Women's Studies Group 1558 – 1837 – Women's and gender studies in the early modern period and long eighteenth century

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Call for Papers: WSG 40th Anniversary ‘Afterlives’ Project

On 7 January 2027, it will be exactly 40 years since WSG’s first meeting. We intend to celebrate this milestone anniversary with two major collaborative events on the theme of ‘afterlives’: an online workshop, and a trade book compiled from the workshop contributions.

Our proposed theme, ‘Afterlives’, provides the potential for both expansive and reflective thinking. We could explore not only the representation of women throughout history but also WSG’s role in promoting the study of women over four decades. We’re open to a broad range of interpretations, but papers may wish to consider how women have been forgotten in posterity; the various ways in which they have been posthumously portrayed, vilified, or celebrated; and any progress (or lack thereof) in the exploration of women’s history in the past four decades.

We invite proposals for 10-minute papers. By submitting a proposal to the workshop, you confirm that you will subsequently submit your paper for publication. We will be requesting a 3,000-word mini chapter suitable for a general reader (submission date to be confirmed, probably mid-2027).

There will also be two bursary awards available for participants to conduct further research prior to their chapter submissions (applications open from October 2026 with awards announced January 2027).

Contributions should ideally be for one of the following six categories, which will form the basis of our workshop programme and book structure:

Travelling Women
Royal Women
Women in Art
Women Writers
Scientific Women
Religious Women

These were the most popular categories suggested in the informal expressions of interest we received from members. However, we’re open to receiving proposals on other themes, and may adjust this structure if exciting options materialise!

Please send a draft title and short proposal (maximum 350 words) by 14 August to louise@philipmarksav.co.uk and veschutte@gmail.com. The programme will be finalized by mid-September. Feel free to get in touch with any questions.

NOTE: We’ll also be holding an informal in-person celebration on Saturday 17 April 2027 at the Foundling Museum and potentially a book launch in 2028. Details to be announced nearer the time.

2026 – 2027 Call for papers from the Women’s Studies Group: 1558-1837

The Women’s Studies Group 1558-1837 is a small, informal, multidisciplinary group formed to promote women’s studies in the early modern period and the long eighteenth century. Established in the 1980s, the group has enabled those interested in women’s and gender studies to keep in touch, hear about one another’s research, meetings and publications, and meet regularly to discuss relevant topics. We organize regular meetings and an annual workshop (see membership application form) where members can meet and discuss women’s studies topics. We can offer advice and opportunities to engage in activities that increase opportunities for publication or enhance professional profiles in other ways. WSG is open to men, women, and non-binary people, students, faculty, and independent scholars, all of whom are invited to join the group and give papers.

The group now has two kinds of meetings for seminars:

In-person seminar meetings. At the Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, WC1N 1AZ, UK, on Saturday afternoons. The room opens at 1.00 pm., to give us time to sort out paperwork and technology, but sessions will run from 1.30 – 4.30 pm. So please arrive early if you can.

Postgraduate/unwaged/independent speakers at the in-person events can claim travel expenses (national only).

ZOOM seminar meetings. Thursday evenings, hosted by a WSG committee member. They will run from 19:00 – 20:30 GMT, with the waiting room opening at 18.45 GMT.

Topics can be related to any aspect of women’s studies: not only women writers, but any activity of a woman or women in the period of our concern, or anything that affects or is affected by women in this period, such as the law, religion, etc. Male writers writing about women or male historical figures relevant to the condition of women in this period are also a potential topic. Papers tackling aspects of women’s studies within or alongside the wider histories of gender and sexuality are particularly welcome; so are topics from the early part of our period. We would also welcome how-to presentations for discussion: examples of suitable topics would include, but are not limited to, grant applications, setting up research networks, becoming a curator, co-authorship, using specialised data, and writing about images. Papers should be 20-25 minutes.

Dates of seminar meetings:

Saturday 17 October 2026 In-person, Foundling Museum London 13:00 for 13:30 – 16:30, British Summer Time (GMT +1)

Thursday 12 November 2026 ZOOM 19:00 – 20:30 (GMT)

Thursday 17 December 2026 ZOOM 19:00 – 20:30 (GMT)

Saturday 16 January 2027 In-person, Foundling Museum London 13:00 for 13:30 – 16:30 (GMT)

Thursday 11 February 2027 ZOOM 19:00 – 20:30 (GMT)

Saturday 20 March 2027 In-person, Foundling Museum London 13:00 for 13:30 – 16:30 (GMT)

Thursday 29 April 2027 ZOOM 19:00 – 20:30, (British Summer Time (GMT + 1)

Find out more about us on https://womensstudiesgroup.org

Please reply to 2wsgevents@gmail.com and cdwilliamslyle@aol.com with expressions of interest and draft titles, listing all the seminar sessions when you could present your paper by 31 May 2026. Final titles and abstracts will be expected to follow by the end of June 2026.

Women’s Studies Group Annual Workshop, Saturday 18 April 2026: ‘Anonymity and Identity’

Keynote by Dr Lucy-Anne Katgely: ‘By a Lady: Branding, Collective Authorship, and the Politics of Mediocrity’.

The 2026 WSG Annual Workshop will take place at The Foundling Museum, 40 Brunswick Square, London WC1N 1AZ. Doors will open at 10:00 for Registration and we plan to finish the workshop by 16:30. A buffet lunch & refreshments will be provided.

The workshop will commence at 10:30 with the Keynote by Dr Lucy-Anne Katgely, Lecturer at St John’s College, Oxford. Her Keynote will be followed by a Q & A discussion and then lunch.

In the afternoon delegates are invited to give a 5-10 minute presentation on their current research or interests, ideally but not necessarily related to the workshop theme. You may use up to 3 PowerPoint slides to illustrate your talk, as long as these are emailed at least a day in advance to Trudie Messent via 2wsgevents@gmail.com. Please also bring the slides on your own memory stick, just in case. You can also email digital flyers or handouts to this address which will be circulated to delegates after the Workshop.

This year the workshop is FREE to WSG members, including the lunch and refreshments. However, members must reserve a place by emailing 2wsgevents@gmail.com so we can arrange catering. You are also permitted to visit the Foundling Museum for free on the day if you explain you are attending the WSG event.

Friends, colleagues and non-members are also welcome. The price for workshop registration is £20 per adult or £15 for unfunded students and people not in employment. Note that our annual UK subscription rates are £18 (waged); and £15 (unwaged or student) and our overseas rates are even lower (£15/£12). So this may be a great opportunity to join WSG instead! Find out about membership here.

Non-WSG members can pay for the Workshop by bank transfer or by cheque. Payment details will be emailed to any non-members who request to attend.

We hope you can join us to discuss this fascinating topic. Please email 2wsgevents@gmail.com if you would like to attend, no later than Saturday 11 April.

Upcoming events in March

We have three events to look forward to in March, beginning with a special afternoon at the Foundling Museum on Sunday 8 March to celebrate International Women’s Day. We hope you can join us for an afternoon of talks on the theme of 18th-Century Women: Struggle, Fame or Fortune.

Covering topics such as mothers and children, women and the army, actors and writers, risk, sensation and exposure, and the law and society’s attitudes to transgression, these talks will shine a light on women’s history through the lens of the Museum’s Collection. The talks are free with Museum admission.

The talks will be taking place in the Picture Gallery between 2 – 4pm, followed by half an hour of informal discussion and refreshments in the Study Studio.

Itinerary & speakers (2pm to 4pm):

Miriam Al Jamil Introduction

Julie Peakman ‘From Streetwalkers to Courtesans: Sex in 18th-Century London’

Ellie Gregory ‘The Experiences of London Foundling Hospital Mothers, 1739-1782’

Emma Piercy-Wright ‘An Aspirational Elegy: Memory and Hope in a Mother-of-pearl Pineapple Token’

Trudie Messent ‘Oceans Apart: A Mother’s Dilemma’

Carolyn Williams ‘Abandoning Her Baby to Save Her Reputation: Tom Jones’s Real Mother’

Julia Martins ‘The Pen and the Scalpel: Fanny Burney and the Female Experience of 18th-Century Surgery’

Miriam Al Jamil ‘The Lure of a Redcoat’: Women and the Militia’

Nora Rodriguez ‘Isabella, Duchess of Manchester’

Jean G-Owen ‘Readings of Poetry: Risk, Sensation, and Exposure’

Charmian Kenner ‘Writing Our Own History: A Feminist Memoir for My Granddaughters’

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In March we will also be hosting two online seminars in our usual Thursday evening slots. Please visit our seminars page and scroll down for full abstracts. In summary:

WSG Bursary Awards 2025–2026

The Bursary Team met in January to discuss the applications received in the latest round of the WSG Bursary. Compared with previous years, there was a marked difference both in the range of research areas covered and in the overall quality of the projects for which funding was sought. It was clear that the WSG Bursary has now established itself as a form of funding that many regard as having an essential impact on their academic development, and that applicants therefore invest significantly in the quality of the projects they submit.

Due to the high quality of the applications, a decision was made to select two projects this year (each receiving an award of up to £750):

Amy Wilson, a PhD researcher, submitted a very strong proposal on Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire. She intends to visit the Devonshire Collection Archive at Chatsworth House.

Madison Marshall, a PhD researcher, who submitted a highly detailed proposal on Isabella Leonarda, Francesca Caccini, and Barbara Strozzi—three composers representing three spheres of training and performance for women in the Seicento. She requested funding towards her research trip to Italy.

Many congratulations to Amy and Madison. We look forward to hearing further news of their projects.

We would also like to thank everyone who invested time and energy in applying for the bursary. Credit is also due to the bursary team for their diligence and care in managing this process.

The next round will take place at the end of 2026.