Call for Book Chapters:

Parasocial Grief
https://telegra.ph/CALL-FOR-SUBMISSIONS-Call-for-Book-Chapters-Parasocial-Grief-05-01

Editors: Katie Thomas (Virginia Tech) and Alex Boesch (Ohio University)

Deadline for proposals: July 30, 2026

We are seeking chapter proposals for an edited academic volume exploring the multifaceted phenomenon of parasocial grief. This book examines how individuals experience grief in relation to parasocial relationships/breakups with media figures, fictional characters, influencers, and other public personalities.

This volume has interest from a publisher and seeks to advance scholarly understanding of parasocial relationships by centering grief as a meaningful and underexplored dimension of media engagement.

Parasocial grief may emerge in response to a range of experiences, including (but not limited to):

• The death of a media figure or celebrity
• The cancellation or ending of a television show, franchise, or media text
• Changes in a perceived parasocial relationship (i.e., public persona shifts, controversies, or transgressions)
• Disruptions in access to creators or content (i.e., platform bans, hiatuses, business transactions, etc.)
• The dissolution or transformation of fictional narratives or character arcs

We are also interested in how parasocial grief intersects with broader experiences of disenfranchised grief, including grief that is socially minimized, invalidated, or not widely recognized.

We welcome interdisciplinary approaches and encourage submissions across, but not limited to, the following areas:

• Parasocial grief in faith and religious contexts
• Social media and influencer culture and grief responses
• Gen Z and emerging adult experiences of parasocial grief
• The role of AI, chatbots, and synthetic companions in coping with parasocial grief
• Parasocial grief related to both fictional characters and real public figures
• Parasocial grief due to media figure transgression
• Media fandom, attachment, and identity formation
• Cultural, ethical, and psychological dimensions of parasocial loss

Please submit chapter proposals by email to Katie Thomas (katiethomas@vt.edu) and Alex Boesch (ab304423@ohio.edu). We ask that all proposals be submitted by July 30th.

Proposal requirements:

• Chapter title
• Abstract
• Brief author biography

The final edited volume will include approximately 13-18 chapters. Upon acceptance, final chapters will be 3,000-5,000 words.

We welcome innovative, theoretically grounded, and empirically informed contributions from scholars across communication, media studies, psychology, sociology, theology, and related fields.

We look forward to your submissions.

Sincerely,

Katie Thomas (Virginia Tech) and Alex Boesch (Ohio University)