About the Journal

About Left History

Established in 1993, Left History is a peer-reviewed bi-annual scholarly journal run out of York University, with an editorial board of prominent left historians. Left History features articles by both established and new scholars from a variety of academic disciplines, on topics including race, politics, gender, sexuality, culture, the state, labour, the environment, human rights, theory, and method. Left History also includes review essays and individual book reviews, and occasionally other types of material like research notes and symposium proceedings.

Left History is indexed in America History and Life, Historical Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, and the Alternative Press Index.

Open Access

Until 2019, issues of Left History were printed by York University Publishing Services in Toronto, Ontario, and made available via paid subscription. The journal is now published exclusively online and free of charge, thanks to York University Libraries and Open Journal Systems, developed by the Public Knowledge Project.

A limited quantity of back issues are available for purchase; please contact the editors for more information.

Submission Process

On receipt by the journal, each article is appraised by the Editor-in-Chief and staff editors for its relationship to the theme of the journal, as well as its academic rigour. Left History requires that articles be on subject matter relevant to study of or by the Left, and that they be original research fitting the standards of academic conduct. While the journal publishes primarily historical work, it also welcomes interdisciplinary work from other disciplines in conversation with history, such as sociology, English, political science, economics, cultural studies, critical disability studies, urban studies, and archaeology. Once the suitability of an article is determined by the journal’s editors it must be approved by a minimum of two peer reviewers. The editorial team seeks reviewers for their expertise in the article’s time period and subject matter.

Review essays and book reviews are not peer reviewed. For a list of books available or if you have a book in mind for review please email lefthist@yorku.ca

Sources of Support

For their funding and support, Left History thanks the Department of History at York University and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.