CALL FOR PAPERS
Laws of Form Conference in Cambridge, 10–14 August 2026

Submissions for papers, panel sessions, interactive presentations, workshops, performance sessions, and creative contributions inspired by George Spencer-Brown’s work and life are now open for the Laws of Form 2026 Conference (LoF26).

Following LoF50 (2019), LoF22 (2022), and LoF24 (2024), this fourth gathering continues to expand the Laws of Form community of inquiry — bringing together thinkers, scholars, artists, scientists, engineers, and explorers from around the world.

LoF26 will take place from Monday 10 August to Friday 14 August 2026 at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge. There is no charge to attend, thanks to the generous support of the Faculty and the University. The conference is organised by the Spencer-Brown Society and by West Den Haag (https://www.westdenhaag.nl).

Conference Focus

In addition to celebrating Laws of Form (1969), LoF26 invites explorations of Spencer-Brown’s broader legacy — including the calculus of indications, logic, language, consciousness, enlightenment, and the philosophical, mathematical, artistic, and scientific trajectories that have emerged from his work.

We particularly encourage contributions that engage with themes such as:

• Distinction, indication, form, and the unmarked state

• Mathematics, logic, systems theory, and cybernetics

• Poetry, literature, story and story structure

• Music, theatre, the arts

• Phenomenology, ontology, and metaphysics

• Physics, cosmology, geometry, topology

• Autopoiesis, cognition, and self-reference

• Theology, mysticism, and enlightenment

• Sociology, social systems, systems theory

• Creative and performative explorations of “form” and “distinction”

• Technological, computational, and interactive applications of LoF principles

Submissions may include theoretical, experimental, or creative work, and we welcome proposals that bridge disciplinary and stylistic boundaries.

Submission Guidelines

Please submit an extended abstract (up to 300 words).

Include:

• Title

• Name(s), affiliation(s), and contact email(s)

• Preferred format (paper, panel, workshop, creative, etc.)

• Short biographical note (150 words or fewer)

• Any AV, technical, or access requirements

Send submissions as a single PDF to:

conferences@lof50.com

Subject line: LoF26 Submission – [Your Name]

Important Dates

• Submission deadline: Friday 20 February 2026
• Notification of acceptance: Friday 27 March 2026
• Conference dates: Monday 10 – Friday 14 August 2026

Format and Participation

Remote / video presentations will be available for those unable to attend in person. Presentations will be recorded and made available online courtesy of West Den Haag.

As with previous conferences, contributions may be considered for publication in Distinction: Journal of Form (College Publications Ltd) or in future volumes of the Society’s Marked States series.

In addition to the conference, it is intended that there will be additional activities, including:

* Punting on the River Cam

* Evensong at King’s College Chapel

* A visit to The Eagle pub, where in 1953,

Francis Crick announced that he and James Watson

had discovered “the secret of life”.

Further details will be announced in due course.

An annual 'Unknown Storyteller Award' of £100 for a high-quality paper submitted for publication to 'Distinction: Journal of Form' in which the author applies the story structure methodology outlined in Leon Conrad's book Story and Structure: A complete guide (2022).