NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE ON

BRITISH STUDIES

ANNUAL MEETING

PASADENA, CALIFORNIA

CALL FOR PAPERS

 

Deadline: 6 April 2026

 

The NACBS and its affiliate, the Pacific Coast Conference on British Studies, seek participation by scholars in all areas of British Studies for our 2026 annual meeting. Our in-person conference will take place in Pasadena, California from November 12-15, 2026 at the Westin Pasadena. The conference will meet concurrently (and just down the road) from the joint NAVSA/NASSR 2026 annual meeting, and there will be cross-registration with that conference. The virtual day of NACBS 2026 will take place online the previous week, on November 4.

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We solicit proposals 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. This year we also particularly welcome proposals which speak to cross-disciplinary connections with the NAVSA/NASSR conference.

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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 last year’s 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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In addition to the panels, we will host a joint poster session with NAVSA and NASSR which will take place on Thursday evening. Poster submissions are welcome from participants at all career stages.  Individual paper submissions which do not fit into pre-submitted or newly created panels may be invited to present at the poster session. 

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The submission website is now open; submissions will close as of 6 April, 2026.  Please see the submissions website for detailed information on how to submit panels and papers.

 

Please note that the conference in Pasadena will be in-person only.  Those who wish to present virtually are invited to participate in the online event on November 4. Participants may only present papers at one of these events.

 

Some financial assistance will become available based on need (up to $500). 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 2026 meeting is prepared.

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