BARS Blog

The British Association for Romantic Studies invites expressions of interest from Romanticists who would like to serve on the judging panel for the next BARS First Book Prize. The prize has been awarded since 2013, and the last award was made at the 2024 BARS conference, covering books published in 2021 and 2022. The previous judging panel has advised that it would be helpful to bring the prize back into sync with BARS’ biennial conference. Therefore, the next Book Prize will be open to first books published between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2025 and will be awarded at the ‘Romantic Retrospection’ conference at the University of Birmingham in 2026. To adjust for the longer window, the panel will have discretion to set out a more extensive shortlist, make further honourable mentions and/or select joint winners. Future prizes will return to a biennial rhythm.

For the 2026 BARS First Book Prize, we are looking for both a Book Prize Chair (who will co-ordinate the judging process and serve as a co-opted member of the BARS Executive until the prize is awarded at the Birmingham conference) and panel readers (who will read and assess submissions and play a full part in shortlisting and awarding). Applications from Early Career Researchers for reader roles are particularly welcomed (although please note that books by the judging panel will not be eligible for the prize).

If you are interested in being involved with the 2026 BARS First Book Prize, please send an Expression of Interest consisting of a current CV and a short covering letter describing what you would bring to the judging panel to the BARS Secretary, Andrew McInnes (bars.secretary@gmail.com). Any questions can be directed to BARS’ President, Matthew Sangster (matthew.sangster@glasgow.ac.uk). Expressions of Interest will be welcomed until 22nd August 2025. Submission instructions for the prize itself will be circulated during the autumn.

The British Association for Romantic Studies invites self-nominations from those who would like to stand for positions on the Executive. As per the Constitution, elections are held for around half of the positions on the Executive each year.

There are six posts for which elections are being held this summer. Descriptions of the purviews and responsibilities of all these roles can be seen on the BARS Blog.

All six posts are open for self-nominations by BARS members who would like to stand for election.

Five of the posts have incumbents who have served one term and plan to stand again:

• Vice President (Jennifer Orr)
• Secretary (Andrew McInnes)
• Membership Secretary (Yimon Lo)
• Communications Officer (Amy Wilcockson)
• Bursaries Officer (Gerard McKeever)

One post is open:

• International Officer

Francesca Saggini has been working in the role of International Officer for the last two years, having previously been the chair of the BARS First Book Prize – BARS is very grateful to her for her service and her many contributions.

If you would like to stand for election for any of these roles, please send a statement to Matthew Sangster (matthew.sangster@glasgow.ac.uk) and Mary Fairclough (bars.treasurer@gmail.com), who will be administering this election on behalf of BARS. Statements should briefly describe your vision for the role, your relevant experience and the talents you would bring to the BARS Executive. Statements should be received by 11:59 UK Time on Friday August 22^nd. All those standing for election must be members of BARS.

After this deadline, a list of candidates for each role and their statements will be published on the BARS Blog and electronic voting will be opened to the membership.

Any questions regarding the roles or the electoral process can be directed to Matt and Mary using the addresses above.

BARS is currently also seeking a chair and members for the jury of the next First Book Prize – please see the details here.

Please see below for descriptions of the six roles for which BARS is holding elections in the summer of 2025. Details of the self-nomination process can be found here.

Vice President

As one of the prominent ‘faces’ of the BARS, the Vice President supports the President in the strategic leadership of the organisation. They consult with the Executive and, as appropriate, the membership on policy and initiatives. They will normally attend all regular BARS meetings and may deputise for the President if necessary. The role has in previous years served as a ‘stepping stone’ to President, but in more recent years has evolved towards an independent role with a strong focus on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion as well as the role-holder’s specific interests. In addition to leadership, the Vice President will normally serve as needed on a number of ad-hoc committees throughout the Executive’s function e.g. working groups, prize adjudication, review of applications.

Secretary

The role of BARS Secretary is primarily administrative (supporting the business of the Executive, setting up of meetings and circulation of documents and communications from the membership), but it is also an exciting opportunity to develop a portfolio in the individual’s areas of interest. It is an ideal way to become familiar with all aspects of BARS’ organisation.

Responsibilities and Key Activities

• Keeping and verifying minutes of BARS meetings.
• Liaising with Executive members to arrange regular meetings online (usually five a year) in consultation with the President and Vice President.
• Liaising with the President and Vice President to organise the BARS General Meeting, which takes place online in odd years and at the BARS Conference in even years.
• Preparation of agendas for meetings.
• Liaising with Executive members to procure short reports on each officer’s area of responsibility and circulating these prior to meetings.
• Upkeep of the BARS archive.
• Forwarding queries to relevant officers.
• Circulating Conference Subvention requests to the Executive for approval and communicating the decision to the applicant.
• Joining ad-hoc working groups and committees as and when needed.

Membership Secretary

The Membership Secretary oversees all aspects of the Society’s membership administration and development. Working closely with the Executive Committee, the Membership Secretary ensures the efficient management of the Society’s membership database, supports recruitment and retention, and acts as a key point of contact for members.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date membership records.
• Support and strengthen the Society’s engagement with its Members.
• Oversee the processing of subscriptions and renewals in coordination with the Treasurer.
• Respond to membership queries and assist with day-to-day support for BARS Members.
• Collaborate with the Executive to promote membership benefits and increase recruitment.

Key Activities

• Maintain and regularly update the Society’s membership database, tracking member contact details and payment status.
• Liaise with the Treasurer to process and monitor subscription payments, including shared oversight of the Society’s PayPal account.
• Respond to enquiries from prospective and current Members in a timely, professional, and welcoming manner.
• Support the President and PGR/ECR Representatives in reviewing Members’ needs, requests, and feedback.
• Collaborate with the Communications Officer and Website Officer to ensure that membership information and calls (e.g. for renewals, ballots, prizes, and events) are circulated promptly and clearly.
• Contribute to the Society’s recruitment strategies, helping to ensure that membership is inclusive, diverse, and representative of the Romantic studies community.
• Work with relevant officers (e.g. Education and Schools Liaison, Outreach and Impact, and International Officer) to promote membership across diverse academic and educational contexts.
• Provide regular reports on membership figures and trends to the Executive Committee and, where relevant, to the Society’s General Meeting.
• Assist with the organisation of ballots, elections, and bursary or award applications, including monitoring eligibility and membership status in coordination with the Bursaries Officer.
• Ensure compliance with relevant data protection legislation in storing and managing personal information.
• Support the Executive Committee in maintaining a welcoming and responsive atmosphere for all Members.

Communications Officer

The Communications Officer is the public face of BARS, interacting with members regularly in their role overseeing the Association’s social media accounts and Blog. Working closely with the Executive Committee, the Communications Officer disseminates BARS news and member notices.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Work alongside all members of BARS Executive to circulate BARS news.
• Work alongside BARS Members to share their notices.
• Circulate the weekly updates of news and notices via the Mailbase.
• Oversee and create content for social media accounts (Bluesky, Facebook, TikTok).
• Oversee and create content for the BARS Blog.
• Consider how to increase engagement with blog and social media followers.
• Recruit and supervise new Communications Fellow/s each year.
• Attend regular Executive Committee meetings.
• Serve on sub-committees as appropriate (e.g. judging panels for bursaries).

Key Activities

• Respond to enquiries regarding the mailing list and circulating of notices in a timely, professional, and welcoming manner.
• Oversee the Communications Fellow/s contributions to the blog/social media platforms.
• Work alongside the Membership Secretary to check the status of members, add new members to the BARS Mailbase, and circulate specific members-only emails.
• Work alongside the Bursaries Officer to ensure all bursary opportunities are circulated promptly and clearly.
• Work alongside the PGR/ECR Representatives to ensure news of the PGR/ECR Conference is circulated promptly and clearly.
• Work with the wider Executive to share all other BARS news and notices.
• Work alongside the external organisers of the Biennial Conference to ensure all news and notices regarding the conference are shared promptly and clearly.
• Provide regular reports on the duties of the role to the Executive Committee and the Society’s General Meetings.
• Support the Executive by serving on sub-committees as appropriate.
• Support the Executive Committee in maintaining a welcoming and responsive atmosphere for all social media followers, Mailbase readers and BARS members.

Bursaries Officer

The Bursaries Officer is responsible for administering BARS’ funding schemes, co-ordinating advertising, working with panels of Executive members to make decisions, and communicating with those applying for and undertaking funded activities supported by BARS.

Roles and Responsibilities

• Administer BARS’ regular funding schemes, including the Stephen Copley Research Awards, the Open Fellowship and the President’s Fellowship.
• Co-ordinate with partner organisations with whom BARS supports fellowships, such as the Wordsworth Trust and Chawton House.
• Advertise funding schemes in a timely manner each round.
• Convene decision panels.
• Communicate clearly, sensitively and effectively with applicants and awardees.

Key Activities

• Work with the Communications Officer to advertise BARS’ funding schemes.
• Answer questions from applicants and potential applicants about the schemes.
• Convene and chair a panel of Executive members after the closure of each application round to review applications and decide on awards, following the criteria set out for each scheme.
• Communicate decisions to all applicants.
• Liaise with the Treasurer about the disbursement of funds.
• Communicate with awardees about the progress of their research and the provision of reports.
• Work with Executive members to promote the activities of those undertaking BARS-funded research.
• Report to the Executive on BARS’ funding schemes after each set of decisions have been made and regularly review the effectiveness of each scheme and its guidelines.

International Officer

The International Officer represents BARS’ international membership on the Executive, ensuring that the full range of BARS’ activities is informed by an international perspective. They provide active input into BARS conferences, events and initiatives to ensure that international members are represented and supported.

The International Officer should have considerable knowledge and experience of Romantic Studies on an international scale.

Responsibilities and Key Activities

• Provide an international perspective on BARS’ activities at Executive meetings and in the Exec’s internal correspondence.
• Maintain a good knowledge of the international contexts for Romantic Studies, including the activities of national and international organisations invested in the promotion of Romantic Studies.
• Play a role in planning BARS conferences and events, ensuring that these provide opportunities for the international membership.
• Serve as a principal point of contact for international members.
• Maintain links and connections with other Romantic Studies organisations, working with the President and Vice President.
• Support the work of the Executive by serving on subcommittees dealing with prizes, fellowships and new initiatives as appropriate.
• Assess and develop the role of International Officer in order best to support BARS’ activities.

This has been a very difficult year for BARS members working in universities, with every day seeming to bring news of new cuts and threats of redundancies.  BARS is keen to support members under pressure.  We have written by request to institutions considering cuts to the arts and humanities forcefully underlining the contributions made by Romantic Studies scholars; we would be happy to do this for further institutions if such interventions would be helpful.  In these straightened times, we hope we can also keep research conversations going through our in-person and online events and through our provision for Conference and Seminar support.  We would like to remind early career scholars in particular that the Stephen Copley Research Awards are available to support those with good ideas and limited resources; we also offer a number of other forms of funding detailed on our website, with a particular focus on postgraduate and early career opportunities.  Schemes are advertised through the mailbase, blog and social media whenever a deadline is coming up.

Despite the circumstances, the Exec has followed up on our ‘Romantic Making and Unmaking’ conference in Glasgow by forging ahead with several initiatives – scheduling digital events and symposia, co-ordinating our next conferences, running rounds of our funding schemes, supporting several successful events (including the recent Anna Barbauld and Global Austen conferences) and working to make sure that BARS’ finances and future plans remain on a secure footing.

Upcoming Conferences and Symposia

We were glad to be able to announce earlier this year that the next BARS International Conference, ‘Romantic Retrospection’, will be held at the University of Birmingham on the 29th, 30th and 31st July 2026.  Many thanks to the Birmingham conference team (Jessica Fay, Andrew Hodgson, Matthew Ward and latterly Laura Blunsden) for all their hard work.  At the General Meeting, the organisers also announced that we have three exciting keynotes confirmed: Ruth Abbott, Richard Cronin and Mary Favret.

BARS’ 2025 Early Career and Postgraduate Conference, ‘Romantic (Un)Consciousness’, will take place at Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge on 4th and 5th September and online on 12th September.  Kate Nankervis, Cleo O’Callaghan Yeoman and Zooey Ziller have put together a brilliant programme.  Registration remains open until midnight on 1st August, and full details can be found on the conference site. 

This week, BARS will also host two Digital Symposia: ‘Global Romanticism’ (Wednesday July 23rd) and ‘Expanding Queer Romanticisms’ (Friday July 25th).  These events are free to attend for BARS members; Zoom links will be circulated to the membership.

In the next few months, BARS will circulate a call for expressions of interest in hosting the 2028 International Conference, with the aim of returning to pre-pandemic practices and announcing the 2028 venue at the Birmingham conference.  If you have questions about the possibility of hosting the 2028 BARS conference, we are very happy to discuss – please just drop me an email (matthew.sangster@glasgow.ac.uk).

Members’ Survey and Responses

Earlier this year, we conducted an extensive survey to find out which aspects of BARS’ work are most important to our membership.  The results showed strong support for the full range of BARS’ activities.  International Conferences, Early Career and Postgraduate Conferences, bursaries for postgraduate and early career researchers, financial support for conferences and seminars, the Open Fellowship, the President’s Fellowship, fellowship opportunities with partner institutions (such as the Wordsworth Trust and Chawton House), the Digital Events programme, the First Book Prize, international collaborations and the mailbase were all most commonly rated in the highest importance category, with substantial majorities in the top two categories.  There was considerable enthusiasm for the website, blog and BARS’ social media accounts, but the results make it apparent that not all members regularly engage with these channels.  While we will continue to provide information through these means, the survey clarified that the mailbase should remain BARS’ primary means of circulating information.  A couple of written responses recommended that BARS withdraw from X/Twitter – we have followed this advice and will keep our regular social media presence focused on the Facebook group and our Bluesky account.

We also asked about digital provision at future BARS conferences.  28.6% of respondents favoured a fully hybrid conference; 43.7% favoured a conference with in-person and digital days, with digital access to a selection of recordings from in-person sessions; 22.5% were unconcerned about digital provision; and 7% expressed no preference.  In line with these views, we will ask future BARS conference organisers to include digital elements, but will allow their precise form to be determined by the capacity of the team and institution.

Written requests from members suggested an international board member (Francesca Saggini has been serving in that role); formalising the number of sessions people can apply to be part of at a single conference (the Birmingham team is looking into this); and further work with undergraduates and schools (something our new Education and Schools Liaison, Charlotte May, is working on).  There were also a series of suggestions about additional activities BARS might undertake – we will consider these, although we will also take to heart the cautions raised by several respondents about the possibility of the Executive taking on too much.

Fees

The members’ survey also consulted on a necessary increase to BARS’ membership fees.  A fee increase at this time is not something we undertook lightly, but BARS has not changed its fees since 2011 and has considerably increased the range of activities it funds in recent years (through initiatives including the President’s Fellowship, the Open Fellowship, the resumption of support for scholars at Chawton House, and increased budgets for conference and seminar support and for the Copley scheme). Without a fee increase at this point, the Association risks running out of funds in the next couple of years.

Through the survey, our members indicated that they would like BARS’ current activities to continue and were happy to pay increased fees to support this (8.5% of respondents supported a low increase, with the budget to be balanced using cuts; 67.6% a fee increase that maintains BARS’ current level of activity; and 23.9% a large fee increase to boost the funds available through BARS’ various schemes).  In line with this response, we have increased our fees to a level that should allow us to keep doing broadly what we do now for the next four years (after which, we will review the fees again).  We have increased the general annual fee to £37 while maintaining a considerably lower fee of £17 for postgraduates, retired members, those in part-time or impermanent positions and unwaged members.  The survey also indicated that some members would be happy to pay more to help support BARS’ activities, so we have now instituted a Sustaining Membership rate (£57) – this will always be entirely voluntary, but allows those with the means to make a higher regular payment to BARS.  Full information can be seen on BARS’ How to Join page.

Constitution and Elections

At the General Meeting on 30^th June, the members present approved revisions to the BARS Constitution to bring it in line with current practices and to make the Executive more open and accountable to the membership.  The revised Constitution can be viewed here.

We will shortly be opening nominations for the Executive roles up for election in this cycle; we will also be seeking expressions of interest from people who’d like to chair or serve on the jury for the BARS First Book Prize.  Further details will be circulated in the next few days.

Many thanks to all members for your support for BARS – as always, the Exec welcomes feedback, which can be sent to me as President (matthew.sangster@glasgow.ac.uk), to Andy McInnes as Secretary (bars.secretary@gmail.com) or to the appropriate officer (listed here).

With best wishes,

Matthew Sangster (on behalf of the BARS Executive)