EISA - Editor's Symposium 2024

Rafael Biermann and the other two co-editors of the Patron-Client Relations in World Politics edited volume, Ivica Petrikova and Nicolò Fasola, met between October 27-30, 2024, to discuss the revised book chapters submitted by the contributors. The editors of the book were assisted by two members of our Chair, Lea Zuliani and Geza Tasner, who are also contributors to the volume.

The revised versions of the chapters presented at our Dornburg/Jena Authors' Workshop in June, were due to be submitted in late September and early October. In order to process them and overall improve the book, we joined the European International Studies Association’s 11th Exploratory Symposia held between 27-30 October, 2024. This event is a platform for research projects in advanced stages, and it is held annually in the picturesque seaside town of Rapallo, Italy.

One of the goals of our symposium was to discuss the progress of each chapter draft, how they incorporated feedback from the Authors' Workshop, and identify further areas for improvement. We also explored various strategies to ensure cohesion across the different sections. First, we examined ways to avoid disconnect or inconsistencies between Rafael Biermann’s conceptual piece and the individual chapters that follow. Second, we discussed the extent to which chapters in the book should refer to each other. Lastly, we addressed the relationship between the introduction, the conclusion, and the rest of the book's content, with particular focus on the scope and key attributes to emphasize. We also explored potential options for structuring the findings.

There were also major developments in the search for appropriate publishers. We found a potential match, and we plan to submit our book proposal in January 2025. We also discussed the possibility of organizing a section to promote the book—and the overall patron-client relations research program—at one of the major international relations conferences in Europe. 

The contributors will receive detailed feedback on their second drafts shortly, and by February 2025, they are expected to submit the third, and according to the project plan, final versions of the their chapters.