CFC: London's Past Today: A Special Issue to mark the 50th Anniversary of The London Journal

Since its first issue was published in 1975, The London Journal has sought to embrace, from a wide range of disciplinary perspectives, all aspects of metropolitan society, past and present. For its 50th anniversary issue, the Journal will celebrate and critique the wide range of innovative ways in which London’s past is currently represented in contemporary cultural and scholarly practices. Essays will evaluate the multiple ways in which London’s past is being reimagined, re-enacted, and reconstructed, with a particular emphasis on new and emerging technologies that are facilitating new approaches to the past.



We are soliciting proposals for short articles (between 4000 and 6000 words, including references). Proposals are welcome from a range of disciplines, including (but not limited to) history, literature, cultural studies, economics, geography, sociology, policy, architecture, and archaeology. They may address contemporary representations of the past in theatre, film and TV, music, museums and galleries, and political activism. Contributions will both identify and evaluate current work on the relevant topic and suggest potential future directions. More broadly focused than traditional research articles, they will be illustrated with examples of recent and current practices from both the author’s own work and that of others. They will consider how these (re)interpretations of aspects of London’s past are reshaping our understanding of London’s past and present, and their potential to shape the future of London’s past.



Proposals may fall within one of the following fields, but we welcome other suggestions:

Re-constructing/Re-enacting London’s Past (including re-enactments, digital reconstructions, virtual tours)
Digital Mapping of Historic London
Heritage Activism
Material Culture (including new forms of identifying, collecting and displaying artefacts)
London’s Past in Literature and on Screen
Legacies of the Colonial Past/Legacies of Slavery
Multi-cultural London (origins and contemporary practices of recognition)
Dark Tourism
Who Controls the Past? (including the role of public authorship and new media)
Teaching London’s Past Today


To submit a proposal, send an abstract (150-200 words) and brief biography to editor@thelondonjournal.org) by 31 March 2023. Full drafts of articles will be due in March 2024. You can also contact this address if you have any questions.

Contact Info:
Dr Aidan Norrie

Managing Editor, The London Journal

Contact Email:
editor@thelondonjournal.org