The book series
Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment (previously Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth Century) is well-known as being the foremost series devoted to Enlightenment studies and, since its inception in 1955, has published over 600 peer-reviewed scholarly volumes, covering wide-ranging aspects of the eighteenth century and the Enlightenment.
Strongly international in focus, and from August 2018 published on behalf of the Voltaire Foundation by Liverpool University Press, Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment publishes scholarly work in English or French to advance learning across a broad range of disciplines: History, History of ideas/Philosophy, History of the book, Theatre, Literature, Visual arts & Music, Science & Economics and Women’s studies.
For the guidelines for current and prospective authors, please follow the link under “Publish with us” below, or use our online inquiry form for prospective authors to get in touch.
Editorial mission statement
Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment is a long-standing series published by the Voltaire Foundation of the University of Oxford in partnership with Liverpool University Press. Since its inception in 1955, it has been known for its high degree of editorial rigour, its breadth of coverage and its interdisciplinary, international audience. We welcome expressions of interest and submissions of proposals for book-length works of original scholarship in English or French on all topics relating to the study of the Enlightenment, broadly understood.
The Enlightenment need not be defined by a particular canon of authors or corpus of texts and indeed, it is precisely the issue of defining the meaning of the Enlightenment in the present which we set at the heart of our editorial program. We envision our series as functioning as a space that brings together the broad international and interdisciplinary community of Enlightenment scholars across cultures, languages, disciplines or methods.
In this sense, we are interested in work on any and all aspects of the culture, beliefs, thought, history, literature, art, music, politics and society from the later seventeenth century through early nineteenth century. While European culture has long been and remains at the core of our series, it is by no means the limit.
We consider manuscripts between 75,000 and 150,000 words of the following formats:
monographs, which might be revised theses, research projects by established scholars or book-length essays.
themed volumes of essays closely linked by a common approach, problematic or argument.
editions of previously unpublished documents or texts accompanied by original scholarly analysis or commentary.
Proposing authors or editors of works which meet with the above-stated criteria and which have been previously published in languages other than French or English (and who can provide a professionally translated manuscript and worldwide rights for publication of an English or French edition) are also welcome to enquire.
Please send your enquiries to the General Editor at gregory.brown@voltaire.ox.ac.uk.
The digital collection
A partnership between the Voltaire Foundation and Liverpool University Press is making volumes from the series available online for the first time through Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment ONLINE.
The ebook collection offers a complete archive of all content published in the series between 1955-2016.
The digital text is fully searchable, and the online platform offers the ability for readers to save their own notes, highlights, and bookmarks on their own electronic copies and to export or print portions of each book.
We consider this an important, and very exciting, step forward for eighteenth-century scholarship, as it makes the full body of the important work published in the series more visible than ever for today’s readers, and ensures wider and more enduring accessibility for rising and future generations of students and scholars.”
– Professor Gregory Brown (General Editor, Oxford University Studies in the Enlightenment)
