Eccles Centre for American Studies Visiting Fellowship programme

The Eccles Centre Visiting Fellowships at the British Library 2023–24

These awards are intended to support up to a month of research at the British Library for anyone wishing to use the Americas collections.

**More information about the Fellowship is below, but if you have any questions about the British Library’s collections or the Fellowship programme we will be hosting a live webinar at 11.30 EST / 12.30 AST / 16.30 GMT on Friday 2 December 2022.**

Please sign up here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_HAPY1YBmQeSoVJKQt8ZSxg

Who are the Fellowships for?

Whether you are an independent or academic researcher, creative practitioner, journalist, educator, scientist or anything in between, if you need to use the British Library for your work, we want to hear from you.

Applicants need to be over 18 but can be based anywhere in the world. Researchers from the Caribbean will receive £3,000 to cover 3 to 4 weeks research at the Library.

What Caribbean and Americas collections are at the British Library?

The British Library has over 170 million items including manuscripts, maps, books, journals, newspapers, sound and moving image and digital collections.

You can explore the online catalogues here, and learn more about Caribbean and Americas studies research at the British Library on our blog.

Particular strengths and unique collections include:

• Enslavement, abolition and emancipation in the Americas, including the papers of figures like Edward Long and Thomas Clarkson
• Archives of major Caribbean and British-Caribbean writers including Andrew Salkey, Beryl Gilroy, James Berry, Andrea Levy and Shiva Naipaul, and rare editions of works by key figures including Una Marson and C.L.R. James
• A century of sound and music recordings of the Caribbean
• A vast collection of maps of the Caribbean

What can I research as part of the programme?

There are four research themes we’re particularly keen for researchers to explore through our collections:

• Sounds and music of the Americas
• Americans beyond the Americas
• American environments
• Religion and spirituality in the Americas.

You are strongly encouraged to apply with projects that align with one of these themes. If you need to use our Americas collections for an original project that falls outside the scope of these themes you may still be considered, but we will be prioritising those who meet our core themes. How do I apply?

Visit www.bl.uk/eccles-centre/fellowships-and-awards/fellowships for more information, terms and conditions and a link to the online application form.