CFP: Edited Collection Women and Humour in the Long Nineteenth Century (Autumn 2026)

Call for Book Chapter Submissions Edited Collection: Women and Humour in the Long Nineteenth Century (Autumn 2026)

The long nineteenth century saw a rich tapestry of humour and comedy, from the satirical sketches of Charles Dickens to the political cartoons of Gillray and Cruikshank, and from the lively routines of the music hall to the pages of periodicals. However, women’s contributions to these forms of humour have often been overlooked or underacknowledged. While feminist comedy is now recognised as a genre in its own right, the question “Can women be funny?” continues to circulate in contemporary discourse, reflecting both present-day cultural attitudes and those of the nineteenth century.

In popular imagination, women were often seen as the subjects of humour, rather than as humourists themselves. Yet, women were active participants in the comic world as writers, artists, and performers. The centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act has highlighted numerous cartoons mocking suffragettes, as well as earlier satirical portrayals of the “New Woman”. These historical examples demonstrate how gender and humour intersected, and how women in the nineteenth century were both subject to and creators of satirical and comedic works.

This edited collection seeks to explore the multifaceted role of women in humour and comedy during the long nineteenth century. We invite chapter proposals that address the active participation of women in comic discourses, whether through satire, parody, absurdity, or other forms of humour. We are especially interested in addressing the reasons for the historical absence or marginalisation of women in these areas, including issues such as work being attributed to male pseudonyms, cultural resistance, or gendered conceptions of comedy as a male-dominated field.

Potential chapter topics may include, but are not limited to:

• The role of satire, parody, and nonsense in women’s humour
• The intersection of humour and politics in the nineteenth century
• Women’s humour in periodicals and magazines, particularly women’s publications
• Women as both subjects and creators of comedy
• The portrayal of women in political cartoons and caricature
• Women, fashion, and humour
• Women in professional contexts and their use of satire
• Women humourists and their literary or comedic contributions
• The place of women in music hall comedy and performance
• Female humourists such as Sarah Green, May Kendall, Margaret Harkness, and George Egerton

We invite scholars from a variety of disciplines—literary studies, history, gender studies, performance studies, and more—to contribute to this interdisciplinary project. Chapter proposals should engage with the historical, cultural, and social contexts that shaped the roles of women in nineteenth-century humour and comedy.

Submission Details:
Please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words, along with a brief biography (100 words).
The deadline for submission of abstracts is 25 May 2025.
The authors of selected abstracts will be notified by 10 June 2025, and full chapters (approximately 6,000-8,000 words) are due by 15 March 2026.
The collection is scheduled for publication in Autumn 2026.

Please send your submissions and inquiries to: womenandhumour@gmail.com

We look forward to receiving your proposals and exploring the rich and often underexamined contributions of women to nineteenth-century humour and comedy.