Voices from the Margins

British Nonconformity in the Long Eighteenth Century Day Conference

The John Rylands Library

Manchester

June 22, 2026

Call for Papers

Narratives of British Nonconformity in the Long Eighteenth Century often centre on key characters, further amplifying the voices which are already the loudest. This conference seeks to give attention to those who are situated on the peripheries of these narratives. This will include family members and colleagues of more established figures, enslaved peoples, non-Western perspectives, the heterodox and heretical, the radical, and those engulfed in scandal. This conference aims to consider a diverse range of social, economic, racial, and theological perspectives, giving attention to those who were either marginalised in their own lifetimes, or have been marginalised by subsequent historiographies.

We invite proposals for papers on any subject pertaining to this theme, which may include:

• The poor
• Women
• Family and friends of famous figures
• Overlooked figures
• Enslaved peoples
• Non-Western lives and perspectives
• Heterodox and heretical figures or views
• Radicals
• Scandalous figures

The conference is hosted by the British Nonconformity in the Long Eighteenth Century, co-convened by Drs Baiyu Andrew Song and Daniel Johnson, under the auspices of the American Society for Church History.

Please submit an abstract of 250 words and a brief biography by May 25, 2026, to c18.nonconformity@gmail.com