2026 Bayly Prize, New Starter, Book Launch and NACIRA Conference

For this week’s blog post we’re giving you a roundup of updates on the activities taking place at the Society and across our wider community:

2026 Bayly Prize

While we’re still preparing to share news about the 2025 Bayly Prize, things are already moving quickly and we’re delighted to announce that nominations for the 2026 Bayly Prize are now open.

Established in 2018, the prize commemorates the remarkable contributions of Professor Sir Christopher Bayly (1945–2015) to the study of world history. Each year it recognises exceptional PhD research within the broad field of Asian studies, celebrating work that advances understanding across regions, periods and disciplines.

In addition to a cash award, the prizewinner will be offered the opportunity to publish their work as a Royal Asiatic Society monograph. Other finalists may also be considered for publication by the Society. The award aims to highlight outstanding scholarship in the field and we encourage researchers to apply to bring their work to a wider audience.

Nominations for the prize will close on Monday 28 September 2026. Full details on eligibility and how to apply can be found on our website here.

New Starter

This week we’re delighted to welcome Evelyn Dodds to the Society as our new Outreach and Communications Officer. Evelyn will be the main point of contact for enquiries about our events, venue hire, and the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. If you’d like to attend any of our online events, you can reach her at emd@royalasiaticsociety.org. This is just a brief hello to Evelyn before she has the chance to introduce herself properly in a future post, so keep an eye on the blog for more from her soon.

Upcoming Book Launch

The Society’s next event will take place on Thursday 26 March, when we’ll be welcoming Dr Melanie Gibson to discuss her new publication on Sir Frederick Leighton, the celebrated Victorian artist and former President of the Royal Academy. Drawing on her recent research, Dr Gibson will speak on Leighton’s remarkable life as a traveller and collector, and his fascination with Islamic art which culminated in the creation of the exquisitely decorated Arab Hall at his studio home (which is in the featured image of this post!). Details of the event can be found here.

You can find more details about Dr Gibson’s book here.

And if you’d like to join us online, you already know who to contact!

NACIRA Conference

Before wrapping up, a quick reminder that a few spaces are still available for the upcoming NACIRA (National Committee for Information Resources on Asia) conference, taking place next Friday, 20 March, at the Royal Geographical Society.

The conference will feature talks by academics and practitioners on the digitisation of objects ranging from manuscripts to oracle bones, as well as the management, preservation, display and interpretation of digital humanities collections. The Society’s Edward William West archive will feature in the presentation by Professor Peter Cornwell and Dr Myriadne Wang from SOAS, while Dr Michael Willis, Research Fellow of the Society, will speak on SIDDHAM, a digital resource for the study of inscriptions from South and Central Asia.

This is an in-person event. To book your place or browse the full programme, please visit the Eventbrite page: NACIRA Conference and AGM Tickets, Friday, Mar 20 from 10 am to 4 pm | Eventbrite