Propose a paper

Paper submissions are now open

We are now accepting paper submissions, click here to find out what to submit and how to submit it.

Anyone can submit a proposal to present a paper

The Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery invites anyone with an interest in food and its history to submit a paper for consideration.

The Editorial Committee attempts to ensure that a broad range of subjects within the year’s topic is presented and that a rich spread of geography, culture, and time periods is represented.

If you have any doubt about the suitability of a proposed paper topic, please contact the editor for clarification before the deadline by emailing Mark McWilliams: editor@oxfordsymposium.org.uk.

Successful paper proposals are chosen by our editorial committee without regard to the proposer’s ability to pay for a place.

Authors must purchase a ticket to the Symposium whether attending in-person or exclusively online. We strongly encourage authors to present their papers in-person. Where that is impossible, then exclusively online participation is welcome.

A very limited number of assisted places may be available.  Please let the registrar know here and we’ll do our best to help, though this cannot be guaranteed from our limited resources.

If you are a student, there are a limited number of student places available subsidised by the American Friends and The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts and although not restricted to paper presenters, priority will be given to students who book early.

For the 2025 Symposium, a student is anyone who has been, or will be, enrolled in a degree-granting program during the calendar year 2025. Thus, a student graduating before the date of the Symposium or matriculating after the Symposium is eligible to apply for a student place.

Step 1 – Submit a proposal between 1 October and 31 December via our online portal

What to submit –

The proposal should be between 500-1000 words and needs to:

a) outline your central theme and key points,

b) describe the scope of your research, and

c) explain why your paper makes an original and compelling contribution to the Symposium’s examination of the topic and to the field of food history.

How to submit –

Submit your paper using our online form by clicking the button below

Notice of the committee’s decision will be sent via email to the address you included as part of your proposal no later than 14 February, 2025. If your paper proposal is accepted for presentation at the Symposium, you agree that the Symposium has the right to publish the paper in the Proceedings. 

Step 2 – Writing your paper: drafts are due by 15 May. You will be emailed a link to submit your paper.

Paper parameters –

There is a strict 5000-word limit, which includes notes and bibliographies. There is no minimum length: quality, substance, scholarship, and originality are more important than length. Notes should appear as endnotes.

Papers must include a brief abstract, which does not count against the 5000-word limit.

Authors should follow the Style Guide of the Modern Humanities Research Association, which is available here.  All papers must be submitted in English that is clear, concise, and engaging. We welcome Authors who may not be fluent in English. We do, however, encourage them to review proposals and drafts with fluent speakers prior to submission to the editor. In very rare cases, it may be possible to provide translation assistance for papers drafted in a language other than English. Authors must request such assistance at least three weeks prior to submission deadlines

Paper submissions may include illustrations, and additional illustrations can be included in your Symposium presentation (see Presenting Your Paper, below).

Step 3 – Preparing your video presentation: Video presentations must be submitted by 30 May, full details to follow. 

and

Step 4 – Presenting at St Catz: audio visual materials to support in-person presentations at the St Catherine’s Weekend must be uploaded by 2 July

What to prepare –

Both the pre-recorded video and in-person presentations should last approximately 15-20 minutes.

We encourage authors to present their ideas, rather than just read their draft paper. Authors are invited to present material that goes beyond their initial draft to encourage further areas of discussion, if appropriate. This might include ideas omitted due to word limits. Many authors choose to illustrate their presentations with slides and other visual aids.

What to submit –

For the online conference you should record and submit a video of you presenting your paper.

You should also submit any Audiovisual materials to support in-person presentations at the St Catherine’s Weekend in advance.

Step 5 – The weekend at St Catz: 11  – 13 July (tbc)

Authors attending at St Catherine’s will present their papers during parallel panel sessions. These live presentations should last approximately 15-20 minutes, and will be followed by a Q&A session.

AV facilities, tastings, and, in some instances, cooking demos can be arranged if requested in advance. Please inform the Programmer of your requests at your earliest convenience so that we can do our best to accommodate you.

Step 6 –Online Conference Q&A panels: 19 July – 3 August (tbc)

All authors are expected to participate in an online Zoom discussion of their paper during the Conference period. These sessions allow for longer Q & A, provide extended feedback on papers, and allow Symposiasts who participate exclusively online to engage with the entire Symposium community. You do not need to prepare a formal presentation; you should assume that Symposiasts will have had the opportunity to view your video presentation and are ready to discuss your ideas.

Step 7 – Preparing your paper for publication: revised draft due 1 October 2025 to be considered

After the conclusion of the Symposium, authors will have the opportunity to revise their papers for publication in the Proceedings. Your paper should be original work, and you will be required to sign a Representation and Indemnification form prior to publication. By submitting a paper to the Symposium, you agree that the Symposium has the right to publish the paper in the Proceedings.

Papers must adhere to the strict 5000 word limit, including endnotes.

Papers can include illustrations. Authors are responsible for securing reproduction rights for all images. It is not usually possible to publish colour images in the Proceedings (although they can appear on the website); black-and-white illustrations and diagrams (300 dpi or better in standard image formats) should be submitted electronically with the paper. If it becomes necessary to limit the total number of illustrations that can be published, the editor will contact you.