Essays in French Literature and Culture

The journal was established in 1964 by James R. Lawler.[3] In 1975, the journal's editorship passed on to Denis Boak who, in a commemorative issue celebrating the journal's fiftieth anniversary, argues that Essays in French Literature was a "free-standing intellectual endeavour" providing "an extra outlet for young scholars to publish".[4] He was succeeded by Andrew Hunwick in 1995. Hélène Jaccomard took over in 2007.
A growing interest in cultural studies in the field of French studies led to a widening of the scope of the journal and its renaming in 2008. The new title reflects this wider emphasis on culture.
In the context of the crisis in academic publishing,[5] and as one of only two French Studies academic journals in Australia, Essays in French Literature and Culture has shown a remarkable ability to survive thanks to the quality of the articles it stringently selects, and its widening readership which is its only financial means of support.
The journal's importance is acknowledged by the Australian Society of French Studies[6] and Informit database.[7]

Prof. Hélène Jaccomard, Managing Editor
Associate Professor Bonnie Thomas, Associate Editor
Dr Rosemary Lancaster, The University of Western Australia
Prof. Peter Morgan, The University of Sydney
Prof. Srilata Ravi, University of Alberta
Dr Jean-Marie Volet, The University of Western Australia

In the first forty years of its existence, the journal published essays spontaneously submitted to the Editors. Since 2007 many issues have been thematic and guest edited by experts in the field. All the contributions go through a thorough double-blind evaluation by independent assessors. Themes recently covered by the journal:

- issue nr 45: Foreign? Writing in French (2008)
- issue nr 46 : Sports (2009)
- issue nr 47 and 48: Landscape and Memory (2010 and 2011)
- issue nr 49: The Paratext (2012)
- issue nr 50: Playtime (2013)
- issue nr 51: Représenter la Grande Guerre: les écrivains et les artistes face à l’épreuve (1914-1920) (2014)
- issue nr 52: Diaspora, Afropolitanism and Congolese Literature (2015)
- issue nr 53: Conflict, dialogue and representation (2016)
- issue nr 54: Hidden Words, Hidden Worlds (France 1939-1945) (2017)
- issue nr 55 : Miscellaneous (2018)

Thème: “Mines de rien”. L’Antillaise et l’Afropéenne face aux tropologies, entre mythes et réalités au fil du temps Guest Editors : Kathleen Gyssels et Jacqueline Couti

Kathleen Gyssels et Jacqueline Couti, Introduction
Julianna Blair Watson, De-Banalisation of Sexual Violence in BaengaBolya’s La Polyandre
Kathleen Gyssels, Taubira: la “Dame en rose” qui porte la “torche de résine” de L.G. Damas: troubler le genre au sein de la République [afro-]péenne
Alessa Vignoli, Surmonter les traumatismes, réagir aux préjugés: Les voyages de Merry Sisal de Gisèle Pineau
Jacqueline Couti, Flambeau d’insoumission: Mémorialisation de Lumina Sophie, dite Surprise, à la Martinique
Tina Harpin, Amour, colère et nausée: portraits de femmes guyanaises, de Damas à Thébia
Johanna Montlouis Gabriel, Ouvrir la voix (Amandine Gay): Opening One’s Eyes To Today’s Afropeans
Laura McGinnis, Mother, Daughter, Slave, (Re)sist(e)r? The Female Body in Antillean Visual Commemoration
Fabienne Kanor, How to be a perfect Black Doudou
Christopher Hogarth, Postface

Miscellaneous Section
James Cannon, Memories of War on the Urban Fringe
Frances Clare Egan, Translating the Eternal Feminine
Hélène Jaccomard, Gardénias et sécateurs: l’horticulture comme eudémonisme dans Une Désolation de Yasmina Reza
Carolyn Stott, Belleville noir in twenty-first century cinema: adaptation and innovation

The journal is abstracted and indexed in the Emerging Sources Citation Index,[8] and EBSCO and ProQuest databases.

• Official website and where the journal can be purchased