The Society is very pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Paul Readman as the new co-editor of the Society’s journal, Transactions.
Paul is Professor of Modern British History at King’s College London and joins the journal’s current editor, Dr Jan Machielsen (Cardiff University) who is a specialist in the history of early modern Europe.
I’m delighted to be joining Jan Machielsen as co-editor of Transactions of the Royal Historical Society.
Over the next few years, Jan and I hope to see Transactions further strengthen its position as a leading generalist journal. Our core mission is clear: the publication of stimulating and accessible articles by a diverse range of scholars on a diverse range of topics, covering all geographical areas and the whole span of history.
Beyond this, however, I am keen that we build on the tremendous success of the journal’s ‘Common Room’ section. Rapidly becoming an important space for provocative reflections on pedagogy, historiography, methodological trends and approaches, and topical issues facing historians across the world today, it is now one of the distinctive features of Transactions. We continue to welcome contributions for historians regardless of their career stage or background, so if you have an idea, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Paul Readman
Paul is a historian of British national identity and historical culture. His books include Storied Ground: Landscape and the Shaping of English National Identity (2018) and Land and Nation: Patriotism, National Identity and the Politics of Land (2008).
As a very experienced co-editor, his collections include Walking Histories, 1800–1914 (2016), Restaging the Past: Historical Pageants, Culture and Society in Modern Britain (2020), and – most recently – Culture, Thought and Belief in British Political Life since 1800: Essays in Honour of Jonathan Parry (2024). Paul previously served as a member of the Transactions’ UK editorial board, 2022-24.
Paul has been an invaluable member of our UK editorial board since its inception. I look forward to working alongside him for the remainder of my term as editor.
His appointment also marks a key moment in the development of the journal. Editors serve for two-year renewable terms. Paul’s appointment, a year after mine, sets up a phased system that will ensure a continuous editorial presence. The Society’s decision to appoint a co-editor therefore builds resilience and supports the Transactions on its exciting journey as an Open Access journal, welcoming submissions from across the historical discipline.
Jan Machielsen
Submitting an article to Transactions

The journal’s co-editors and editorial board welcome submission of research articles and commentaries for review. Transactions publishes new research on a wide range of historical subject areas, chronologies and geographies, and invites comment and opinion essays on approaches to historical study, within and beyond higher education.
We welcome submissions from historians at all career stages of academia and those working historically in related sectors, such as museums, heritage, archives and public history.
Since August 2024, all articles accepted for publication are published Open Access, with no charge to the author. and therefore accessible to the widest possible readership. TRHS editors offer a prompt, efficient and friendly review process, with all accepted content appearing initially online, via CUP’s FirstView, and then in annual online and print volumes.
For more on the Transactions, and how to submit an article for consideration, please see here. Articles for review may be submitted here to the co-editors and editorial board.