The Joseph Conrad Society (UK)
(An unincorporated association Registered with The Charity Commission in the UK Charity Number 270586.
Trustee s: Dr Robert Gavin Hampson, Dr Hugh Robert Epstein, Dr Allan Howard Simmons Principal office :
The Joseph Conrad Society (UK)
c/o The Polish Social and Cultural Association (POSK)
238-246 King Street London W6 ORF United Kingdom Contact details are also available through Society’s web site www.josephconradsociety.org)
Trustees’ Report 2025
Objectives
In 2025, the Joseph Conrad Society UK conducted its business as usual, with due regard to the Charity Commission’s public benefit guidance as set out in document PB1, and in accordance with the objects identified in Society’s Constitution as ‘to advance the education of students, scholars and the general public in the life and work of Joseph Conrad’.
Activities
We hosted our AGM in February and held a further Committee Meeting in November. To facilitate the attendance at the AGM of the Society’s international membership this meeting was held on Zoom. In early July we held our 52nd Annual Conference. Thanks to the efforts of an Italian academic and member of the Society, Dr Ricardo Capoferro, we were able to hold this conference at Sapienza Università di Roma. We are very grateful to Dr Capoferro for securing this venue for our conference free of charge. The conference attracted Conrad scholars from around the world, and, in accordance with our mission, the Society assisted younger scholars with travel grants and by subsidizing their conference meals. In keeping with the spirit of the bequest made to the Society by the McLauchlan Estate in the late 1990s, the travel grants are made in the name of our former Chair, Juliet McLauchlan. The annual Juliet McLauchlan Essay Prize of £200 was awarded to Kevin O’Connor, a PhD student at St Mary’s University, Twickenham.
As usual, during 2025 we edited two issues of our journal, The Conradian , the second of which was only published in early 2026.
2025 saw the passing of two eminent members of our Conrad community, Keith Carabine, the former Chair of the Joseph Conrad Society, and Jeremy Hawthorn, a Norwegian academic of international standing. An issue of The Conradian was dedicated to their memory.
The Society continues its support for The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Joseph Conrad. A contribution towards running costs of this ongoing project (21 volumes of a projected 26 are now in print) is also made by the Joseph Conrad Society of America. This financial assistance is acknowledged in each of the volumes in the edition.
The structure, governance and management of the Society continues to be undertaken by a small but active committee including the Trustees.
Finances
The Treasurer presented an Interim Statement of Accounts at the November 2025 Meeting and the Statement of Accounts at the AGM in February 2026. During 2025, the Society’s investment with Scottish Widows was transferred to Cambridge and County Bank, necessitated by the decision of Scottish Widows to withdraw Charity accounts from their portfolio. The Society continues to have three investment accounts: with COIF, Cambridge and County, and Redwood Bank.
In 2025 the Society decided to commission Origin Design to rebuild our web site, which was showing signs of age. A deposit of £4,500 was paid in 2025, with the balance of £6,000 due in early 2026.
Dr Allan H. Simmons 28th September 2026
JOSEPH CONRAD SOCIETY (UK)
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31st DECEMBER 2025
| TOTAL TOTAL 31.12.2024 INCOME 3,737 Subscriptions 3,550 162 Donations and grants 44 9,323 Interest and dividends 9,614 9,227 Conference receipts 11,504 181 Other Conrad publications & lectures 2,666 2,679 Contribution to Conradian 2,660 Website 171 Sundry book, journal and postcard sales 0 25,479 TOTAL INCOME 30,038 EXPENDITURE 4,435 The Conradian 2,742 1,285 Other Conrad publications & lectures 341 330 Printing, stationery and postage 291 0 Prizes &other grants 200 900 Travel Grants 2,417 350 Audit Fee 350 1,403 Donations 0 350 Web site development & Computer expense 4,777 15 Subscription 15 8,352 Conference Cost 8,754 160 Other Expenses 206 657 Committee expenses 7,480 18,236 TOTAL EXPENDITURE 27,573 7,243 EXCESS OF INCOME OVER EXPENDITUR 2,465 |
UNRESTRICTED FUNDS 3,550 44 11,504 2,666 2,660 20,424 2,742 341 291 350 240.87 15 8,754 206 326 13,267 7,157 |
ENDOWMENT FUNDS 9,614 9,614 200 2,417 4,536.00 7,153 2,461 |
|---|---|---|
BALANCE SHEET AT 31st DECEMBER 2025
EXPENDABLE ENDOWMENT
| 248,362 Juliet McLauchlan Fund at 1.1.2024 248,362 0 Bequest during the year 0 248,362 Fund at 31.12 2024 248,362 UNRESTRICTED FUNDS Excess of income over expenditure to date at 1.1.2024 25,724 25,724 for the year to 31.12.2024 9,618 35,342 274,086 TOTAL FUNDS 283,704 Represented by FIXED ASSETS 11,420 Cartoon and prints 11,420 NET CURRENT ASSETS Investments: COIF Income units 95,000 £120621 Market Value £114,847 Accrued interest 1,626 Short term deposits 155,000 Current account 21,219 272,844 less Short tem liabilities -350.0 262,667 Deferred Income -210.0 -560 272,284 274,086 TOTAL ASSETS 283,704 |
248,362 0 248,362 2,287 23,437 7,157 9,444 2,461 25,897 9,444 274,260 3,650 7,770 95,000 1,626 155,000 6,354 14,864 6,354 266,490 -350 -210 5,794 266,490 9,444 274,260 |
248,362 0 |
|---|---|---|
| 274,260 |
I have examined the books and vouchers of the Charity and in my opinion proper accounting procedures have been followed, and records kept, and the accounts are in accordance therewith and reflect the activities of the Society.
M G Macdonald. 24th August 2026
Joseph Conrad Society UK
I have examined the books and vouchers of the Charity and in my opinion proper accounting procedures have been followed, and records kept, and the accounts are in accordance therewith and reflect the activities of the Society.
M G Macdonald. 24th August 2026