Africa in World History

I am a series co-editor, with Todd Cleveland, of Ohio University Press’s Africa in World History Series.

The objective of the Africa in World History series at Ohio University Press is to publish accessible books written for a variety of audiences, some of whom may know relatively little about the continent. Collectively, the volumes challenge common misunderstandings about Africa’s past and its connection to the present. The books focus on Africa while placing the continent in contact and context with the rest of the world. 

Books in the series feature familiar topics, such as soccer, cuisine, diamonds, or slavery, situate them in an African context, and draw readers into substantive engagement with their complex histories. Some books in the series examine a single topic as it unfolds across the continent, while others focus on a particular setting or region to illustrate broader developments and dynamics. Authors in the series typically draw upon their own primary source research, but also synthesize a range of secondary sources, always adhering to rigorous standards of scholarship. 

The AWH series has a strong commitment to producing books written in an accessible style, appropriate for adoption in a wide variety of undergraduate courses. The clear writing and explicit connections between Africans and the wider world make books in the series ideal for both African and world history courses. They are especially useful for undergraduate and graduate instruction; for training foreign service, NGO, and media personnel; and for readers interested in deepening and expanding their knowledge of Africa’s interlinked past, present, and future. Authors are encouraged to include reader guides to facilitate discussion within educational settings.

The series coeditors encourage proposals from authors of all career stages and geographic locations and are particularly excited to work with first-time authors and authors from the African continent. To discuss an idea for a book in the series, please contact AWH coeditors Todd Cleveland (tcclevel@uark.edu) and Melissa Graboyes (graboyes@uoregon.edu). In your e-mail, provide a brief description of your proposed project and explain why it is appropriate for this series and this audience. 

Perspectives on Global Health

I recently took over as series editor of Ohio University Press’s Perspectives on Global Health Series, from founding editor, Jim Webb.

The Perspectives on Global Health series at Ohio University Press publishes books that shed light on important issues related to global health. Collectively, the volumes provide granular detail about health care practices in various parts of the world, challenge common assumptions about the field, and provide much-needed historical context to illustrate connections between global health’s past and present. The series seeks to highlight the work of local actors and to present multiple scales of global health. Books in this series often cross disciplines and draw on sources and methods from both the natural and the social sciences.

Although over the past decade, books in the series have focused largely on the African continent, we are eager to expand the geographical scope. We welcome manuscript proposals that address other parts of the world, such as Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East, that are explicitly comparative between regions, or that examine a particular topic from a global perspective.

The books are written to the highest scholarly standards for a readership of both students and practitioners. The books are appropriate for adoption in undergraduate courses in history, anthropology, and global health, as well as for graduate programs in medicine, public health, and global health.

I encourages proposals from authors of all career stages and geographic locations and is particularly excited to work with first-time authors and authors from the Global South. To discuss an idea for a book in the series, please contact me (graboyes@uoregon.edu). After an initial discussion of the appropriateness of the topic for the series, authors may prepare a formal proposal and one or two manuscript chapters for consideration, following Ohio University Press’s submission guidelines.