London Critical creates accessible, non-hierarchical spaces for emergent critical thought.
London Conference in Critical Thought
20th-21st June 2025
Birkbeck, University of London
Registration is now open for the 12th annual London Conference in Critical Thought (LCCT), which will be hosted and supported by Birkbeck, University of London on 20th-21st June, 2025.
Participation in the conference is always free for both presenters and attendees, but we ask that attendees register their attendance.
London Journal of Critical Thought
The London Journal of Critical Thought (LJCT) is an open access and peer reviewed academic journal that creates an alternative space for emergent critical thought by publishing that publishes ‘collections’ of short pieces that emerge in conversation from participation in any academic event. These collections are distinct from more traditional collections sometimes found in journals or books by virtue of both the shorter length of individual pieces as well the emphasis placed on the relationship between the pieces and the academic event. Rather than individual stand alone.
The LJCT is distinct from more a traditional proceedings journal in that the pieces are not framed as stand-alone work, each piece is rather a part of its particular collection informed by the conversations which emerged from the original event. The journal consists of a series of ‘collections’ that are typically constituted of 3 to 4 pieces (between 2000 and 4000 words each) and are preceded by an introduction from the co-editor(s) of the Collection. The LJCT originated publishing collections that derived from the London Conference in Critical Thought, but from 2023 is now open to collection submissions based on participation in any academic event.
Midlands Conference of Critical Thought 2025
The Midlands Conference in Critical Thought (MCCT) is an offshoot of the LCCT. The MCCT follows the same ethos and format as the LCCT, with a midlands flavour. The Call for Streams is now open with a deadline of 25th September 2024.
Please download the Call For Presentations here.
Email midlandscritical@gmail.com for more info.
About Us
The London Conference in Critical Thought (LCCT) began as many ideas do – in conversation with friends. In this case it was with new friends made at another conference where we all felt that the most interesting panels and papers always seemed to appear at the margins of the event and the margins of disciplinary boundaries more generally. From this we were inspired to find a means of developing and sustaining the sense of community we found on these margins. Central to this vision was an interdisciplinary, non-hierarchical, and accessible event which made a particular effort to embrace emergent thought and the participation of emergent academics. For these reasons we decided against the common practice of including keynote speakers. It was also agreed that the conference must be free to attend.
While the original Call for Presentations in the first year was developed by a small group of committed volunteers, the organising collective soon grew with an enthusiastic response from those who proposed thematic streams and panels. In this way, both the organising collective and the subjects discussed at the conference emerge in an organic process as academics identified with an event oriented toward a broad interpretation of critical thought.
The conference moves between institutions in London. Our first conference was held in 2012, at Birkbeck hosted by the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities with additional support from the School of Law. Subsequent conferences have been held at Royal Holloway, Goldsmiths, UCL, London South Bank and the University of Westminster. The LCCT regularly attracts around 150 participants, sometimes more than 200.
Conversations at the Margins
Although there is no set theme for the conference as a whole, we seek to select stream and presentation proposals where they appear to enter ‘into conversation’ with one another. Part of the ethos of the conference is to bring people together whose works speak to one another where they might otherwise tend to be segregated by discipline, department, or even academic position. We felt this was particularly important for emerging academics who may not already have an established network of those who share common interests.
The emphasis of bringing people and ideas into conversation plays a key role in the presentation selection process where we work collaboratively across the conference organisation to identify presentations that work well together. We also organise the timings and structure of the conference to provide longer than average amounts of time for discussion and for social interaction in between panels at the end of the day.
If there is a coalescing theme it is that the conference engages in ‘critical thought’ which we interpret very broadly allowing for the themes, questions, and topics to emerge organically through the Call for Streams and the Call for Presentations.
Non-Hierarchical and Accessible
Unlike many conferences of its size, there are no plenaries, no specially invited guests, and the conference is free for all to attend.
Keeping the conference free is one of the primary ways in which we seek to keep the conference accessible, particularly for those who wish to participate but do not have institutional support to do so. We work to keep the costs of the conference to a minimum so that the conference itself remains sustainable in its running, can move between institutions with greater ease, and most importantly, remain free. There are no paid staff associated with the conference administration (it is run by volunteers), no flights to pay for star academics, nor fancy dinners. After ensuring that we have rooms for the panels we prioritise funds for coffee, and if possible a drinks reception.
We also do not prioritise any particular emergent ‘conversation’ of the conference above others – which is part of the reason for why we have chosen not to have plenary speakers or panels. Similarly, panels are not generally ‘pre-formed’ but emerge as the result of what comes in from the Call for Presentations – allowing for a more open opportunity for potential participants to engage in a particular conversation.
The primary organising body of the conference, the LCCT Collective, is a group of volunteers, with changing membership. We work in a way that aims to keep the decision making processes within the collective non-hierarchical and cooperative. If you have been involved with the conference and would like to become part of the organising collective, please do get in touch!
