Call for papers

Shakespeare Survey is a yearbook of Shakespeare studies and production. Since 1948 Survey has published the best international scholarship in English and many of its essays have become classics of Shakespeare criticism. Each volume is devoted to a theme, or play, or group of plays, as well as including a number of articles not on the theme; each also contains a section of reviews of that year's textual and critical studies, and of the year's major British performances. Each volume's contributors range from internationally well-known scholars to graduate students at the start of their careers, from early-career academics to independent scholars. The virtues of accessible scholarship and a keen interest in performance, from Shakespeare's time to our own, have characterised the journal from the start. The books are illustrated with a variety of Shakespearean images and production photographs.

The theme of Volume 78 will be ‘Shakespeare and communities’:  submission date 1 September 2024. 

The theme of Volume 79 will be ‘Late Shakespeare’: submission date 1 September 2025.

Possible topics could include

• aesthetic, theatrical or ideological ideas of ‘lateness’ in relation to Shakespeare
• work on any aspect of those plays traditionally designated ‘late’
• work on plays 1608-1613 not traditionally considered among the ‘late’ plays
• arguments about Shakespearean chronology and the usefulness of a category of ‘late plays’
• comparative work on late Shakespeare and other contemporary plays
• conceptual work on lateness and belatedness
• Shakespeare’s death and immediate reputation
• posthumous Shakespeare

Shakespeare Survey is always keen to receive submissions whether on the theme or on any other aspect of Shakespeare studies. Articles are typically 6000-10000 words long. We encourage proposals for small clusters of 3-5 articles on a particular topic or approach: contact the editor for more details. We want to offer a platform for new work, and we make one article per issue permanently open access, free of author fees, to help early career scholars and scholars of colour make their work more visible.

All submissions are read by the editor and by at least one member of our editorial advisory board. We aim to provide timely, considerate feedback. Authors who wish to make any requests about the peer review process are encouraged to do so in confidence by contacting the editor. In early 2021 the board was be expanded by a number of additional members, as a specific and targeted response to evidence about journals as gatekeepers. These roles are advertised widely for colleagues to nominate themselves or others. After this, if you would be interested in joining the board when spaces become available, please contact the editor.

Editor: Emma Smith (emma.smith@hertford.ox.ac.uk). Please contact her to discuss possible topics or for other information, questions, or suggestions about Survey.

Recently Published

Volume 75: Othello

Volume 76: Digital and Virtual Shakespeares

Coming soon

Volume 77: Shakespeare’s Poetry (published summer 2024)

Information for contributors

If you are interested in submitting an article to Shakespeare Survey online, please click here to view the information for contributors.