GuMM at the NCS Biennial Congress 2026

Design by Victoria Craggs

The upcoming New Chaucer Society Biennial Congress takes place at the University of Freiburg in Germany from July 27th through to the 31st. Early in the organization process for the Congress, the Guild was generously invited to propose creative workshops that might be of interest to attendees and we had a fantastic time pulling together a selection of five possible workshops, all of which were accepted for the event!

To any Gummies preparing to make their way to Freiburg, Germany - we can’t wait to see you there (find Laura or Kristen to get your hands on some special GuMM swag)! Below you will find an overview of the workshops and events we will be offering. Not attending the Congress? We will report back after the event and let you know how it went.

Workshops

Laura Varnam and Kristen Haas Curtis are offering “The Craft So Fast to Learn: Modular Haiku Comics”

• Monday, 27 July 4:30 - 6:00

  • 1140 KG1

  • This workshop will lead participants through the process of creating a three-line haiku adaptation of a medieval text of their choice, which will then be illustrated in the form of a single page comic. Creating adaptations invites us to re-think a well-known work from an entirely new angle and can heighten our own awareness of the ways in which we read, understand, and even teach a text. The writing and drawing exercises taught in this workshop only require readily available supplies and can be easily repurposed by participants in their own classrooms, either alone or in tandem. No skill or prior experience in drawing or writing poetry required! All materials will be provided. 

Mary Flannery and Kristen Haas Curtis are offering “Translating Humor: How to Write and Draw Jokes”

• Tuesday, 28 July 2 - 3:30

  • 1140 KG1

  • This workshop will guide participants through writing and drawing exercises intended to find, develop, and illustrate the humorous aspects of their niche subjects and interests. Writing and illustrating a one-liner about a highly specialized topic is a great way to improve one’s writing as it requires the identification of unusual connections, incongruities, and new perspectives regarding a topic you know very well. Whether you’re a researcher, a teacher, or someone writing about your specialism for the public, this is a very handy skill to have! But most importantly, it’s a chance to get silly and have fun. All materials will be provided. 

Krista Sue-Lo Twu will be offering “Medieval Calligraphy Workshop I: Textura Quadrata”

• Wednesday, 29 July 4 - 5:30

  • 1140 KG1

  • This workshop will introduce the process of forming textura quadrata through pen-strokes, ductus, and pangrams, using dip pens and walnut ink to experience some of the technical and material elements involved in manuscript production. This workshop gives participants the opportunity to develop experiential learning curricula for their classes and to gain insights into the labor of medieval scribes while improving their ability to read textualis hands. All materials will be provided. 

Chris Fletcher and Kristen Haas Curtis will be offering “Creating Community: Crafting a Collaborative Public Event”

• Thursday, 30 July 9 - 10:30

  • 1140 KG1

  • Description: This interactive workshop will introduce participants to the process of creating programming that invites collaborations between scholars and communities outside the academy. The workshop will use our successful “Cartooning the Medieval” event as a model. A two-day symposium hosted by Chicago’s Newberry Library in June 2025, “Cartooning the Medieval” was designed to collaboratively explore the potential of comics and narrative art to create new opportunities for engaging with medieval culture through the bringing together of medievalists and professional cartoonists. In this workshop, participants will practice identifying potential collaborative partners and communities, developing active-learning tasks to encourage connection and collaboration, and imagining ideal outcomes and next steps. 

Krista will also be offering “Medieval Calligraphy Workshop II: Bâtarde”

• Thursday, 30 July 2 - 3:30

  • 1140 KG1

  • This workshop will introduce the process of forming bâtarde scripts through pen-strokes, ductus, and pangrams, using dip pens and walnut ink to experience some of the technical and material elements involved in manuscript production. This workshop gives participants the opportunity to develop experiential learning curricula for their classes and to gain insights into the labor of medieval scribes while improving their ability to read bâtarde scripts. All materials will be provided. 

Elsewhere at the Congress

As mentioned in our most recent MMM post, GuMMy Victoria Craggs created the gorgeous design and programme work that will be on view throughout the conference.

On Thursday evening, 30 July, you can catch a storytelling event with GuMMy Jane Bonsall (limited space available)!

GuMMy co-founder Kristen Haas Curtis will also be the “artist-in-residence” of the Congress, where she will be working on a comic diary of the event. In addition to having art supplies on hand for anyone who would like to come play a bit, Kristen will also have books, badges, stickers, and a limited edition print available for sale.

Scribal Shenanigans

Kristen is also taking this residency opportunity to issue a playful invitation to light-hearted and low-stakes collaboration: she has drawn a single page adaptation of a passage from Chaucer’s House of Fame on a large sheet of fancy paper with wide (and currently untouched) margins. With provided pens and pencils, attendees are invited to play the scribe and add their own annotations, references, questions, comments on previous scribal notations, and “weird lil guys” to this page as they so choose. Drop by and make your mark!

Find Kristen to try your hand at a few “scribal shenanigans” of your own!

If you can’t make it to Freiburg but something in this list has caught your eye, perhaps in relation to an event you will be organizing or a class you will be offering, please get in touch! We are happy to discuss in-person and online possibilities for these and other workshops.

As ever yours creatively and collaboratively,

Laura, Eleanor, and Kristen