The Journal

The Journal

Past and Present is widely acknowledged to be the liveliest and most stimulating historical journal in the English-speaking world.

There are four issues a year, each containing around seven major articles with occasional debates and review essays. You can browse the current issue and the archive online (subscription required for full access to articles), as well as advance access articles published ahead of the print edition. A Supplement is also published every year, consisting of a collection of essays (often the proceedings of Past and Present conferences and other symposia) reflective of the broad themes and ethos of the journal itself.

The journal’s contents reflect the Society’s belief that history should be accessible and interesting to a wide range of readers, and its articles are intended to appeal to non-specialists as well as to experts. Since its inception in 1952, the mark of a P&P article was that it should be a properly researched study which showed an awareness of the wider implications of that research. Its remit is worldwide, and across all time periods.

Subscriptions

Subscription information is available here

Individual subscriptions cost £39 per year (£24 for senior citizens and students) for four issues of the journal and the annual Supplement.

Supplements are also available to buy individually as books.

Submissions and information for authors

We welcome new submissions in all areas. More information for authors, and detailed submission guidelines, can be found here. Instructions for online submission (which is preferred) can be found here and the online submission website is here.

We hope to reach decisions on most submissions well within four months (and certainly no longer than six), and we will contact you if the refereeing process takes longer than this. We also offer advance access publication, which allows for swift online publication in advance of the print issue.