Open Call: Book Reviews Editor, applications due 30 June 2023

Early Theatre invites applications for a new Book Review Editor (BRE) to join our editorial team.

To apply, please upload a short statement of interest (no more than 350 words) to this link by Friday 30 June, 2023. In your statement please indicate the nature of your interest in the position, explain how your skills and experiential knowledges align with the advertised duties and what you would be able to offer in the role, and articulate how the role would align with your career aims.

About the Journal:

Early Theatre publishes original, peer-reviewed research on medieval and early modern drama and theatre history. Our scope includes work centred in documentary evidence of theatre and performance, as well as critical studies of plays and performances. The journal is particularly keen to disseminate new research on underexplored plays, authors, or types of performance; arguments that challenge conventional assumptions about periodization, performance, or reception; and studies that bring new theoretical, critical, or performance approaches to bear on early texts. For more information, please consult our About the Journal webpage.

Description of the Position:

The new BRE will be responsible for overseeing the journal’s Book Reviews section, published once per year in our June issue (usually 10-12 reviews). Duties include:

• Commissioning and editing reviews of recent books relevant to the journal’s focus and scope;
• Keeping an eye out for work of interest to our readers and maintaining contacts with publishers in the field;
• Seeking out reviewers and fielding inquiries about reviews from potential reviewers, book authors, and publishers;
• Working with publishers to secure review copies of books and sending them to reviewers;
• Mentoring scholars writing reviews for the first time;
• Working with authors on editing and framing reviews to ensure consistency with the journal’s principles and guidelines;
• Supporting book review authors through the timely completion of reviews and coordinating with the production editor regarding timelines and publication schedules;
• Copyediting and proofing submitted reviews in conjunction with the journal’s production editor and/or other members of the editorial team;
• Advising the general editor on journal policies and practice;
• Attending one virtual advisory board meeting per year (as well as occasional ad hoc virtual meetings as needed).

With assistance from the outgoing BRE, the incoming BRE will prepare and finalize the 27.1 (June 2024) book review section (approximately half of which has already been commissioned). Once this issue is published, the new Book Review Editor will be responsible for full book reviews sections for issues 28.1, 29.1, and 30.1 (2025-27), with an option to renew for an additional 3-year term. During their final year in the role, they will train and mentor the incoming person(s) replacing them.

No editorial experience is required, but candidates must be attentive to detail, able to follow the journal’s style guidelines, willing to work with authors to help develop publishable copy and uphold the journal’s principles for reviewing, and committed to working collaboratively with other members of the journal’s editorial team. Candidates should have broad familiarity with the field of medieval and early modern drama studies, with an interest in learning more about the following priority areas: medieval studies; archival/records-based theatre history; performance studies (including Performance/Practice as Research); disability studies; critical race studies; gender and sexuality studies. While applicants will include scholars with their own records of peer-reviewed publication as well as subject expertise in areas relevant to Early Theatre’s focus and scope, we also seek applications from individuals who may not have significant prior publishing experience but who are interested in learning more about, and contributing to, scholarly communication in the fields of medieval and early modern drama and performance. We welcome applications from candidates who are members of communities that have been historically underrepresented in scholarly publishing and in medieval/early modern studies. We also welcome scholars affiliated with Canadian postsecondary institutions; however, this position is not limited to Canadians.

This position provides an opportunity to help shape the field by joining a dynamic editorial team and bringing critical attention to a diverse range of scholarship. It also offers opportunities to hone one’s editorial skills, support authors at various stages of their careers,  learn about new monographs and edited collections, and expand one’s professional networks. The role may be offered as part of a joint appointment. The BRE will also receive support and mentoring from the journal’s General Editor and Associate Editor(s).

The position of Book Review Editor is a service position and is typically unremunerated. However, should the successful candidate(s) be precariously employed they will be eligible for an annual honorarium and affiliation with McMaster University. Depending on support provided by the successful candidate’s home institution, if they have one, the journal can also help to cover costs associated with the position, such as postage.

For more information:

If you would like to discuss the role informally prior to applying, please contact the outgoing reviews editor, Dr. Georgina Lucas, at g.lucas@napier.ac.uk or the general editor and associate editor, Dr. Melinda Gough and Dr. Erin Kelly, at earlytheatre@mcmaster.ca.