Humanities Futures

Humanities Futures is a new book series that advocates powerfully for the value of the humanities and their vital role in tackling contemporary society’s most pressing issues. 

Our need for the humanities is greater than ever. In today’s rapidly changing world, the humanities provide critical insights into our past and present while fostering creativity, communication and cross-cultural connections that help us to navigate uncertain futures.  

This open access book series is a unique, collaborative platform for the exchange of ideas and perspectives across disciplines, policy and practice, showcasing how the humanities – and the arts – can help solve complex global challenges. Titles in the series will include agenda-setting, evidence-based works from leading experts that explore the value and future of humanities scholarship, the importance of the humanities to society, culture, the economy and the environment, and the contribution of the humanities to future skills needs. Accessibly written, the books will present diverse viewpoints and offer actionable insights for decision-makers across all sectors.  

At its core, the series makes a case for the power of collaboration in developing effective solutions to the most urgent social challenges we face, and for the essential part arts and humanities research plays within this.

The University of London Press is an integral part of the School of Advanced Study (SAS), University of London, a national research centre for advancing the humanities. As such, we have a unique remit in service of the arts and humanities, supporting the work of SAS in empowering the humanities community to better advocate for the humanities and its importance to our society – a key driver for this new book series.

We are actively seeking book proposals for this important new open access series. We invite submissions for books that are positioned as future-facing works which aim to answer high-level questions and have clear cross-sector relevance. Proposals may focus on any arts or humanities subject or these disciplines more collectively, and topics may include: 

• The value of the humanities
• The future of humanities disciplines
• The relevance and contribution of the humanities to specific contemporary social questions and challenges, for example: artificial intelligence; social inequalities; the environment and climate change; health and wellbeing
• Future skills needs
• Arts, humanities and the creative industries

We will accept single-authored, multi-authored and edited volumes, and particularly welcome collaborative approaches across disciplines inside and outside the arts and humanities, and between academia, policymaking and/or practice. Proposals for short-form books (20,000–50,000 words) as well as alternative formats such as think pieces, position papers and responses, curated conversations and books with supplementary materials such as multimedia and interactive content or policy briefs are also encouraged.

Please get in touch or see submit a book proposal if you have a project you’d like to discuss.