Academic Archers Conference 2026

 

Saturday 28 – Sunday 29 March 2026
University of Warwick

 

Celebrating 10 years of scholarly Ambridology

2026 marks the 10th Academic Archers Conference, and we’re returning in person to celebrate in style.

Join us at the University of Warwick for a weekend of warm welcomes, brilliant papers, lively discussion, and the kind of community only Archers fans and researchers can create. Whether you’re a familiar face or thinking about attending for the first time, this special anniversary gathering promises something for everyone.

We’ll be together again for:

  • All-day sessions on Saturday 28 March

  • A half-day of talks and reflections on Sunday 29 March

  • A conference dinner on Saturday evening to celebrate the big 1-0

  • An informal Friday hello at Benugo’s for early arrivals

 

Below - Call for Papers / Ticket information and Box Office Link / Accomodation information / FAQ (hover over the text for the link)

 

Call for Papers

We invite you to submit your ideas for presentations on any topic to do with life in Ambridge. Highlights from past conferences include a guide to counter-insurgency, conversations between ‘silents’, and a visit from Morris dancers.

Presentations are between 10-12 minutes long and you can present on your own, as a duo, trio or group. You can use slides, or not, and we also welcome poster presentations, wildcards, flights of fancy, and suggestions from left-field. In the past we have had ‘talk-and-slides’, films, posters, dramatic readings, and photo-essays, as well as the full range of qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Conference Topics: It has, as always, been a dramatic year in Ambridge. Potential topics for papers include (but are not limited to):

  • Environmental change, the agricultural future, and farm succession, e.g. farm death duties, rewilding, reinstating wildlife (legally or otherwise)

  • The changing nature of crime in Borsetshire, e.g. the increase in organised crime, urban crime in rural settings, witness intimidation, rural crime and retribution

  • Everyday domestic drama in Ambridge, e.g. intergenerational conflict, family solidarity, aging and dying

  • An everyday story of contemporary rural drama, e.g. creation/challenge of perceptions of rural life, social commentary, representation, changes to the BBC remit

  • Seventy-five years of listening, e.g. fan reactions to storylines, fan communities, changes to the listener experience, BBC Sounds

Call for Papers Deadline: 21 September 2025

What you can expect as a presenter: is the most friendly, committed and engaged audience of your life, listening avidly with curiosity, generosity and joyfulness and asking interesting questions.

What we expect of presenters: is to keep in touch with the conference committee and meet deadlines. You may be asked to contribute to blog posts, podcasts and other promotional activity, and quick responses help the process to run smoothly.

To send us your ideas please:

  • Submit an abstract of 200-250 words

  • Submit a biography of up to 100 words - and remember, you don’t have to work in academia to be an Academic Archers Research Fellow - you just need to be inspired to apply your professional skills, forensic listener knowledge, or academic expertise to The Archers in order to explore and explain the lives of people living in Ambridge.

  • Send to the Conference Committee via acarchers26@gmail.com (or the link below) 

Abstracts will be reviewed by a panel of members of the Academic Archers community, and decisions will be communicated to presenters by the end of November 2025.

 

Tickets – Now on Sale

There are two ticket options available:

‘Hello You Two’ – Full Weekend Ticket (£175)

  • Access to all sessions on Saturday and Sunday

  • All catering across both days

  • A place at the celebratory Saturday evening conference dinner

‘Single Wicket’ – Saturday Only Ticket (£80)

  • Access to Saturday sessions only

  • All catering included on the Saturday

 

Stay With Us – Exclusive On-Campus Deal

We've secured an accommodation offer at Radcliffe, right on the University of Warwick campus:

  • £90 per night for single occupancy (incl. VAT & breakfast)

  • £120 per night for double/twin occupancy (incl. VAT & breakfast)

Available for Friday 27 and Saturday 28 March 2026
Promo Code: AABB26

Note: When booking, select ‘1 person’ even if you choose a double/twin room – it will still be charged at the single occupancy rate of £90.

 

A Note on Ticket Pricing

We know that attending a conference is a big commitment – of time, energy, and money – and we want to be open about how this event is run.

The Academic Archers Conference operates on a not-for-profit basis, and ticket prices are set only to cover actual costs, including venue hire, catering, accessibility and delivery. Thanks to the generous support of those who attended our online conference, we’ve been able to keep prices lower than they otherwise might have been.

We’re working hard to make sure this year is truly worth it.