors of the event.

Both Durham and Pruitt have served as president of the Milton Society of America.

Dr. Kevin Donovan

This year’s plenary speakers are Professor John Leonard of the University of Western Ontario and Professor Maggie Kilgour of McGill University, Donovan said.

The registration cost of this year’s event is $120 per person. In addition to admittance to all conference sessions, this fee includes the catered Oct. 13 opening reception, coffee and pastry Oct. 14-15 and dinner on Oct. 14.

The conference registration fee is being waived for all departmental faculty and graduate students to attend paper sessions and the opening reception on Oct. 13.

For more information on the conference, including a full list of scheduled speakers and registration materials, please visit the conference Web site at www.mtsu.edu/english/milton or contact Donovan at 615-898-5898.