Welcome to the Research Society for Victorian Periodicals (familiarly known as RSVP), an interdisciplinary and international association of scholars dedicated to the exploration of the richly diverse world of the 19th-century press: magazines, newspapers, serials of all kinds. Members of RSVP are involved in the study of British literature, and the history and culture of Britain and its empire, as well as in the emerging fields of book history and media history.

RSVP exists to foster interdisciplinary scholarship on all aspects of the 19th-century press. The Society offers a friendly, collegial home for all literary scholars, historians, and others whose studies take them into the fascinating world of Victorian newspapers and magazines. RSVP’s quarterly journal, the Victorian Periodicals Review, is the place to publish and to learn about the latest developments in the vibrant and rapidly expanding field of 19th century media studies. RSVP sponsors several fellowships and prizes, and annually holds one of the most welcoming and informative academic conferences around. Last year’s conference at the University of Ghent was a smashing success, featuring a splendidly engaging program of papers and plenaries. Moreover, our conference, always so warm and lively and interesting, also made international news! If that news has brought you to the RSVP website for the first time, please have a look around. Who knows, you might even consider becoming a member by subscribing to our flagship journal, Victorian Periodicals Review.

We had a fabulous 2016 conference in Kansas City! As can be seen from the program, we enjoyed a wonderful variety of exciting papers and roundtables. Of special interest were two splendid plenary addresses, now available to watch on YouTube! Jim Mussell on “Too Much to Read” and Mary Shannon on “Mornings on Wellington Street.” Watch this space for details of next year’s RSVP meeting in beautiful Freiburg, Germany!

A gallery of pictures from the 2015 conference at the University of Ghent