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Year	in	Review	
		
We	began	writing	Year	in	Reviews	in	2019	to	take	a	moment	to	reflect	on	the	past	year	and	share	
our	plans	for	the	future.	This	marks	our	fourth	year,	and	we	are	more	excited	than	ever	for	what	
is	to	come.	
	
For	 those	 unfamiliar	 with	 the	 Anthropology	 Book	 Forum	 (ABF),	 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	of	newly	published	work	 in	
multiple	formats	every	Monday,	52	weeks	a	year.	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.	 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.	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.		
	
Our	 Facebook	 page	 currently	 has	 over	 2,600	
followers,	 and	 we	 are	 in	 the	 process	 of	
expanding	our	website.	With	avid	engagement,	
the	Forum	demonstrates	that	such	spaces	play	
a	crucial	role	in	facilitating	a	vibrant	exchange	
of	 knowledge,	 particularly	 in	 a	 time	
increasingly	 characterized	 by	 exclusion	 and	
remote	virtual	connectivity	brought	on	both	by	
the	pandemic	and	ongoing	political,	economic	
and	academic	boundaries.		
	

Image:	Facebook	post	reach	and	engagement	
statistics.	Our	posts	reach	an	audience	of	about	
10,000	Facebook	users	each	week.	 
 



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In	2021,	we	moved	to	our	new	home,	a	site	dedicated	entirely	to	the	Forum.	As	the	new	site	
grows,	 it	 will	 facilitate	 the	 expansion	 of	 new	 review	 formats,	 cross-disciplinary	
conversations	and	a	space	for	ongoing	experimentation	and	dialogue.			
	
Looking	Back:	2021	Year	in	Review	

	
This	year,	the Anthropology Book Forum was awarded the 2022 
New Directions Award (group category), presented by the 
General Anthropology Division, a sub-section of the American 
Anthropological Association. 
  
The	 New	 Direction	 Award	 recognizes	 work	 that	 presents	
anthropological	perspectives	to	publics	beyond	the	academy	
across	diverse	forms	of	media,	with	methodological	rigor	and	
ethical	engagement.	You	can	read	more	about	the	award	and	
view	the	original	announcement	here.	
	
This award means a lot for the Anthropology Book Forum, as a 
recognition that we are on the right path towards our aim of 
making anthropological knowledge as widely accessible  
as possible, to 
audiences within 
and outside of 

academia. It	 was	 an	 enormous	 honor	 to	 be	
recognized	in	this	way,	and	we	humbly	thank	the	
GAD	Committee	for	considering	the	Forum	for	this	
award. 
	
We	 continued	 publishing	 reviews	 over	 the	 past	
year	on	a	regular	basis	that	engage	a	great	variety	
of	 topics	 within	 the	 current	 anthropological	
literature,	and	also	published	in	some	new	review	
formats.	We	published	one	Author	Book	Talk,	with	
Dr.	Raja	Swamy	contextualizing	his	book	Building	
Back	 Better	 in	 India:	 Development,	 NGOs,	 and	
Artisanal	Fishers	after	 the	2004	Tsunami	 (2021).	
We	 have	 published	 one	 Author	 Interview,	
featuring	David	Lancy	 interviewed	 about	his	 3rd	
edition	of	The	Anthropology	of	Childhood	(2022)	
by	 Chantal	 Medaets,	 Gabriela	 Tebet,	 and	 Flávia	

“In	their	selection,	the	
GAD	Awards	
Committee	recognizes	
the	Anthropology	Book	
Forum	for	the	vision,	
commitment,	and	
broad	impact	that	
diverse	and	accessible	
formats	of	
anthropological	
knowledge	offer	
multiple	readerships	
within	and	outside	the	
academy.” 

Image:	Editors	Rasmus	Rodineliussen	and	
Emilia	Groupp	(right)	accept	the	GAD	Award	
from	Kathryn	Kozaitis	(left)	at	the	American	
Anthropological	Association	Annual	Meeting	
2022	in	Seattle. 



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Pires.	 We	 were	 also	 able	 to	 continue	 providing	 audio	 options	 for	 many	 of	 our	 reviews,	
something	we	aim	to	expand	in	the	coming	year.	If	you	are	interested	in	volunteering	your	
voice	to	provide	an	audio	recording	of	a	review,	please	contact	us!	Our	goal	 is	 to	provide	
audio	options	for	all	our	reviews	on	the	site.		
	
Looking	Forward:	2023	
	
In	the	coming	year	we	will	continue	publishing	reviews	of	current	anthropological	writing	
and	media	on	a	weekly	basis.	We	aim	to	have	a	number	of	these	reviews	in	audio	format	for	
increased	 accessibility,	 and	 we	 look	 forward	 to	 putting	 further	 emphasis	 on	 the	
conversational	 dimension	 of	 book	 reviews	 by	 publishing	 more	 Author	 Book	 Talks	 and	
Author	Interviews.		
	
The	Forum	remains	open	to	different	and	experimental	formats	beyond	the	traditional	book	
review	as	a	way	to	engage	with	recent	work.	This	year,	we	will	be	working	to	expand	our	
Trajectories	and	Conversations	sections:	
	

Conversations:	Published	on	a	rolling	basis,	this	venue	will	feature	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	who	can	each	offer	their	own	
perspective.	

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	anthropology	and	suggest	how	these	newly	published	
texts	are	pushing	the	field	in	new	directions,	or	perhaps,	revisiting	old	debates.	

Based	on	interest,	we	will	also	put	out	calls	for	reviews	on	specific	themes	or	subjects	that	seem	
to	be	particularly	present	in	recently	published	work.	Currently,	we	are	putting	together	a	special	
edition	on	ritual	for	publication	in	mid-February,	2023,	and	are	looking	for	reviews	on	books,	
films	and	other	media	that	grapple	with	ritual.	You	can	view	the	call	for	contributions	here.		
	
	
	
	
	

Call	for	Reviewers		
Special	issue	on	ritual		



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We	are	as	always	very	much	looking	forward	to	engaging	with	our	reviewers	to	find	new	
modes	of	interacting	and	engaging	with	newly	published	work.	If	you	have	an	idea	that	is	not	
yet	represented	on	our	site,	please	get	in	touch!		
	
Additionally,	 the	 Anthropology	 Book	 Forum	 will	 host	 a	 roundtable	 at	 the	 American	
Anthropological	Association’s	Annual	Meeting	in	Toronto	2023,	where	we	will	engage	in	an	
exercise	 of	 scholarly	 exchange	 based	 on	 the	 concept	 of	 the	 book	 review,	 and	 its	 role	 in	
bridging	 divides	 between	 academia	 and	 larger	 publics.	 Stay	 tuned	 for	more	 information	
about	this	event,	and	for	those	of	you	planning	to	come	to	Toronto,	please	come	join	us.	It	
will	be	an	exciting	conversation.		
	
Lastly,	we	want	to	thank	our	readers,	reviewers	and	publishers	whose	 labor	and	 interest	
make	the	project	that	is	the	Anthropology	Book	Forum	possible.	We	also	wish	to	extend	a	
special	 thank	 you	 to	 Bridget	 Kelly-Vincz,	 Sheena	 Harris,	 and	 Janine	 McKenna	 for	 their	
enduring	 support	 of	 the	 Forum.	We	 are	 confident	 that	 the	 Forum	will	 continue	 to	 grow	
during	the	2023	year	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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©	2022	Emilia	Groupp	and	Rasmus	Rodineliussen	
	
	
	
	


