Hi,
Several of us been asked by ADHO to look into putting together a list of potential keynote speakers for the DH conferences over the next few years (i.e. beginning with 2014 in Switzerland, but continuing beyond that as well).
A review of past speakers suggests that our pool, like ADHO's membership, has tended to come from High Income Economies. In keeping with our emphasis on expanding our definition of DH to include the majority of the earth's peoples, we'd also like to make sure that our list of names for future conferences is more inclusive.
If you have suggestions for names we could put on our list for consideration for future years, I would greatly appreciate you contacting me at daniel.odonnell@uleth.ca! I believe, out of consideration to the people proposed, that it is better to supply these names privately rather than discuss names in public on the list. I should stress, moreover, that this is a general list that could be used for several years, and not a request for a specific speaker for a specific event.
The main requirements for a Keynote Speaker is that they are good speakers, interesting, and, usually, experienced. Keynote lectures are usually about 60 minutes long and the best often provide the kind of synthesis and insight that come with experience and personal success.
As far as I am aware, all keynote lectures at DH thus far have been in English. Multilingual and multicultural matters are a priority concern at ADHO at the moment, however, and I could see future organising committees being encouraged (and wanting) to ensure that facility in English is not a minimal requirement. And even if they don't (and I certainly don't speak for them), I think it does no harm to draw attention to top talent worldwide regardless of language.
Once again, if you do have some suggestions, please email me directly at daniel.odonnell@uleth.ca. It would be very helpful if you could supply some very brief background information on your suggestions and any useful websites, etc.
Please feel free to write to me in languages other than English if that is more comfortable for you: I can read a number of European ones, pick at others, and, unless your message is very confidential, call on friends to help me read ones I really can't access.
-dan