Conference 2027 - University of Felpersham*
Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 March 2027
From the University of Felpersham*
This year we gather at the University of Felpersham, convening in the rather splendid Elliot Centre for Business and the Environment.
Call for Papers is open until 5 pm, 20 November - all information below.
The full programme will be announced towards the end of the year. But tickets are on sale right now - £52.00 (£50.00 + £2.00 booking fee) - so you can claim your place at the Elliot Centre while we get to work on the rest.
*Online, via Zoom.
We are back online for 2027, the format that lets the whole community join in, from the kitchen table to the far corners of the world, with the kettle never more than a few steps away. No packing, no working out which Felpersham bus runs on a Sunday, no waiting for Rex to turn up in his taxi, no hanging around at Hollerton Junction for the connecting train. Wherever you are, Ambridge will come to you.
CALL FOR PAPERSAll you need to respond to our Call for Papers is the inspiration to bring your professional skills, forensic listener knowledge or scholarly expertise to bear on exploring and explaining the lives of the people of Ambridge.
What we’re looking for
We invite proposals for presentations on any topic to do with The Archers, as direct or as leftfield as you like. We welcome the serious, the wildcard, the flight of fancy and the humorous in equal measure.
Presentations last 10 to 12 minutes, and you can present on your own, as a duo, trio or larger group. Slides are welcome but optional. Previous formats have included ‘talk-and-slides’, films, dramatic readings and photo-essays, alongside the full range of qualitative and quantitative approaches.
Possible conference topics
The world’s longest-running drama serial has accompanied generations of listeners, shaped how Britain imagines rural life, carried public information alongside plotlines, and tackled the domestic, social, and agricultural in ways that have sparked national conversation. This year we especially welcome papers that consider the cultural importance of The Archers: its place in British broadcasting and everyday life, its influence on public debate, and what an everyday story of country folk tells us about who we are.
It has, as always, been a dramatic year in Ambridge. Potential further topics include, but are not limited to:
Maternity services in Borsetshire: how do they compare with the rest of the UK?
Amber and George as parents: indulgent, helicopter, or simply head-to-toe in designer babygrows?
Death in Ambridge: how are traditions changing, and what is a good death?
Legacies and betrayal in Ambridge: family, marriage and friendship truth and lies
What you can expect as a presenter
The friendliest, most committed and engaged audience of your life, listening avidly with curiosity, generosity and joy, and asking interesting questions.
Key details
Conference dates: Saturday 20 March (all day) to Sunday 21 March 2027 (until lunchtime)
Location: Elliot Centre for Business and the Environment, University of Felpersham (also known as online)
Deadline for submissions: 5pm, 20 November 2026
How to submit
Please send the following to the Conference Committee at hello@academicarchers.net:
An abstract of 200 to 250 words
A biography of up to 100 words
Abstracts will be reviewed by a panel drawn from the Academic Archers community, and decisions will be shared with presenters by 11 December 2026.
If you’d like help preparing your abstract or biography, or have any questions about the process, the Conference Committee is always happy to hear from you at hello@academicarchers.net.