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About the Centre

The study of the life and works of the English novelist and short-story writer Joseph Conrad (1857-1924) is a research speciality at St Mary's University through its Centre for Joseph Conrad Studies. It is pursued in several activities but principally through the management and editing of The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Joseph Conrad, in course of publication by Cambridge University Press.

The Centre for Joseph Conrad Studies is staffed by Emeritus Professor Allan Simmons and Dr Kim Salmons, Associate Professors of Modern Literature who both act as co-directors. The fiction of Joseph Conrad is taught at St Mary’s University on the:

  • BA English Literature programme
  • the MA in Literature, Culture and Heritage
  • at PhD level.

St Mary’s University is also the biennial home for the International Conrad Conference (UK), which will be celebrating its 50th anniversary at the Centre in July 2023.

Dr Salmons serves as Conference Secretary of the Joseph Conrad Society UK and thanks to her efforts St Mary’s now regularly hosts the Society’s Annual Internal Conferences. She has also expanded the reach of Conrad Studies at St Mary’s by inviting Conrad specialists to speak at the university and hosting zoom conferences, most recently the lecture series ‘Reading Conrad in the Modern World’.    

If you are interested in finding out more about studying Conrad at St Mary’s University at undergraduate, postgraduate or PhD level, or you would like information about up-coming events, please contact kim.salmons@stmarys.ac.uk.


Updates from the Centre

  • Joseph Conrad’s Nostromo, edited by Roger Osborne (James Cook University, Australia) forthcoming volume in The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Joseph Conrad.
  • The 50th Annual International Conference of the Joseph Conrad Society (UK) 6-8 July 2023 will be held at St Mary’s University, 6 to 7 July, and at POSK, Hammersmith on 8 July. The Joseph Conrad Society has more information.