The 9th International Conference on Figurative Thought and Language (FTL9) is a three-day academic event to be held at the Faculty of Philology, Translation and Communication, University of Valencia, from 9 to 11 September 2026.
Organized by the Research Group on Applied Cognitive Linguistics (CLaRe2025-671) and members of IULMA (the Interuniversity Institute of Applied Modern Languages of the Valencian Community), FLT9 aims to provide an international forum for discussing the dynamic interplay between figurative thought, language and emerging technologies.
Under the theme “Blending Minds and Machines: Figurative Language, Creativity, AI, and Computational Linguistics”, this ninth edition of the Figurative Thought and Language Conference Series (Thessaloniki 2014, Pavia 2015, Osijek 2017, Braga 2018, Sofia 2020, Poznań 2022, Genoa 2023, Klagenfurt 2025 and Valencia 2026) is focused on examining the ways in which artificial intelligence, computational linguistics, and cognitive modeling intersect with human creativity, metaphor, and figurative reasoning.
FLT9’s programme includes keynote lectures by leading international scholars in the field of cognitive linguistics and AI research, as well as a number of theme sessions on specialized topics such as multimodal figuration, digital media, and figuration in political discourse. In addition, three outstanding contributions by early-career scholars will be recognized through the FTL Young Researchers’ Award.
Conference registration will remain open until 31 July 2026. We look forward to welcoming you!
For the full programme, visit:
