Abstract: From the dramatizations of the lives of monarchs to reality TV and celebrity musicians, the British media landscape dwells in images of affluence. The rise of social media, in particular, has brought representations of great wealth and the lifestyle of the super-rich to the centre of public attention. While Cultural Studies rightly takes an interest in marginalised groups and non-hegemonic cultural forms, it also needs to recognise the public’s fascination with wealthy elites as sites of articulation and negotiation. Inspired by ongoing work in the domains of geography and sociology to grasp the role of London in a global topography of affluence, this introduction seeks to provide a brief overview of the state of research in the field. In particular, it discusses the work of Caroline Knowles and Roger Burrows, the two keynote speakers at the 2021 Brit- Cult conference, which showcases how affluence can become a worthwhile subject of research in Cultural Studies. The text then outlines the five conference papers published in this volume as contributions towards the goal of investigating the super-rich both in the present day and in a historical dimension.

Keywords: affluence, super-rich, wealth, representation, privilege