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The IMC seeks to provide an interdisciplinary forum for the discussion of all aspects of medieval studies. Papers and sessions on any topic or theme in the European Middle Ages are welcome. Each Congress has one particular special thematic strand on an area of interdisciplinary study in a wider context. However, this strand is not intended to be an exclusive and submissions from all spheres of medieval research, in any major European language, are welcome.&#160;Pleasure is a universal human experience, but its components, evaluation, and meaning, and the contexts in which it is, or is not, a legitimate feeling and form of behaviour vary according to cultures and among individuals. Pleasure can be brought on by sensory stimulation, by aesthetic appreciation, by practising an activity, by sharing a common experience with others – or even all of these together (as in the case of the experience of sexual love). The crucial importance of pleasure in medieval living, as well as its multiple facets, constitute the reasons why the IMC has chosen ‘Pleasure’ as its special thematic focus for 2013.&#160;Medieval Christianity had a specific cultural attitude towards pleasure, with a strong focus on the division of this world and the afterlife. Pleasure was often either spiritual or corporeal, although sometimes seen as both (as in the mystical/ecstatic experience). Earthly pleasures were first and foremost associated with sin and damnation, and even posed a threat to health, while spiritual pleasures contributed towards salvation and a more harmonious life. The attitude towards pleasure was ambiguous: with the threat of the devil on one side, and the enticement of heaven on the other, pleasure was linked to both joy and pain. Questions around pleasure were posed in philosophical and theological debates throughout the Middle Ages. Pleasure was nonetheless an experience commonly and eagerly sought for - in all its forms and by all social groups, in and outside Christendom. Aristocratic life is particularly represented as a culture of pleasure in both iconography and literature. The balance between celestial and terrestrial values was renegotiated in the late medieval period, so that pleasure became an aspiration for all.&#160;Areas of discussion could include:Diverging cultural attitudes toward pleasurePleasure in non-Christian contextsEarthly pleasure versus spiritual pleasureVisual and narrative representations of pleasureSocial and corporeal manifestations of pleasurePleasurable activitiesIndividual and collective experiences of pleasureProhibition and condemnation of pleasureChastity, celibacy, fasting, and abstinenceLove / sexuality / pleasures of the flesh – and their specific cultural expressionsMedical theories and approaches to pleasureMysticism, spirituality, and pleasureCreating and/or experiencing pleasureEntertainment and leisureHumour and funMaterial culture and evidence of pleasurePleasure and luxury / cultural goods / worldliness Proposals should be submitted online at: &#60;www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/imc/imc2013_call.html&#62;. The online proposal form will be available from 1 May 2012. Paper proposals must be submitted by 31 August 2012; session proposals must be submitted by 30 September 2012.&#160;