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The Western Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies or WSECS (pronounced “Wessex”) is an interdisciplinary society of scholars who specialize in the long eighteenth century, which stretches from the late seventeenth through the early nineteenth centuries.  The organization is a regional affiliate of the American Society of Eighteenth-Century Studies (ASECS), a nationally recognized society of over 1,500 scholars drawn from over a dozen different disciplines.  

The annual WSECS conference is primarily attended by faculty and graduate students from west coast institutions, but it also attracts eighteenth-century specialists from further afield. The meeting is traditionally held in February to coincide with the Presidents’ Day holiday weekend.  Scholars must be dues-paying members of WSECS to present at the annual conference.  The cost of dues and the method of collecting them vary with the institution hosting the event.

Our next meeting will be held at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Friday, February 14th and Saturday, February 15th 2025, and will have the conference theme “The Unwritten Word: Alternative Texts, Epistemologies & Ontologies.” Please check our Upcoming Events page for more information.