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Presentation Instructions

I am delighted to welcome you to İstanbul for the 35th Annual International Virginia Woolf Conference. With participants joining us from around the world, I ask for everyone's cooperation to make the conference accessible to all and to ensure that sessions finish on time and do not overrun. Keeping to time will not only help with the smooth running of the programme but also ensure that we look after everyone's wellbeing by guaranteeing breaks between sessions. Please read the following guidelines, which I have adapted from Anna Snaith, Helen Tyson and Clara Jones’s conference guidelines.

A note on our theme: this year's conference is devoted to “Virginia Woolf and Sound”. We warmly encourage all presenters to reflect, where relevant, on the sonic and auditory dimensions of their presentation format — whether that means attending to the rhythm of a spoken delivery, the acoustic qualities of the room, or the relationship between what is read aloud and what is made available in written form.

The most important points to note are:

• All sessions are 90 minutes (unless otherwise advertised).
• We ask that presenters on 3 person panels speak for no longer than 20 minutes, leaving ample time for discussion. Presenters on 4 person panels should speak no longer than 15 minutes.
• Chairs and presenters should meet in their room 15 minutes before their session and ensure it starts and ends on time.
• Presenters should provide access copies  by 22 June 2026 — by uploading these to the conference Google Drive (the link will be shared and uploading instructions below).
• Presenters are strongly encouraged to create a QR code linking to their presentation paper/materials and to bring a couple of printed copies (including large print).
• Presenters should follow the guidelines on preparing accessible presentations and materials set out below.

Timing

All sessions are 90 minutes unless otherwise stated. To help with timing, we ask that the chair and presenters meet in their allocated room 15 minutes prior to the start of the session.

A Note for International Participants

İstanbul is a long journey from many parts of the world, and we are very aware that travel and jet lag can affect energy and concentration, particularly in the early days of the conference. Chairs are asked to be especially attentive to speakers who may need a brief moment to settle before beginning their presentation. If you are arriving shortly before your session, please do let your chair know in advance so that any necessary adjustments can be made with care and without fuss.

IT

All conference rooms at İstanbul Bilgi University are equipped with a PC, desktop/ceiling microphones, and a projector system. Please bring any PowerPoint presentations on a USB stick. Printed instructions on using the PCs, as well as guest log-ins, will be provided in each room. If you experience technical issues during your session, please send a delegate to the conference registration desk to request support.

Chair's Responsibilities

The chair's responsibility is to:

• manage room capacity (e.g. when the room is full, ask subsequent arrivals to go to a different session),
• keep track of time, including opening and closing the session promptly,
• introduce the session's presenters,
• distribute access copies of presentations,
• offer accessible accommodations, e.g. checking that all attendees can see, hear, and follow the presentation,
• be attentive to any speakers who may need a moment to settle after long-distance travel,
• and moderate the post-presentation Q&A.

Chairs should take note of the suggested panel session structure below and be ready to ask questions of their own during the session as the occasion arises.

Note: No speaker bios are required. In keeping with the spirit of the conference, we will be setting aside standard institutional introductions in favour of simply giving the presenter's name and the title of their paper.

Session Structure

For all panels with three presenters I request that presenters speak for no longer than 20 minutes and suggest the following structure:

• 2–3 minutes: welcome and introduction by chair
• 20 minutes: first presentation
• 2–3 minutes: transition
• 20 minutes: second presentation
• 2–3 minutes: transition
• 20 minutes: third presentation
• 2–3 minutes: transition
• 15 minutes: fourth presentation (where applicable)
• 2–3 minutes: pause (for attendees to process, finalize questions, and stretch)
• Remaining time (approximately 20–30 minutes): Q&A

Roundtables, workshops, and other alternative formats may determine how best to use the allocated time.

Access Copies

We ask that all presenters provide attendees with a copy of their presentation if they are reading from a written text. Please aim to upload your file(s) to the conference Google Drive by 22 June 2026 so that attendees have time to read ahead and prepare.

There are three common ways to share an access copy:

1. A physical copy brought to the session
2. An electronic copy (e.g. a Google Doc) shared via QR code or direct link displayed on PowerPoint slides (see Benjamin Hagen's helpful guidelines on using Google Docs here; guidance on QR codes here; and a QR generator tool here)
3. An electronic copy uploaded to the conference Google Drive (see uploading instructions in the section below)

In the case of physical copies brought to the session, the chair will handle distribution by asking whether any attendees would like a copy. Presenters should communicate whether they would like copies returned. Please ensure that print copies are easy to read: double-spaced, in a readable font and size (e.g. Arial, size 14).

Uploading to the Conference Google Drive

The conference Google Drive is organized by panel. Please follow these steps to upload your access copy:

1. Open the Google Drive link shared with you by email.
2. Navigate to the folder labelled "Panel Papers"
3. Find the subfolder that corresponds to your panel — folders are named by panel title and day/time (e.g. "Panel 01 – Thursday 25 June, 09:00")
4. Click into your panel's subfolder
5. Upload your file by clicking "+ New" in the top left corner, then selecting "File upload"
6. Name your file clearly using the following format: LastName_FirstName_PaperTitle (e.g. Smith_Jane_ListeningAndLoss)
7. Accepted file formats are: .pdf, .docx, and .txt — PDF is preferred as it preserves formatting across devices
8. Please upload by 22 June 2026 to give attendees sufficient time to read ahead

If you have difficulty accessing or navigating the Google Drive, please contact the conference team at woolf2026@bilgi.edu.tr

Slides

• Sans serif fonts are ideal for electronic presentations.
• Consider whether text you plan to show is large enough to be read from the back of the room; 24pt font is the generally recommended minimum.
• High contrast between text and background makes slides easier to read.
• Accessible font choices include Arial, Verdana, and Tahoma, all of which have high accessibility ratings.
• Activate slide images with rich auditory descriptions. A rich auditory description can range from basic information about the image to more vivid and evocative detail — particularly appropriate given this year's theme.
• Enable audio captions on any video you choose to use.
• See this helpful Accessible Presentation Guide: [LINK]

Further Accessibility Support

For other queries about accessibility, please visit the conference website at this link or speak to a member of the team at the registration desk. We are committed to making this conference as welcoming and accessible as possible for all participants, and we are grateful for your help in achieving that.