Caroline Edwards promoted to Professor of Contemporary Literature and Culture 

We are thrilled to announce that our Executive Director, Dr Caroline Edwards, has successfully applied for conferment of her academic title at Birkbeck, University of London. From 1st October 2025, Caroline’s new title will be Professor of Contemporary Literature & Culture. This conferment recognises Caroline’s international profile as a leading scholar in the fields of contemporary literature, utopian studies, and science fiction studies.

Caroline has been a driving force behind the Open Library of Humanities (OLH) since she co-founded the organisation in 2013 with Professor Martin Eve. What started as a collaborative project and network of academics, open access advocates, and librarians has since grown into an award-winning publisher leading digital innovation. Supported by c. 340 libraries and funding councils worldwide, the OLH champions humanities research and is now home to a growing number of flagship journals that were previously locked behind commercial paywalls. 

Building on her commitment to scholar-led diamond open access and OLH’s success in returning academic publishing to university communities, Caroline launched the Open Journals Collective (OJC) in 2025. The OJC is a collective of libraries and university-based publishers dedicated to creating a sustainable, community-led alternative to corporate “big deals” and transformative agreements.

Please join us in congratulating Professor Caroline Edwards on her well-deserved promotion and her ongoing brilliant work advancing academic publishing and contemporary literary scholarship. 

Photo by Jason Leung on Unsplash