NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE ON

BRITISH STUDIES

ANNUAL MEETING

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

CALL FOR PAPERS

 

Deadline: 8 January, 2027

 

The NACBS is excited to announce that for the first time, our annual conference will take place in London, on July 13-16, 2027. The conference will be hosted by the Institute of Historical Research and will coincide with the Festival of History (5 July-16 July), convened by the IHR and the Royal Historical Society. A variety of special events will take advantage of the conference’s location in London.

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We solicit proposals from scholars in all areas of British Studies for presentations on Britain, the British Empire-Commonwealth, and the British world, including Ireland, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific (etc.). Our interests range from the medieval to the modern. We welcome participation by scholars from across the humanities and social sciences, from all parts of the globe, and from all career stages and backgrounds. We reaffirm our commitment to British Studies broadly conceived, and welcome proposals that reflect the diversity of scholars and scholarship in the field.

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We invite panel proposals that address selected themes, methodology, and pedagogy, as well as roundtable discussions and lightning rounds of topical and thematic interest, including conversations among authors of recent books, reflections on landmark scholarship, and discussions about professional practice. We are particularly interested in submissions that have a broad chronological range and/or interdisciplinary breadth, and that are tightly connected by a theme. Likewise, we welcome sessions such as workshops or practicums with a focus on pedagogy, praxis, or applied skills. We are open to a variety of formats for panels; feel free to consult with the program committee chair.

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Panels that include a diverse mix of presenters across fields and career stages are particularly encouraged. Graduate student participants should be at the ABD stage. To foster intellectual interchange, we ask applicants to compose panels that feature participation from multiple institutions. In an effort to allow a broader range of participants, no participant will be permitted to take part in more than one session in a substantial role. (That is, someone presenting or commenting on one panel cannot also present or comment on another, though individuals presenting or commenting on one panel may serve as chairs for other panels, if need be.)  Please do not submit more than one paper proposal per individual. Submissions are welcome from participants in the 2026 conference, though if the number of strong submissions exceeds the number of available spaces, selection decisions may take into account recent participation.

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Individual paper proposals are also welcome and will be considered. As complete panels are more likely to be accepted, we recommend that interested participants issue calls for participants on the conference discussion forum on our webpage, as well as on social media. Please tag the relevant NACBS accounts if you wish for us to amplify your call for participants (NACBS maintains accounts on BlueSky, Facebook, and Instagram). We also strongly encourage graduate students interested in more information about conference preparation, coordination, and participation to join the GECC email group here. If a full panel cannot be arranged by the deadline, however, please submit the individual proposal and the program committee will try to build submissions into full panels as appropriate.

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We will also host a poster session. Individual paper submissions which do not fit into pre-submitted or newly created panels may be invited to present at the poster session.  Poster submissions are welcome from participants at all career stages.  M.A. and undergraduate students who are interested in participating in the conference are particularly encouraged to consider the poster session.

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The submission website will open December 1; submissions will close as of 8 January 2027.  Please see the submissions website for detailed information on how to submit panels and papers.

 

Please note that the conference in London will be in-person only. Those who wish to present virtually are invited to participate in the online event on 7 July. Participants may only present papers at one of these events.

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Information about lodging will be available as we draw nearer to the conference date.  Sessions will take place at the Institute of Historical Research (Senate House, University of London). While there will not be a designated conference hotel, we will be making recommendations for both hotel options as well as more affordable university housing.

 

Some financial assistance will become available for graduate students and early career scholars. Details of these travel grants and how to apply will be posted to www.nacbs.org and emailed to members after the program for the 2027 meeting is prepared.

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If you have any questions, please contact the NACBS Program Chair, Kathy Grenier, at conference@nacbs.org.