On 23-24 July 2010 the Leverhulme sponsored research project responsible for editing the diary of William Godwin will hold a two-day conference to introduce scholars to the new resource and to explore how that resource provides a distinctive light on our understanding of late eighteenth and early nineteenth century social and political culture.

We should state at the outset that the conference format, and the nature of the papers presented, is a little unusual. The objective of the conference is to launch the diary website and to illustrate its potential as a research tool for the study of the period 1788-1836. It is not, therefore, a 'Godwin conference' but is concerned with how the diary illuminates various aspects of London's cultural and material worlds with particular emphasis on the manifold networks of relationships that Godwin mapped in his diary.

Accordingly, papers should focus on the contribution Godwin's Diary might make to some of their own research interests. To enable people to do this the Godwin team will provide speakers with access to the Diary in advance of the conference. Moreover, rather than expecting people to write extensive papers on their research areas we are asking for short contributions of just 10 minutes. Our belief is that this will prove an attractive format that will allow a very wide range of issues to be discussed during the two days and will give some indication of the immense richness of the resource as a research tool.

Our hope is that scholars will find attractive the idea of brief papers about particular topics that link the Diary to their research interests and indicate its contribution. The Bodleian has agreed that a collection of the papers will be published in a special issue of the Bodleian Library Record.