New and forthcoming titles in the Society’s Open Access book series

Now available, in print and online, Gender, Emotions and Power, 1750–2020 — edited by Hannah Parker and Josh Dyble — is the latest title in the Royal Historical Society’s New Historical Perspectives book series. This new collection offers a timely intervention into contemporary debates on emotions, gender, race and power by asking: ‘how are emotional expectations established as gendered, racialised and class-based notions’?

Chronologically and geographically broad, the essays cover settler colonies in southern Africa, post-unification Italy, Maoist China, the Soviet Union and British Raj, among others. Collectively the essays consider how emotional expectations have been generated, stratified and maintained by institutions, societies, media and those with access to power.

Gender, Emotions and Power, 1750–2020 is the 17th title in the Society’s New Historical Perspectives series for early career historians within 10 years of completing a PhD at a UK or Irish university. All titles are published online as Open Access editions and in paperback print with Open Access fees covered by the series partners: the Royal Historical Society, Institute of Historical Research and University of London Press. For more on the series, and how to submit a proposal, please see here.

 

 

 

Forthcoming titles in the series, available in 2024, include Martin Sypchal’s Mapping the State. English Boundaries and the 1832 Reform Act and Rachel E. Johnson’s Women’s Voices and Historical Silences in South Africa. Young Women and Youth Activism in the Anti-Apartheid Struggle.

Full online access to all of the titles is available via University of London Press.

 

 

25th title published in the Society’s ‘New Historical Perspectives’ Open Access book series

The Society is very pleased to announce publication, today, of the 25th title in its ‘New Historical Perspectives’ book series: Forging Fraternity in Late Medieval Society. The Palmers’ Guild of Ludlow, by Rachael Harkes.

Rachael’s new book draws on the vast archive of the Palmers’ Guild in Ludlow to explore the extent and impact of religious guilds in urban and rural society on the eve of the Reformation. To accompany publication of her monograph, Rachael also writes about her research this week for the Society’s blog.

As with all 25 titles in the New Historical Perspectives series, Forging Fraternity is published as a free Open Access download and in paperback print by University of London Press. Rachael’s book follows the 24th title in the series — Gareth Roddy’s Atlantic Isles: Travel and Identity in the British and Irish West, 1880–1940 — which appeared last month.


‘New Historical Perspectives’ is a collaborative publishing project of the Royal Historical Society, University of London Press and the Institute of Historical Research, with further support from the Economic History Society. Previous generous support for the series was also provided by the Past & Present Society.

The series publishes new work by early career historians within 10 years of completing their PhD in the form of monographs and edited collections.

Founded by the historians Simon Newman and Penny Summerfield in the late 2010s, the Series is now co-edited by Elizabeth Hurren (University of Leicester) and Sarah Longair (University of Lincoln), assisted by an editorial board. The first title in the NHP series, Ed Owens’ The Family Firm Monarchy, Mass Media and the British Public, 1932-53, was published in 2019. Full details of all 25 titles, and links to their Open Access editions, are available here.

All authors contracted to the series receive mentoring from members of the NHP editorial board. In addition, they receive a workshop, with specialist readers and co-editors, to review and discuss a near complete manuscript before a final draft is submitted to the publisher.

All titles in the series are published Open Access, as pdf downloads and in a Manifold Reader editions, with no charge to the author, to ensure the widest possible dissemination of new historical research. As of summer 2025, titles in the NHP series have been downloaded on nearly 200,000 occasions.


Submissions to the series are welcome from early career historians, within 10 years of a PhD from a UK or Irish university. The Series Editors and Editorial Board welcome proposals for new NHP titles via the NHP book proposal form. Completed proposal forms should be submitted to the University of London Press publisher, Dr Emma Gallon: [email protected].

 

Cookie policy (CA)

 

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Privacy policy (CA)

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11. Contact details

Royal Historical Society
Royal Historical Society
University College London
Gower Street
London
WC1E 6BT
United Kingdom
Website: https://royalhistsoc.org
Email: administration@ex.comroyalhistsoc.org

Phone number: +44 (0)20 3821 5311

We have appointed a contact person for the organisation's policies and practices and to whom complaints or inquiries can be forwarded:
Philip Carter
Academic Director, RHS
Royal Historical Society
University College London
Gower Street
London WC1E 6BT

 

Edinburgh Castle from Grassmarket. Photo: late-19th century

Scottish Regional and National History and Record Societies

** This Society’s publications can be found in the Royal Historical Society collections in the UCL History Library

 

ABBOTSFORD CLUB (1835-1866)

Abbotsford Club Publications

ABERDEEN UNIVERSITY STUDIES (1909-1962)

Aberdeen University Studies Publications

ABERTAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Abertay Historical Society Publications

Enquiries to: Matthew Jarron, General Secretary, Abertay Historical Society, c/o University of Dundee, Dundee. DD1 4HN; tel: 01382 344310; email: [email protected]; http://www.abertay.org.uk

AUNGERVYLE SOCIETY (1881-1886)

Aungervyle Society Publications

AYRSHIRE AND GALLOWAY ARCHAEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (1878-1891)

Ayrshire & Galloway Archaeological Association Publications

ASSOCIATION FOR SCOTTISH LITERARY STUDIES

ASLS Publications

The ASLS is an educational charity promoting the languages and literature of Scotland. We produce a range of publications, including classic and contemporary Scottish literature; academic journals; material for schools; and a series of study guides on major Scottish authors. Titles are available by subscription or through the book trade.

Enquiries to: Duncan Jones, Director, ASLS, Department of Scottish Literature, University of Glasgow, 7 University Gardens, Glasgow. G12 8QH; tel: 0141 330 5309; email: [email protected]; http://www.asls.org.uk

BANNATYNE CLUB (1823-1875)

Bannatyne Club Publications

BUCHAN FIELD CLUB

Buchan Field Club Publications

The Buchan Field Club was founded in 1887.

BUTE SCOTTISH RECORD SERIES (1831-1858)

Bute Scottish Record Series Publications

CLARENDON HISTORICAL SOCIETY (1882-1888)

Clarendon Historical Society Publications

DUMFRIESSHIRE AND GALLOWAY NATURAL HISTORY AND ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY (1915-1980)

Dumfriesshire & Galloway Natural History and Antiquarian Society Publications

GRAMPIAN CLUB (1869-1891)

Grampian Club Publications

HUNTERIAN CLUB (1873-1902)

Hunterian Club Publications

IONA CLUB (1847)

Iona Club Publications

LITERARY AND ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY OF PERTH (1827)

Literary Society of Perth Publications

MAITLAND CLUB (1828-1845)

Maitland Club Publications

NEW CLUB (Paisley, 1877-1925)

New Club Publications

OLD EDINBURGH CLUB

Founded in 1908, the Club is Edinburgh’s local history society, concerned with all aspects of the city’s history and development. Its publications include a journal, the Book of the Old Edinburgh Club: https://oldedinburghclub.org.uk/

For general enquiries please contact: [email protected]

ROXBURGHE CLUB (1816-1948)

Roxburghe Club Publications

RYMOUR CLUB (1906-1928)

Rymour Club Publications

SCOTTISH BURGH RECORDS SOCIETY (1868-1918)

Scottish Burgh Society Publications

SCOTTISH CLERGY SOCIETY (1901-1909)

Scottish Clergy Society Publications

SCOTTISH GAELIC TEXTS SOCIETY

Scottish Gaelic Texts Society Publications

Enquiries to: Dr M. Pía Coira, Secretary; Email: [email protected]http://www.sgts.org.uk

SCOTTISH HISTORY SOCIETY

Scottish History Society Publications

Enquiries to: Dr Katie Stevenson, Honorary Secretary, Scottish History Society, Department of Scottish History, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife. KY16 9AJ; Email: [email protected]http://www.scottishhistorysociety.org

SCOTTISH LITERARY CLUB (1877-1892)

Scotish Literary Club Publications

SCOTTISH LOCAL HISTORY GROUP (1973-1984)

Scottish Local History Group Publications

SCOTTISH RECORD OFFICE (1867-1970)

Scottish Record Office Publications

SCOTTISH RECORD SOCIETY

Scottish Record Society Publications

Enquiries to: Samantha Smart, Honorary Secretary; Email via contact formhttp://www.scottishrecordsociety.org.uk

SCOTTISH TEXT SOCIETY

Scottish Text Society Publications

The Scottish Text Society is a major publisher of important texts from Scotland’s literary history. Since 1882 it has played a significant part in reviving interest in the literature and languages of Scotland. The Society’s editions are both scholarly and accessible. Subscribed members receive the Society’s annual volume or volumes published by the Society in its main series in that year.

Enquiries to: Dr Rhiannon Purdie, Editorial Secretary, Scottish Text Society, c/o Senior Lecturer in Medieval English, School of English, University of St-Andrews, St-Andrews, KY16 9AL; Email: [email protected]; http://www.scottishtextsociety.org

SHETLAND DOCUMENTS (1994-1999)

Shetland Documents Publications

SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND**

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Publications

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is the oldest antiquarian society in Scotland, founded in 1780 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1783. The Society is a charitable organisation whose purpose is the study of the antiquities and history of Scotland, more especially by means of archaeological research. It actively promotes the research, understanding and conservation of the archaeological and historic environment of Scotland for the benefit of all, and suports research in the field and advocates good practice.

Enquiries to: The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, National Museums Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh. EH1 1JF; tel: 0131 247 4133; email: [email protected]; http://www.socantscot.org

SPALDING CLUB (1841-1960)

Spalding Club Publications

SPOTTISWOODE SOCIETY (1844-1856)

Spottiswoode Society Publications

STAIR SOCIETY

Stair Society Publications

Enquiries to: Alistair Burrow, Secretary and Treasurer, The Stair Society, 27 North Erskine Park, Bearsden, Glasgow. G61 4LY; email: [email protected]; http://www.stairsociety.org

 

Apply for Fellowship

Closing dates for next applications:

Mondays 15 December 2025 and 9 March 2026

 

Fellowships are awarded to those who have made an original contribution to historical scholarship, typically through the authorship of a book, a body of scholarly work similar in scale and impact to a book, the organisation of exhibitions and conferences, the editing of journals, and other works of diffusion and dissemination grounded in historical research.

Election is conducted by review and applications must be supported by someone who is already a Fellow. The Society is able to offer assistance for applicants who do not know an existing Fellow – please contact us for advice. Applications are welcome from historians working within or outside the UK.

In 2021 the Society introduced a new category of Associate Fellowship for historians from a wide range of backgrounds who may not yet have reached the stage of full Fellowship. Applicants are encouraged to consider this option as it may be the correct category for you given your career stage. 

To apply for the RHS Fellowship please use the Society’s Applications Portal, and select your chosen membership category.


Benefits of Fellowship

  • Entitled to use the letters FRHistS after your name.
  • Print and online copies of the latest version of the RHS academic journal, Transactions.
  • Online access to the current issue and entire searchable back archive of Transactions of the Royal Historical Society: the collection comprises 145 volumes and more than 2200 articles, published between the journal’s foundation in 1872 and the early 2020s.
  • Online access to all 385 volumes of the Society’s Camden Series of primary source material, including the latest titles published in 2024-25. Since 1838, the Camden Series has made primary records available in accessible scholarly editions, compiled and introduced by specialist historians. The Series is especially strong in material relating to British history, including the British Empire and Britons’ influence overseas.
  • All other RHS publications offered at a substantial discount: this includes print volumes for new and recent titles in the Camden Series and all titles in the New Historical Perspectives series.
  • Substantial discounts on the Society’s former title, the Bibliography of British and Irish History, which is available to Fellows at £25 per year.
  • 30% discount on all academic books (print only) published by Cambridge University Press.
  • 30% discount on History titles published by Oxford University Press.
  • 30% discount on purchases of print copies of the Society’s New Historical Perspectives book series, offering monographs and essay collections, and produced in association with the Institute of Historical Research and University of London Press.
  • 20% discount on print subscription to History Today, Britain’s leading history magazine (£60 per annum, usually £75 full price). 20% discount on online subscription to the archive of History Today (£56 per annum, usually £70 full price)20% discount on print and online subscription to History Today (£84 per annum, usually £105 full price).
  • Receipt of the weekly ‘RHS News Circular’ (this example, April 2025): a regular update on RHS activities, plus listings of events / calls for papers from other UK historical societies and research networks.
  • Copies of RHS newsletters and the Society’s annual reports.
  • Eligible for RHS training and career development events / workshops reserved for Fellows and members of the Society.
  • Eligible to apply for the Society’s Research Funding programmes available to historians at all career stages.
  • Eligible to participate in the Society’s Annual General Meeting.
  • Eligible to vote in all RHS elections.
  • Eligible to stand for election to the RHS Council.
  • Access to the RHS Archive and Library collections, and RHS Library rooms, at University College London (UCL).
  • Eligible to join UCL Libraries as a library member.
  • Use of the Society’s Council Chamber at UCL for small group meetings (on application to the RHS office).
  • Become part of a thriving international community of historians, of all kinds and from many backgrounds.
  • Help us support and advocate for the study and practice of history in its many forms. Society income also supports our grants programme for historians at the start of their careers.

 

 

Annual Subscription

From July 2024, annual subscription rates for Fellows, payable on election, are: 

For Fellows within the UK or RoI:

  • With online access to Transactions and an annual print copy: £70.00 per annum
  • With online-only access to Transactions: £65.00 per annum

Retired Fellows within the UK or RoI:

  • With online access to Transactions and an annual print copy: £45.00 per annum
  • With online-only access to Transactions: £40.00 per annum

For Fellows outside of the UK or RoI:

  • With online access to Transactions and an annual print copy: £80.00 per annum
  • With online-only access to Transactions journal: £75.00 per annum

For Retired Fellows outside of the UK or RoI:

  • With online access to Transactions and an annual print copy: £55.00 per annum
  • With online-only access to Transactions: £50.00 per annum

The RHS subscription year runs July to June with renewals due on 1 July of each year. 


How to Apply

Before applying for election to the Fellowship please read the Frequently Asked Questions and arrange for a current Fellow to act as your referee using the guidance supplied in the FAQs.

To apply for the RHS Fellowship please use the Society’s Applications Portal, and select your chosen membership category.

Applications to join the RHS are welcome through the year. The remaining closing date for 2025 is: Monday 15 December 2025.
Application deadlines for 2026 are as follows: Mondays 9 March 2026, 11 May 2026, 27 July 2026, 5 October 2026, 14 December 2026.

Rejoining the Society as a Fellow

If your Fellowship has lapsed / has been cancelled, and you would like to re-join the Society, please contact our Membership department at [email protected] in the first instance. We will be glad to assist you.


All applications are considered by our Membership Committee which meets five times a year. You can expect to hear the outcome approximately six weeks after the closing date for your application. Incomplete applications will be held on file until we have received all the necessary information.

All enquiries about applying for election to the Fellowship should be addressed to the RHS office: [email protected]

 

Ukrainian Scholars at Risk: Fellowships in History and Slavonic and East European Studies 

 

Fellowships and Fundraising

On 23 March 2022, the Royal Historical Society (RHS), British Association for Slavonic and East European Studies (BASEES) and Past and Present Society (P&P) are offering funding towards three short-term fellowships (minimum 3 months) at higher education institutions in the UK, European Union or elsewhere in continental Europe to provide a place of academic refuge for three scholars from Ukraine.

From 29 March, we are delighted to be joined by the Ecclesiastical History Society (EHS) which is funding a fourth fellowship to provide a place of academic refuge for a scholar from Ukraine active in the study of the history of Christianity.

From 13 April, the German History Society (GHS) has announced funding for a fifth fellowship to support a Ukrainian researcher working on the history of Germany and the German-speaking world in the broadest sense. We are very grateful for the GHS’s involvement and provision of an additional placement.

The RHS and BASEES are also fundraising to provide additional fellowships.


Each grant is worth £5,000 (€6,000) to the Fellow and must be matched by equivalent funds AND / OR in-kind assistance from the host institution (for example, travel, accommodation, meals, office space and IT support, plus insurance) of a financial sum equivalent to £5,000 (€6,000) grant for a minimum duration of three months, to begin as soon as possible.

To best support Ukrainian scholars at risk, we also welcome applications from host institutions willing to offer more than match-funding, whether as a financial sum or in-kind assistance.

Two grants (funded by the RHS and P&P) will be reserved for Ukrainian scholars displaced by the Russian invasion who are undertaking historical research in the broadest sense. A third grant (funded by the EHS) will support a Ukrainian scholar of the history of Christianity.

One grant (funded by BASEES) will be for any displaced Ukrainian scholar in the field of Slavonic and East European studies. Host institutions can offer these fellowships to PhD candidates, Early Career and established scholars.


How to make an application

  • The host institution names a scholar at risk who will be designated an RHS/BASEES/P&P/EHS/GHS Fellow.
  • The host institution will support the integration of the Fellow into the local academic community.
  • The host institution will appoint a designated mentor to support the Fellow.
  • The host institution will support the Fellow in drafting and submitting applications for long-term funding and/or more permanent academic positions at the host or another HE institution.
  • The host institution will match-fund each Fellowship via a direct payment to the Fellow; and/or provide an equivalent in-kind contribution (comprising accommodation, meals etc.)
  • In addition, the host institution will provide the Fellow with library, internet, and research resource access, and health insurance, as well as visa support if applicable.
  • The length of the fellowship is a minimum of three months.

 

Applications from the host institution must be submitted via the RHS’s online application system.

The closing date for applications from host institutions was Wednesday 20 April 2022, however applications for the Fellowship on the History of Germany and the German Speaking World now closes on Monday 9 May 2022.

 


The following information will be required:

  • information on the support provided by the hosting institution, including intended dates of the fellowship

In addition, the application requires information regarding:

  • EITHER a description of the situation of the proposed Fellow, and short CVs for both the proposed Fellow and the designated mentor.
  • OR a description of the proposed recruitment process, including time-lines.  Please note that funds are paid to Fellows, not institutions, therefore funds will only be released once the institution has successfully appointed a fellow.

Make an application vis the RHS applications portal.

Successful host institutions will be notified as soon as possible after the closing date of Weds 20 April. Questions about the application process may be sent to: [email protected].


Fundraising for additional Ukraine fellowships

The RHS and BASEES are also fundraising to increase the number of grants available via a JustGiving page https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/baseesandrhsSARfellowships 

Additional funds raised will support extra fellowships. We will announce these to interested universities as soon as the funding for one or more additional fellowship becomes available.

We also welcome involvement from other learned societies / organisations in the historical and social sciences who wish to partner on future Ukraine fellowship grants. Those wishing to do so may contribute via the RHS/BASEES JustGiving page or contact the Society’s CEO: [email protected].

Thank you, in advance, for any contribution you are able to make.

 

 

Plan S and History Journals

The Royal Historical Society (RHS) has published its new Guidance Paper on ‘Plan S and the History Journal Landscape’ (23 October 2019).

This report is designed to assist History and broader Humanities & Social Sciences stakeholders to understand and navigate the current policy frontiers of open access publishing for peer reviewed scholarly journals.

United Kingdom Research & Innovation (UKRI), the funding body that includes the seven UK research councils as well as Research England, is due to launch two public consultations on open access publication mandates in autumn 2019 and winter 2020.  This consultation process reflects UKRI’s membership of cOAlition S, a consortium of international funders established in 2018 which has articulated a new ‘Plan S’ mandate for open access publication.

The RHS report explains what cOAlition S and Plan S are, and why they matter to Humanities and Social Science researchers, journal editors and learned societies—among other stakeholders.  The report uses granular evidence of peer reviewed History journal publication to examine the potential impacts of Plan S implementation by UKRI.  The report is based on a summer 2019 RHS survey that attracted responses from 107 UK and international History learned society and proprietary journals.  Respondents included both self-publishing journals and journals published by 26 different university and commercial presses.  Additionally, the report uses data from the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ) to explore open access journal publication in History.

The RHS report notes the existence of a vibrant portfolio of open access peer-reviewed History journals, with especially strong representation in Spain, Portugal and Latin America.  However, these journals do not at present appear to be Plan S ‘compliant’.  More broadly, the report suggests that at present History researchers seeking Plan S compliant journals will find it very challenging, at multiple levels, to identify appropriate publications in which they can publish.

Journal editors are struggling with the complex and highly technical requirements mandated by Plan S.  Many are reluctant or unwilling to change their journals’ policies in response to Plan S.  The report identifies specific groups of researchers, including early career historians, for whom Plan S-aligned open access mandates may be problematic.

In the context of the forthcoming UKRI consultation, the report offers specific recommendations for:

  • History researchers (including early career historians)
  • journal editors and editorial boards
  • learned societies
  • research organisations
  • funders     

Download the full report.

If the goal of OA instead is to build sustainable scholarly systems which—at scale—are capable of both equitably producing and delivering high-calibre research publications to an expanding universe of users, alternative mechanisms to Plan S would surely be devised. These systems would recognise that no person or community can read everything and that different groups of readers and researchers rightly have different types of needs. Systematic investigation of what different communities of readers’ needs are and how they are best served is one of the most glaring gaps in cOAlition S Funders’ approach to OA. To rectify this anomaly, an optimal approach to OA would likely be hybrid—not simply in the sense of including ‘hybrid’ journals, but in recognising that meeting authors’ and readers’ constrained actual needs—in sharp contrast to fulfilling their imagined infinite needs—may require multiple or tailored delivery systems as well as a diversity of both incentives and mandates for those who produce and disseminate research outputs. This diversity would allow OA systems to accommodate the full range of discipline-based and interdisciplinary research and researchers. It would also foster rather than stifle innovation.

Margot Finn, President of the Royal Historical Society – from the report’s conclusion.

 

Open Research Support Grants

 

Open Research Support Grants are available to all historians (who are members of the Royal Historical Society) who are not postgraduate students or early career researchers (within 5 years of completing a PhD).

Open Research Support Grants provide funds of either £500 or £1000 to historians to undertake historical research. Activities include: visiting archives and historical sites or conducting interviews; Open Research Support Grants may also be used to support travel to academic conferences.

In 2026 two rounds of grants will be awarded by the Society. Closing dates for applications in 2026 are as follows:

  • Friday 6 March 2026, now open
  • Friday 4 September 2026

When awarding Open Research Support Grants priority will be given to historians who do not have access to any funding streams, or whose access to funding is insufficient to undertake crucial elements of their research.

Please note that in submitting your application, you are required to upload a current version of your CV. You may also upload an academic reference should you wish to do so.

Invitations for applications for the next round of Open Research Support Grants will open in October 2025. Please submit your application via the Society’s application platform before the closing date of 6 March 2026.


Notes on eligibility

  • Open Research Support Grants are reserved for those who are members of the Royal Historical Society. To join the Society, please see here.
  • Funding is reserved for research projects that are both clearly and predominantly historical in orientation, with a specific chronological remit.
  • Applicants who have previously been awarded an ‘Open Research Support Grant’ will not be eligible for further funding under this scheme.
  • Applications for funding for research taking place within 4 weeks of the application deadline will not be considered.
  • Applications for funding for conference attendance taking place within 4 weeks of the application deadline will not be considered.
  • Applications for retroactive research visits/activities will not be considered.

All enquiries about Research Funding should be sent to the Society’s Membership and Grants Team at: [email protected].

All applications for the Open Research Support Grants are reviewed by the RHS Research Support Committee, formed of members of the Society’s Council. Review of applications will not take place until the deadline for submission has passed. An average timeline for review, ratification and notification of the outcome of an application is around six weeks after the deadline.

Please note that all applications, successful or otherwise, will be directly notified of their outcome.


Current holders of Open Research Support Grants, 2025

  • Yaqoob Bangash – awarded October 2025
  • Lynneth Miller Renberg – awarded October 2025
  • Gareth Roddy – awarded October 2025
  • Sara Bernard – awarded October 2025
  • David Clampin – awarded April 2025
  • Claire Phillips – awarded April 2025
  • Aidan Forth – awarded April 2025
  • Guy Middleton – awarded April 2025

HEADER IMAGE: Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1797–1858 Tokyo (Edo)), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, public domain.