Disaster studies are a critical field that aims to understand and mitigate the impacts of various disasters. While mainstream disaster research typically focuses on well-known types of disasters and hazards by using well established concepts such as coping, recovery and preparedness there are also rare, exceptional, and unconventional topics that do not suit the mainstream research frameworks, panels, journals or discourses. In almost every research, one is greeted with bizarre stories, rituals, behaviors or artefacts that are most interesting and mind-provoking but do not fit into the established analytical schemes. These may include unusual subjects such as the impact of sports events on disaster response and recovery, the impact of humor on engagement and preparedness for disasters, the role of pets and animals, music or intimacy in disaster situations, … Often, however, there is no time to work on these topics or there is a lack of proper conferences, panels, journals or media to discuss them. 

These “quirky disaster research misfits" challenge traditional notions and concepts of disaster studies and can offer unique insights into the diverse and unpredictable nature of disasters as well as humans in disaster situations.  

On our panel we would like to open up the space to discuss these quirky topics and "unwritten papers" and discuss how these might contribute to a broader and maybe a more adequate or at least alternative narratives of disasters. It is about elaborating the significance of these observations for the mainstream of disaster studies and also to name obstacles or challenges that lead to the topic not being pursued further. 

Just like the topics, the presentation formats may also deviate from the usual formats.