Every month in OTW Signal, we take a look at stories that connect to the OTW’s mission and projects, including issues related to legal matters, technology, academia, fannish history and preservation issues of fandom, fan culture, and transformative works.

In the News

In January, author Shanjida Nusrath Ali gathered with academics, writers and readers of many ages at The Bookworm Bangladesh in Dhaka, Bangladesh, for an exploration of erotic literature and taboo. The event, “Trigger Warning: Dark Romance”, hosted by Sister Library, invited those in attendence to consider the nature of dark romance and its growing popularity in Bangladesh. Their discussion might resonate with some fannish communities:

Dr Nazia Manzoor pointed out the fact that dark romance is, as it stands today, largely female-dominated.

“The reason why dark romance draws you is because it often deals with female desire. When women want to take control of their desire, and it is in the shape of darkness, what stories can you find then?” she asked.

For many, the answer to that question might be fanfiction. Shanjida notes that tropes typical of dark romance often have origins on platforms like Archive of Our Own and Wattpad, as do the authors themselves. Fanlore’s article about dark romance digs into this exchange:

… the greater accessibility of self-publishing on various online platforms has lent itself to self-published dark romance works gaining more popularity. Where dark romance readers have then learnt about fics that fit the theme of dark romance … some have sought out dark romance in fanworks as well.

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Fanworks have long been a means for writers to explore themes or tropes that have been less available in mainstream media. For example, morally grey characters, complicated or unhealthy emotional dynamics, unconventional or taboo relationships, and many other elements of the dark romance genre are quite frequently explored in fanfiction, fanart or fanvids.

When the panel at The Bookworm Bangladesh turned to the topic of readership and representation, Shanjida explained that she initially wrote westernized characters for what she believed was a solely foreign audience. However, she soon learned that she has readers in Bangladesh. “I want to someday write stories that will feature Bangali [sic] characters”, she said.

Transformative Works and Cultures (TWC) is seeking submissions for their second annual Fans of Color Research Prize.

The award recognizes the best peer-reviewed article about fans and/or fandoms of color published in TWC in the preceding 3 years (for 2025, no earlier than 2022) and furthers the journal’s goal to support scholars whose work fills critical gaps in fan studies literature about racially marginalized and/or non-western fans. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize.

Submissions are due to [email protected] by May 15, 2025. Please visit TWC’s website for complete submission guidelines.

TWC’s 2024 inaugural Fans of Color Research Prize went to Osarugue Otebele for her article “The (anti)fan is Black: Consumption, resistance, and Black K-pop fan vigil labor”. Otebele, a K-pop fan since her youth, spoke with TWC about the research process:

My article is interested in the ways Black K-pop fans engage instances of appropriation within the industry (from artists and fans), while also attempting to maintain their status as fans. … the biggest challenge was working against my own knowledge and love for the industry to write an article that was quite critical of it. In a way, this challenge is also what my article describes, because I’m really invested in how, for Black fans, the identities fan and anti-fan often require their simultaneous performance.

You can read Otebele’s work and more in TWC’s special issue “Centering Blackness in Fan Studies”.

OTW Tips

Transformative Works and Cultures has added a new section to the journal—Multimedia! Video essays, comics and other formats that combine text with other media are now welcome for submission by fans and academics alike. By expanding the journal’s focus beyond text alone, TWC hopes to engage audiences in modes true to their fan experiences and practices as they continue testing the limits of fannish scholarship.

We want your suggestions for the next OTW Signal post! If you know of an essay, video, article, podcast, or news story you think we should know about, send us a link. We are looking for content in all languages! Submitting a link doesn’t guarantee that it will be included in an OTW post, and inclusion of a link doesn’t mean that it is endorsed by the OTW.