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Year	in	Review	
	
Beloved	 readers	 and	 authors,	we	 are	 happy	 to,	 for	 the	 third	 time,	 reach	 out	 to	 you	with	 a	
summary	of	the	year	that	has	passed,	and	present	you	with	our	plans	for	the	future.	For	those	
unfamiliar	 with	 the	 Anthropology	 Book	 Forum,	 it	 was	 founded	 by	 the	 American	
Anthropological	 Association	 as	 an	 experimental	 digital	 platform	 aimed	 at	 accelerating	 the	
scholarly	book	 review	process	 and	expanding	 conversations	 around	newly	published	work.	
As	 an	 open	 access	 journal,	 committed	 to	 a	 set	 of	 principles	 that	 aims	 to	 reduce	 barriers	 to	
accessibility,	the	Forum	publishes	reviews	in	multiple	formats	weekly,	every	Monday.	Based	
on	the	idea	that	book	reviews	are	not	just	summaries	of	academic	texts,	but	engagements	with	
scholarship,	 ideas	 and	 authors,	 the	 Forum	 seeks	 to	 facilitate	 connections	 and	 exchange	
between	authors	and	readers	within	and	outside	of	anthropology.	With	an	online	readership	
of	around	3,000	per	month,	and	a	contributor	base	of	1300	and	growing,	we	are	constantly	
exploring	and	experimenting	with	new	modes	of	engagement	and	new	forms	of	written,	audio	
and	 visual	 review	 formats.	 Working	 with	 over	 100	 publishers	 around	 the	 world,	 we	
continuously	 seek	 to	 make	 available	 a	 broad	 range	 of	 texts	 relevant	 to	 anthropological	
audiences,	broadly	conceived.	
		
When	we	last	wrote	to	you	in	our	2020	Year	in	Review,	we	were	nearly	a	year	into	a	global	
pandemic	that	has	both	amplified	modes	of	connectivity	while	also	exacerbating	various	kinds	
of	 exclusions	 within	 anthropology	 and	 academia	 more	 broadly.	 We	 wanted	 to	 take	 the	
opportunity	 to	 rethink	 our,	 albeit	 small,	 role	 in	 making	 anthropological	 scholarship	 more	
accessible	–	not	as	a	short-term	reaction	to	the	conditions	brought	on	by	the	pandemic	–	but	
as	a	long-term	and	ongoing	project.	We	begin	this	review	by	looking	back	over	the	past	year,	
before	 introducing	some	new	options	 for	 interactive	reviews	and	scholarly	conversations	 in	
the	year	to	come.		
	
Looking	Back:	2021	Year	in	Review		
This	 has	 been	 an	 eventful	 year.	We	 have	 finally	moved	 to	 our	 new	 home,	 a	 site	 dedicated	
entirely	to	the	Forum.	Here,	we	have	developed	and	expanded	multiple	ways	to	engage	with	
recent	 scholarship	 and	 film	other	 than	 through	 text	 alone.	We	have	 launched	an	option	 for	
authors	to	engage	their	readership	through	what	we	call	Author	Book	Talks,	a	format	in	which	
writers	 and	 researchers	 contextualize	 their	 work	 and	 the	 importance	 of	 their	 scholarly	
contribution	in	video	or	audio	form.	We	have	also	sought	to	encourage	Video	Reviews	where	
authors	 and	 reviewers	 alike	 can	 be	 ‘present,’	 albeit	 virtually.	 Moreover,	 we	 continue	 to	
provide	audio	versions	of	 some	reviews	 in	order	 to	enhance	accessibility.	The	new	website	
also	 includes	 an	 elaborated	 Journal	 History	 and	 Focus	 and	 Scope	 sections,	 and	 we	 have	
started	a	Contributor	section	where	our	reviewers	are	briefly	presented	to	both	acknowledge	
and	 convey	 the	 many	 voices	 that	 make	 up	 the	 Forum.	 We	 hope	 these	 changes	 have	
contributed	 to	making	 the	Forum	a	 lively	and	 interactive	 space	 for	 learning,	discussing	and	
communicating	insights	from	anthropology	and	beyond.			
	
	



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Additionally,	 our	 Facebook	 page	 (launched	 in	 autumn	 2019)	 has	 started	 to	 attract	 a	 large	
following.	 At	 the	 time	 of	 writing,	 we	 have	 over	 2200	 followers	 and	 growing.	We	 find	 this	
useful	as	Facebook	allows	us	to	share	our	reviews	and	available	titles	with	readers	who	would	
otherwise	 most	 likely	 not	 locate	 us	 through	 our	 website	 alone.	 Thus,	 this	 increase	 in	 our	
online	presence	is	important	to	us	and	we	are	much	appreciative	to	all	those	of	our	followers	
that	 share	 and	 engage	with	 our	 posts.	Moreover,	 the	 number	 of	 academic	 presses	 that	we	
work	 with	 continues	 to	 expand,	 now	 including	 several	 smaller	 independent	 publishing	
houses.	This	is	important	to	us	as	we	work	to	make	the	Forum	more	inclusive,	not	only	with	
regards	 to	who	 reviews	 a	 book,	 but	 also	 to	where	 books	 are	 published	 and	which	 subjects	
they	 engage	with.	 Including	 a	 broader	 representation	 of	 titles	 from	minority-	 and	women-
owned	publishers	moreover	allows	 for	a	much	broader	and	stimulating	discussion	wherein	
multiple	voices	from	different	perspectives	can	be	heard.	The	Anthropology	Book	Forum	will	
keep	 on	working	 for	 an	 inclusive	 scholarly	 environment	 free	 of	 exclusive	walls	 of	 different	
kinds,	such	as	paywalls	–	hence	our	abiding	efforts	to	maintain	Open	Access	publishing.		
	
Carrying	 on	 a	 concern	 we	 have	 maintained	 since	 2019,	 we	 have	 worked	 to	 increase	 the	
number	of	 archaeology	 titles	 reviewed	 in	 the	Forum	–	out	of	 the	51	 reviews	published	 this	
year,	nine	are	within	 the	domain	of	archaeology.	 It	 is	our	ambition	 to	continue	 the	work	 to	
increase	the	number	of	archaeology	titles	reviewed	to	ensure	a	more	equitable	representation	
of	 the	 four	 fields,	 and	 encourage	 archeology	 students	 and	 scholars	 to	 check	 out	 our	
archaeological	titles	available	for	review.	Finally,	ending	our	review	of	the	last	year	on	a	proud	
note,	we	 are	 excited	 to	 announce	 that	we	 have	 published	 our	 first	 review	of	 a	 non-English	
title,	En	bra	plats	att	vara	på	(2016).	It	is	our	hope	that	we	will	be	able	to	publish	many	more	
reviews	 of	 this	 kind	 to	 increase	 awareness	 and	 gain	 perspectives	 from	 outside	 the	 English	
language	 sphere	 –	 something	 we	 believe	 can	 be	 of	 great	 value	 for	 further	 broadening	
conversations	relevant	to	anthropological	audiences.		
	
Looking	Forward:	2022	
This	year	we	have	published	both	joint	reviews	as	well	as	a	review	of	a	non-English	title.	This	
is	a	start.	Yet,	we	want	more!	We	strongly	encourage	anyone	interested	to	get	in	touch	with	
ideas	of	books	that	would	make	a	good	combination	for	a	joint	review,	or	of	titles	that	are	
published	in	languages	other	than	English	of	which	you	could	provide	a	review	(in	English).	
Additionally,	two	formats	that	have	been	slow	to	develop,	and	which	we	would	like	to	expand	
in	the	next	year,	are	our	Author	Book	Talks	and	Author	Interviews.	We	would	especially	
welcome	any	graduate	students	seeking	to	interview	authors	regarding	their	recent	work	
from	their	departments	or	from	outside	their	university.	Additionally,	we	invite	any	
publishers	to	reach	out	to	authors	they	work	with	to	convey	this	resource.	If	you	would	like	to	
propose	a	Book	Talk	or	Interview,	please	get	in	touch!		
	
In	continuing	to	offer	a	vibrant	space	for	knowledge	exchange,	we	are	excited	to	announce	
two	new	aspects	of	the	Forum	called	Conversations	and	Trajectories:		
	
Conversations:	Published	on	a	rolling	basis,	this	venue	will	feature	informal	conversations	
around	a	particular	theme	invoked	by	a	recent	publication,	for	instance,	a	new	definition	of	a	
concept	like	kinship	or	a	novel	regional	perspective.	We	invite	proposals	from	individuals	
who	are	interested	in	taking	the	lead	on	putting	together	a	Conversation	with	at	least	five	
participants.		
	
Trajectories:	Similar	to	a	review	article,	trajectories	are	between	1500	and	3000	words	and	
attempt	to	succinctly	tease	out	major	themes	in	recent	scholarship	within	a	topic	or	subfield.	
For	instance,	this	review	may	focus	on	recently	published	titles	relevant	to	biological	



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anthropology	and	suggest	how	these	newly	published	texts	are	pushing	the	field	in	new	
directions,	or	perhaps,	revisiting	old	debates.		
	
Beginning	in	2022,	we	will	also	work	to	offer	expanded	resources	to	students	and	early	career	
scholars.	Namely,	this	will	include	opportunities	for	publishers	to	engage	possible	future	
authors	via	the	Anthropology	Book	Forum	as	a	way	to	stimulate	and	assist	early	career	
scholars	to	learn	the	craft	of	effective	book	proposals	and	how	to	attract	interest	from	
academic	publishing	houses.	These	opportunities	will	be	presented	on	the	Resources	page	of	
the	site,	which	we	hope	to	share	with	you	shortly.		
	
Additionally,	we	are	working	to	make	the	new	site	more	navigable	and	the	process	of	locating	
reviews	and	available	books	easier.	Moreover,	we	acknowledge	that	‘inclusivity’	and	
‘accessibility’	can	at	worst	be	empty	terms,	and	at	best	mean	different	things	to	different	
people.	Therefore,	we	would	like	to	encourage	readers,	authors	and	publishers	to	engage	with	
us	and	help	us	refine	the	Forum	to	best	serve	the	scholarly	community.	Please	share	your	
thoughts	with	us	here	on	what	you	like,	or	dislike,	and	if	you	have	suggestions	for	what	we	
could	do	to	make	the	Forum	more	inclusive,	interactive	and	accessible	for	you	–	we	are	
constantly	working	to	improve!		
	
Summing	up	
Last,	 but	 not	 least,	we	want	 to	 thank	 our	 readers,	 authors,	 contributors	 and	 the	 increasing	
number	of	publishers	offering	us	their	titles	for	review.	We	are	confident	that	the	Forum	will	
continue	to	grow	during	2022	at	its	new	home	and	that	we	will,	with	your	help,	continue	to	
offer	a	useful	and	dynamic	resource	for	knowledge	exchange.			
	
Your	editors,	
Rasmus	Rodineliussen	and	Emilia	Groupp	
	
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©	2021	Rasmus	Rodineliussen	and	Emilia	Groupp	
	
	
	


