25th George Rudé Seminar in French History and Culture
8-10 July 2026
University of Western Australia

The conference organisers are pleased to invite you to the 25th George Rudé Seminar
in French History and Culture, which will be held from 8-10 July 2026 in Boorloo /
Perth at the University of Western Australia on the unceded land of the Whadjuk
Noongar on the banks of the Derbal Yerrigan / Swan River.

The George Rudé Seminar, held every second year in Australia or New Zealand,
brings together specialists in French history and culture from across the world in
recognition of the contribution made by George Rudé to the study of French history
and culture in Australasia and internationally.

Call for Papers: The conference welcomes papers on all aspects of French and
Francophone history, from the Middle Ages to the present. Papers may be given in
English or in French and will normally be of 20 minutes duration. Proposals for
thematic panels of three papers will also be considered.

While the conference will mainly be held in person, some online presentations will
be possible. Please indicate your requirements when submitting your proposal. Please
note that the conference will run in Australian Western Standard times.

Proposal Submissions: Proposals including presentation title, 200-word paper
abstract, 150-word biographical statement, are due by 15 December 2025. Successful
proposals to present will be notified by 31 January 2026.

All queries and proposals should be sent to: georgerudeseminar2026@gmail.com

Travel Bursaries: A limited number of travel bursaries will be available to
postgraduate, early career and unwaged presenters to support the costs of travel to the
conference. See further details about the Alison Patrick Memorial Scholarship below.
Please indicate in your proposal submission if you would like to be considered for
bursary support and what your specific support needs are.

French History and Culture: Each Rudé conference produces a peer-reviewed
selection of papers in the journal French History and Culture, published free and
online through H-France at http://www.h-france.net/rude/rudepapers.html.

George Rudé Society: For further information on the George Rudé Society and on
earlier conferences, see https://h-france.net/rude/

Alison Patrick Memorial Scholarship

Applications are invited for a scholarship in memory of Alison Patrick, to enable
(post)graduate students to attend the George Rudé Seminar in French History and
Culture. The Scholarship provides up to $3300 (AUD) towards travel and expenses.

Alison Patrick was Reader in History at the University of Melbourne. She had a
lifelong interest in the scholarship of the French Revolution, and a strong commitment
to students. She was one of the founders of the Rudé Seminar and presented papers
over many years.

Eligibility: The Scholarship is open to students undertaking full- or part-time
doctoral study in French or francophone history (or a related field) at a recognised
university anywhere in the world.

Applications: Applications for the Scholarship to attend the 2026 George Rudé
Seminar at The University of Western Australia, in Boorloo/Perth, should be sent
to georgerudeseminar2026@gmail.com

Applicants should send a CV, a 200-word paper abstract, and provide the names of
two academic referees (one of whom should be the candidate’s supervisor) by
the closing date: 15 December 2025

The email application must be clearly marked ‘Alison Patrick Memorial Scholarship
Application’ in the subject line.

Conditions: The recipient/s is expected to attend in person and present a paper at the
Rudé Seminar. They will also be expected to offer the paper as an article for
publication in French History and Culture. Papers from the George Rudé Seminar,
published on H-France. If accepted, following referees’ reports, the published article
will carry an acknowledgement of the Scholarship.

Costs incurred will be reimbursed upon presentation of receipts. In certain cases, fares
may be paid directly by the Scholarship fund.

Part scholarships may be offered to more than one applicant. The Scholarship will
not be awarded to the same person twice. If numerous applications of equal quality
are received, preference may be given to papers on the French Revolution, Alison
Patrick’s primary area of interest.