75th Anniversary Special Collection
North American Conference on British Studies:
Celebrating 75
Introduction
The North American Conference on British Studies emerged on the scene 75 years ago in 1950, and launched the Journal of British Studies in 1961. Both the organization and its journal have been central to keeping British Studies an expansive, global, and relevant field. This collection marks the anniversary of the NACBS, but it also recognizes 2025 as a new era in the journal’s history as it becomes an entirely online, continuous publication, and open access journal. Two editorials mark that shift and frame this special collection: the original editorial in Volume 1, Issue 1 and the roundtable published in 2025 to explain the “end of print.” The editors have then curated “30 for 75”: thirty articles that demonstrate the importance of the journal to the field of British Studies and that celebrate the breadth of scholarship that the NACBS has fostered. These articles were chosen for a range of reasons: some were nominations from NACBS members, others were the most cited or the most downloaded in the journal’s history, several received NACBS prizes, and a few celebrate “firsts” in the journal, including the first female author. For an engaging overview of the field, read on!
Framing the Collection
30 for 75
2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the North American Conference on British Studies. This JBS special collection was curated, with help from members, as part of year-long celebrations of this important anniversary. This milestone is not just a reflection of our past, but an opportunity to invest in the next generation of scholars. To that end, we are raising money via our 75th Anniversary Capital Campaign to support our fellowship programs. Please consider making a contribution in order to ensure we can continue to support research and scholarship in British Studies for another seventy-five years.