In today’s guest post, independent academic publisher Rowman & Littlefield International reflects on the highlights that the publishing industry celebrated in 2015, and especially #AcBookWeek.
When the first Academic Book Week was first announced earlier this year, we were thrilled to be given the opportunity to raise awareness what we do every day: publishing interdisciplinary academic books in the Humanities and Social Sciences. Academic publishing is traditionally divided up into strict segments according to what disciplines are taught by universities. As an interdisciplinary publisher, our aim is to bridge gaps between the disciplines and offer new insights based on a more inclusive, innovative approach, and Academic Book Week offered us the ideal opportunity to share these principles with the wider academic community. Our event ‘Interdisciplinary Research and Publishing: Challenges and Opportunities’ was initiated!
Martina O’Sullivan, our Senior Commissioning Editor in Cultural Studies, secured a fabulous panel of speakers who are published experts in the field of interdisciplinary research and publishing. They were joined by our Editorial Director, Sarah Campbell, to offer a broad range of perspectives on the topic. Our panel covered everything from some tips on how to get interdisciplinary work published, to alternative modes of research and publishing, right through to very practical advice for early career researchers.
The speakers were:
- Sarah Campbell, Editorial Director, Rowman & Littlefield International
- Gary Hall, Professor of Media and Performing Arts, Coventry University
- Laurence Hemming, Professor, Politics, Philosophy and Religion, Lancaster University
- Danielle Sands, Lecturer in Comparative Literature and Culture, Royal Holloway
- David Chandler, Professor of International Relations, University of Westminster
All we needed was an event location, and thanks to Peter Garner, Library Liaison Manager, and the excellent team at the Maughan Library, King’s College, we had the opportunity to secure the prestigious Weston Room, a magnificent Grade II listed edifice which is part of King’s College.
Although our event was free, we asked attendees to register their interest via the AcBookWeek website. We were sold out of tickets the day before the event and so a crowd of interested current and future academic researchers and authors entered the gates of the Maughan Library on Tuesday, 10 November. After a brief introduction from Martina O’Sullivan, Sarah Campbell opened the panel session with her talk on getting interdisciplinary work published.
See the video recording of Sarah Campbell: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRY0deRkdHE
“What is required is an opening towards non-knowledge”―Gary Hall, Professor of Media and Performing Arts
Gary Hall, presenting on Alternative Modes of Academic Research and Publishing, focused his talk on the three keywords audience, book and interdisciplinarity, maintaining that the task of every writer should be to challenge pre-existing definitions in academic disciplines.
See the video recording of Gary Hall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_Y551Es1Lk
“What is Interdisciplinary Research?”―Laurence Hemming
Laurence Hemming followed by asking: ‘What is Interdisciplinary Research?’ and pointed out that many publishers nowadays publish books in increasingly more narrow categories, likening the current situation of interdisciplinary research to a house without a heating system, thereby also stressing the importance of letting traditional phenomena speak for themselves, based on traditional knowledge of a discipline.
See the video recording of Laurence Hemming: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY7szuOGhYU
“Tips for Early Career Researchers”―Danielle Sands
But how to go about it and where to start as an early career researcher? Danielle Sands’ engaging and useful lecture contained tips and advice for interdisciplinary researchers, including how to navigate one’s way through academic conferences and job adverts as an academic with an interdisciplinary approach.
See the video recording of Danielle Sands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wqJ5G_FChg
“The problems of the world call for interdisciplinarity”―David Chandler, Professor of International Relations
David Chandler rounded up the session with his lively panel about how interdisciplinary projects are perceived, and how they act in today’s academic world.
See the video recording of David Chandler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O89z-cn4x4
In the Q&A session that followed, our panellists answered a range of detailed questions from the audience, and the lively discussion continued until late into the evening with drinks and canapés. For us, it was a brilliant event which not only provided us with a chance to meet upcoming interdisciplinary scholars, but also an opportunity to listen to first-hand experiences of top academics who do interdisciplinary work; inspiring us to bring the ever-evolving academic book publishing process into its next age. A round-up of the event can be viewed alongside all other videos here.
We from Rowman & Littlefield International are sure that Academic Book Week will prove to be another highlight for us in 2016, and indeed become a regular highlight in the diary of every academic. For now, I would very much like to thank the organisers of Academic Book Week for providing us with a platform to create an event like this; our panellists and the Maughan Library again for making this stimulating event happen; and everyone who contributed with their attendance and questions. I hope to see you again next year!
The Academic Book of the Future 