Green Britain: Nationhood and the Environment, 1500-1750 – Call For Papers

Green Britain: Nationhood and the Environment, 1500-1750
One day interdisciplinary symposium run by the Birmingham Centre for Reformation and Early Modern Studies (CREMS)
Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon
25 June, 2016

Conference Website

The conference aims to investigate the concept of Nationhood as defined by the dynamic that exists between people, place, and space during a period of burgeoning ecological consciousness.

‘It is this horrid Smoake which obscures our Churches, and makes our Palaces look old, which fouls our Clothes, and corrupts the Waters, so as the very Rain, and refreshing Dews which fall in the several Seasons, precipitate this impure vapour…’

Lamenting the devastating effects of air pollution on London landmarks caused by the unchecked burning of sea-coal, John Evelyn here writes to the King proposing several solutions to the problem in his 1661 pamphlet Fumifugium, one of the earliest known works on air pollution. London was enveloped in thick, noxious smog caused by the burning of so-called ‘sea-coal’, the increased use of which led to a massive increase in death due to respiratory diseases, as well as widespread ecological devastation: the smog affected ‘Fowl, and kills our Bees and Flowers abroad, suffering nothing in our Gardens to bud, display themselves, or ripen…’ To this end, Evelyn proposes several measures to reduce the pollution in ‘this Glorious and Antient City’, ‘the most happy upon Earth.’

During the early modern period, national identity was increasingly defined by the dynamic between people and the environment they populated. While many still longed for the pastoral ideal of Britain as the ‘Eden of Europe’, the looming threat of pollution, natural disaster, resource depletion, and urbanisation beset the thoughts of contemporary writers, theologians, and politicians. Though it had been long held that the environment had an observable influence on the fortunes of a nation and the character of its citizens, the inhabitants of early modern Britain now became gradually conscious of their impact on the natural world. Environmental issues of increasing variety and scale plagued early modern Britain as society struggled to sustain a rapidly expanding population. From changes in agricultural land use and poor forestry management, to the increasing reliance on the smog-inducing ‘sea-coal’ for fuel, many feared adverse effects on the minds, bodies, and souls of British citizens. Against this backdrop of environmental degradation, Britons were also forced to contend with the harshest decades of the so-called ‘Little Ice Age’ and a series of extreme weather events that were habitually seen as acts of divine retribution against the Lord’s elect nation. Further to this, new scientific developments in meteorology and geography, and the rise of Baconian methodology, increasingly affected the contemporary theory and practice of environmental governmentality. Differences in race, ethnicity, and national character were explained according to climate and colonies judged on their suitability to the British complexion, with climatological observations acting as an incentive for colonial exploitation.

Beyond vague collocations of Merry England’s ‘green and pleasant lands’, ‘Green Britain’ therefore aims to explore the complex relationship between national identity and the environment in a period of tumultuous ecological change. What conclusions can we derive from the study of early modern environmental issues, and how can we apply these to the complex idea of the early modern identity? To what extent is nationhood defined by the dynamic that exists between people, space, and place? And furthermore, is it possible to define an early modern attitude toward green issues? To this end, we invite proposals for both panels and papers based on the themes of nationhood and/or early modern ‘green’ issues for our one-day interdisciplinary symposium on 25 June, 2016. Topics may include, but are not limited to:

  • Travel writing
  • Emerging scientific discourses
  • Climate theory
  • Pollution
  • Space and place
  • Cartography and map-making
  • Seascapes and maritime history
  • Town and country
  • Cultivation and Agriculture
  • Geography and Meteorology
  • Astrology and Cosmology
  • Enclosure and land ownership
  • Colonialism and Empire
  • Providence and providential disaster
  • Natural philosophy
  • Ecological issues
  • Diseases and cures
  • Vegetarianism
  • Animals and animal rights

Please email abstracts of no more than 250 words for papers of 15-20 minutes in length to Tayler and Elizabeth at: greenbritain2016@gmail.com. The abstract deadline both for papers and for panel suggestions is 31 March, 2016.

Shakespeare’s Queens – Call for Papers

We are seeking essay proposals for an edited volume focused on queens and queenship in the plays of William Shakespeare. Although there have been many individual studies of how queens in early modern drama reflect and refract the image of Elizabeth I, this volume will primarily concern queens as characters and as theatrical constructs. The collection will be submitted to the “Queenship and Power” series (Palgrave Macmillan) edited by Charles Beem and Carole Levin, with planned publication for late 2017/early 2018.

This volume seeks proposals from graduate students and scholars. We are especially interested in essays focused on Shakespeare’s adaptation of historical source material, how the plays depict queens regnant versus queens consort, comedic and tragic treatments of queenship, the mechanics of “playing” queens on early modern stages using boy actors, and comparative studies with other early modern playwrights, but essays on any aspect of queens or queenship in Shakespeare’s works are welcomed. For purposes of this collection, essays focused on princesses (e.g. the Princess of France in Love’s Labours Lost) will also be considered.

Chapter proposals should be 250-300 words, accompanied by a brief biography, for essays of 5000-7000 words. Please email proposals and bios to both veschutte@gmail.com and kvmudan@gmail.com before 1 June, 2016. Accepted authors will be notified by July 2016, and complete essays will be due by 15 January, 2017.

Kavita Mudan Finn just finished a year as Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Southern New Hampshire University, and taught previously at Georgetown University, Simmons College, and the University of Maryland, College Park. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Oxford in 2010, and published her first book, The Last Plantagenet Consorts: Gender, Genre, and Historiography 1440-1627, in 2012. Forthcoming publications include an article on fifteenth-century de casibus tragedies in Viator (2016), on paratexts in fanfiction in the Journal of Fandom Studies (2017), and a chapter on queens in Game of Thrones vs. History (Wiley, 2016).

Valerie Schutte earned her Ph.D. in History from the University of Akron. She is author of Mary I and the Art of Book Dedications: Royal Women, Power, and Persuasion (2015) and co-editor of The Birth of a Queen: Essays on the Quincentenary of Mary I (2016), both in the Palgrave Macmillan “Queenship and Power” series. She has published articles on Shakespeare, royal Tudor women, and print. Forthcoming publications include an article on counsel given to Katherine Howard and nine entries in A Bibliographical Encyclopedia of Early Modern Englishwomen, Exemplary Lives and Memorable Acts, 1500-1650 (Ashgate).

Sharing Space in the Early Modern World (1450-1750) – Call For Papers

Sharing Space in the Early Modern World (1450-1750)
University of Oxford, The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH)
24-25 June, 2016

Keynote Speaker: Professor David Luebke (University of Oregon)

Space has established itself as a useful analytical category for understanding early modern mentalities. ‘Space’ can be real or imagined. It can denote a physical location, such as a church or a home, or embody an abstract geographical or political understanding, such as the nation or the empire. In all these guises, ‘space’ is not just a geographical phenomenon, but a reflection of social, political, and cultural relationships that are historically contingent. Geographical notions of space weredefined by cartographers or explorers. In local contexts space was given meaning by those who used it, its meanings actively constructed and manipulated.

This conference adds to current research by focusing specifically on spaces that were shared and formed sites of exchange between different groups. It welcomes papers that consider different types of spaces – sacred and profane, urban and rural, public and private, as well as the different groups that encountered each other within these spaces – different religious groups, ethnicities, genders. Examples of such shared spaces include sacred spaces shared by multiple confessions, inns and taverns, where men and women interacted with one another, courts where foreign ambassadors were received or border towns which were frequented by different nationalities and ethnicities.

Papers might consider, but are not limited to:

  • How were shared spaces regulated? How did the meaning of a shared space change at different times?
  • How was the meaning of a space changed by those who used it?
  • How did the experience of shared spaces inform social relationships outside of them?
  • What strategies did individuals or groups use to legitimise their use of the space?
  • How did understandings of geographical space affect the use of local spaces?
  • How did material and visual cultures define the uses of a shared space?

This conference intends to place these questions in a transnational and interdisciplinary context and therefore we are particularly keen to accept proposals from those working on non-European spaces and those outside of the field of history.

We invite proposals for twenty-minute papers. Papers from postgraduates are particularly welcome. Postgraduate and early career researcher bursaries are available. Please send abstracts of no more than 300 words to sharingspace2016@gmail.com by 11 March, 2016.

Organisers: Róisín Watson, Martin Christ.

Balliol College: Career Development Fellowship in Old and Early Medieval English

Career Development Fellowship in Old and Early Medieval English (4-year fixed term)

Grade 7 of the Oxford salary scale, from point 1 to point 4 (currently £30,738 to £33,574)

Balliol College is recruiting a Career Development Fellow in Old and Early Medieval English. The Fellowship is intended to provide a structured development opportunity for exceptional candidates embarking on an academic career. The Fellow will receive mentoring from a senior academic staff member, and will be offered a carefully tailored package of professional development. This is a full-time, fixed-term post for the period 1 October 2016 to 30 September 2020.

The Fellow will teach undergraduate students and provide administration for the College, including assessing and interviewing for the annual admissions exercise. The Fellow will also engage in research, leading to peer-reviewed publications.

Candidates should normally have obtained a PhD or equivalent by 1 October 2016, and should not normally have completed a PhD or equivalent earlier than 1 October 2011 (with the exception of career breaks, e.g. for maternity/paternity leave). A high level of academic achievement, appropriate to the stage of the candidate’s career, is essential. Candidates will also have the ability to provide excellent tutorial and small group teaching. Previous experience of teaching would be a strong advantage.

For full details and to apply, please visit: http://www.balliol.ox.ac.uk/vacancies/2016/february/career-development-fellowship-in-old-and-early-medieval-english-4-year-fixed

The closing date for applications is noon on Friday 11 March, 2016. Applications received after the closing date will not be accepted.

LHRI/Brotherton Short-term Post-doctoral Fellowships 2015/16 – Call For Applications

Leeds Humanities Research Institute is pleased to announce a final short-term post-doctoral fellowship for the current academic year.

The LHRI, in collaboration with the Brotherton Library, is pleased to announce a final short-term post-doctoral fellowship for the academic year 2015/16. Please note this fellowship is separate from, and in addition to, those recently advertised through the Wellcome/LHRI Non-Clinical Researcher Transitional Funding Scheme.

This fellowship is designed exclusively for early-career researchers to make use of the Special Collections held within the Brotherton Library.

Scholars working in any of the research areas in the Faculties of Arts and PVAC (Performance, Visual Arts and Communications) are eligible to apply.

The successful applicant will spend four weeks in Leeds to carry out research activities aimed at developing his/her ability to make strong applications to externally-funded post-doctoral positions which must then be held at the University of Leeds (e.g. British Academy Post-Doctoral Fellowships; Leverhulme Early-Career Fellowships; Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions; Newton Fellowships).

The aim of the fellowship scheme is to help researchers maximise external funding opportunities for post-doctoral research, and the successful applicant must be eligible for relevant funding schemes (as summarised below). Support for developing suitable external funding bids will be provided by the LHRI pre-award team.

Competition for this single award is expected to be exceptionally strong, and only the most promising candidate will be supported. To this end, University of Leeds sponsors/mentors of prospective applicants will be asked to ensure that they are familiar with the quality of the candidate’s postgraduate work before supporting their application.

The successful fellow will be awarded £2,000 living expenses and up to £500 travel expenses, while they are in Leeds.

For full details on the application process, please visit: http://www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/news/article/4245/lhribrotherton_short-term_post-doctoral_fellowships_201516

The deadline for applications is 5pm on Tuesday, 15 March, 2016.

Amphorae X: Old is New? Circling to the World’s End – Call For Papers

Amphorae X
University of Tasmania, Hobart
29 June-1 July, 2016

Conference Website

Amphorae provides an opportunity for postgraduate students throughout Australiasia to interact with others in the field of classical studies. Those eligible for the conference include all those studying at an Honours, Masters or PhD level, encompassing research into literature, history, archaeology, art or reception studies.

The theme for this year’s Amphorae conference is ‘Old is New? Circling to the World’s End’. The theme is inspired by our position on the map and what we believe to be the essence of Amphorae and Classical studies.

First call for papers is now open! Please send your completed registration form and abstract to amphoraex@gmail.com by 5pm EST 11 March.

The Emotional Life of Objects Exhibition @ The University of Melbourne

The Emotional Life of Objects Exhibition | The University of Melbourne

Date: 4-13 May 2016
Venue: George Paton Gallery, 2 Union House, The University of Melbourne, Union Road, Melbourne
Registration and enquiries: Penelope Lee: penelope.lee@unimelb.edu.au

Possessions are conduits to remembering. Artists examine the affective dimensions of relationships between people and objects, revealing narratives of history, identity, loss and comfort. Staff and students of The University of Melbourne and the general public are invited to contribute to the exhibition through the sharing of their meaningful object and its story, participate in a recorded interview and join in an experiential workshop.

This exhibition forms part of the Objects and Emotions project within the Centre for the History of Emotions where emotional relationships of people to things are the subject of academic study.

Exhibitors include:

  • Clara Bradley
  • Georgina Cockshott
  • Linda Judge
  • Robyne Latham
  • Nicholas Mellefont
  • Elizabeth Rich
  • Andrew Turland

Curated by Kate Richards (Master of Art Curatorship, The University of Melbourne) and Penelope Lee, EOO (Vic) ARC Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions.

For queries and registration about participating in the interviews or workshops, please email Penelope Lee (penelope.lee@unimelb.edu.au)

National Library of Australia Fellowships (2017) – Call For Applications

These Fellowships are open to Australian and international researchers and established and emerging scholars. The Fellowships support researchers to make intensive use of the Library’s rich and varied collections.

Applications for 2017 Fellowships are open until May 2, 2016.

For full details, please visit: https://www.nla.gov.au/awards-and-grants/fellowships-and-scholarships/national-library-of-australia-fellowships.

The EMREM Postgraduate Forum: Annual Symposium – Call For Papers

The EMREM Postgraduate Forum: Annual Symposium
University of Birmingham
5-6 May, 2016

Papers are invited for the 2016 EMREM two-day interdisciplinary symposium, to be held at the University of Birmingham. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Chaos and Catastrophe; Restoration and Renewal’.

Postgraduate speakers from all fields of EMREM are welcome to share their research and build networks at this friendly and well-established symposium.

Possible topics might include, but are not limited to:

  • Civil Wars
  • Restoration
  • Dynastic Feuds
  • Legitimacy
  • Reformation
  • Counter-Reformation
  • Providential Disasters
  • Conservation and Resilience
  • Disease and Famine
  • Medicine and Containment
  • Memories of Catastrophe
  • Visions of Utopia
  • Death of a Leader
  • Coronation
  • Collapse of Empire
  • The New World
  • Sudden Death
  • Ars Moriendi
  • Apocalypse
  • Resurrection
  • Suffering
  • Hope

Papers should be 20 minutes in length. Please send proposals of approximately 300 words, OR 1000 words if applying as a panel, to emremforum@googlemail.com by 1 March, 2016.

We have normally been able to provide the conference free of charge and with grants available to cover reasonable travel costs for speakers. We are confident that we will be able to do the same this year.

emremforum.wordpress.com

facebook.com/emremforum

@EMREM_Forum

Early Modern Wales: Space, Place and Displacement – Call For Papers

Early Modern Wales: Space, Place and Displacement / Cymru Fodern Gynnar: Gofod, Lle a Symudiad
National Library of Wales
6-7 July, 2016

An interdisciplinary symposium hosted by the National Library of Wales, 6-7 July 2016, organised by Bryn Williams and Rachel Willie (Bangor University)

Confirmed keynote speakers:

  • Professor Sarah Prescott (Aberystwyth University)
  • Professor Philip Schwyzer (University of Exeter)

[Henry VIII] deliuered [the Welsh] wholy from all seruitude, and made them in all poynets equall to the Englishmen. Wherby it commeth to passe, that laying aside their old manners, they, who before were wonte to liue most sparingly: are now enritched and do imitate the Englishmen in diet, & apparell, howbeit, they be somedeale impatient of labour, and ouermuch boastying of the Nobilitie of their stocke, applying them selues rather to the seruice of noble men, then geuynge them selues to the learnyng of handycraftes.

Humphrey Llwyd, The Breviary of Britain, trans. Thomas Twyne (1573)

In The Breviary of Britain, Humphrey Llwyd laments the acculturalisation processes that he perceives to have led to the anglicisation of the Welsh gentry. The Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542 formally annexed Wales to the Kingdom of England and thus changed the relationship between the English and the Welsh. Tudor kingship used the space of Wales to claim a right to the English throne and some Welsh gentry held prominent places at court, but what was Wales and how does the space of Wales connect to England? The ‘geographic turn’ in early modern studies has led to renewed interest in space and place and perennial concerns regarding national identity, memory and language have drawn attention to the landscape of Wales. This interdisciplinary symposium, organised in partnership between the National Library of Wales, the Society for Renaissance Studies and the School of English Literature, Bangor University, brings together scholars working in the fields of Welsh History, Literature, Philosophy, Art History and Musicology to interrogate what we understand by Wales in the early modern period.

Topics addressed may include (but are not limited) to:

  • Space or place
  • Wales and the cartographic imagination
  • Topography
  • Language and rhetoric
  • Politics
  • Identity
  • Migration
  • Exile
  • Memory and remembering the past
  • Welsh landscape
  • Liminality
  • Wales and visual culture

We welcome abstracts of no more than 250 words for twenty-minute papers, to be sent to emwales@bangor.ac.uk by 29 February, 2016.

The symposium will be followed by the Society for Renaissance Studies’ Annual Welsh Lecture: Professor Andrew Hadfield (University of Sussex), “William Thomas (d.1554): A Welsh Traitor in Italy”.