HEL-LEX is a series of symposia on English lexicography and lexical semantics organized by the VARIENG research unit and the Department of Modern Languages at the University of Helsinki. Two conferences have been organized so far, the first in 2005 and the second in 2008. Both conferences enjoyed a considerable amount of attention by top international scholars in the field.
Hel-Lex 1
The first HEL-LEX symposium was held in Helsinki in March 2005. Organized by Rod McConchie and a committee composed of Leena Kahlas-Tarkka, Matti Kilpiö, Heli Tissari, Jukka Tyrkkö, Alaric Hall, and Seija Kerttula, HEL-LEX was envisioned as an opportunity both to fill a gap in the field of lexicographical conferences and to bring together the expertise of scholars and professional dictionary makers. With participants from more than ten countries and excellent plenary presentations by Gabriele Stein, Zoltan Kövecses and Ian Lancashire, the symposium was a great success and gave impetus for a second HEL-LEX event.
The proceedings of the symposium, edited by Rod McConchie, Heli Tissari, Olga Timofeeva and Tanja Säily, were published under the title Selected Proceedings of the 2005 Symposium on New Approaches in English Historical Lexis (HEL-LEX) by Cascadilla Prooceedings Project in 2006.
Hel-Lex 2
The second HEL-LEX symposium was organized in Lammi in April 2008. The organizing committee was largely the same as for HEL-LEX 1, with Rod McConchie heading the team of composed of Alexandra Fodor, Alaric Hall, Marianna Hintikka, Alpo Honkapohja, Leena Kahlas-Tarkka, Matti Kilpiö, Anneli Meurman-Solin, Minna Nevala, Tanja Säily, Olga Timofeeva, Heli Tissari, and Jukka Tyrkkö. Participants once again came from far and wide, and we again enjoyed excellent plenary papers, this time by Dieter Kastovsky, Elizabeth Knowles, and Julie Coleman.
The Selected Proceedings of the 2008 Symposium on New Approached in English Historical Lexis (HEL-LEX 2), edited by Rod McConchie, Jukka Tyrkkö and Alpo Honkapohja, were published in April 2009 by Cascadilla Proceedings Project.
The website for Hel-Lex 2 is still available here.