History Newsletter Summer 2018

Edited by Norma Hiebert-Duffy

What to watch out for this semester:

History Programme Special Guest Lectures Autumn 2018

Friday 5 October, 12-1 in W3 Professor Máire Cross (Newcastle University) Blazing A Trail For Gender Equality: Flora Tristan (1803‑1844), Utopian Socialist and Feminist and Her Modern Influence Professor Cross is Emerita Professor of French Studies at Newcastle University and a former President both of the Society for the Study of French History and of the Association for the Study of Modern and Contemporary France. A specialist in the history of gender, the history of political ideas and the history of letter-writing, she is the world’s leading expert on Flora Tristan. Professor Cross is currently writing In the Footsteps of Flora Tristan. A Political Biography in Motion, which examines the intertwined lives of Flora Tristan and her biographer Jules-Louis Puech, an early twentieth century pacifist, feminist and socialist. Compulsory for students on HIS2033 Introduction to Contemporary History, this will also be of interest to students taking HIS1012 Interpreting European History: the Nineteenth Century. In association with Edge Hill's Gender and Sexuality Research Group. All welcome.

Tuesday 20 November, 4-6 in CE102 Richard Hall (Cambridge University) Fathers' and Sons' Educational Experiences in Britain Richard Hall is completing a PhD in the Faculty of History at Cambridge University on The Emotional Lives and Legacies of Fathers and Sons in Britain, 1945-1974. Richard has published on working men’s clubs in post-war Britain, and emotions and subjectivity in oral history interviews. His interests include gender and masculinity, histories of emotions, memory, national identity, and more broadly, the social and cultural history of modern Britain. After some time away from academia, he returned to study degree modules in History at the Open University, before completing an MA in Contemporary History at the University of Sussex. Richard also has a BA in Music from the University of Liverpool. Compulsory for students on the HIS3038 Special Subject route 1968 And All That: Protest in Western Europe, this will also be of interest to students planning to take this module in future, and for those considering careers in the creative and not-profit sectors, which our speaker has previously worked in, including at the BBC. All welcome.

History Programme Field Trips Autumn 2018

Thursday 11 October: First year trip to Manchester

To commemorate the approaching centenary of the Peterloo Massacre, the first year students will be taken on a field trip to Manchester, where we will visit the Manchester Science and Industry Museum and the People’s History Museum and attend the Peterloo Living History Performance.

Friday 14 December: Fernand Léger Exhibition, Tate Liverpool

The exhibition brings together more than fifty works by renowned artist Fernand Léger (1881– 1955). Léger was enthralled by the vibrancy of modern life. His paintings, murals, film and textiles were infused with the bustle and rhythm of the metropolis. He drew on photography and new forms of communication that boomed during the ‘mechanical age’ of the twentieth- century such as typography, advertising and graphic design. Léger’s work was heavily influenced by his surroundings and his experience of modern life. Included in the exhibition are his collaborations with architects Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perrand. This, the first major UK exhibition dedicated to Léger’s work in thirty years, celebrates the artist’s desire to make art part of everyday life. Compulsory for students taking HIS2033 Introduction to Contemporary French History. Other students welcome to join us: please contact Daniel Gordon for details.

Introduction BY ROGER SPALDING, PROGRAMME LEADER OF HISTORY BA

Every now and then As far back as the fourteenth century the a journalist or a Oxford academic, John Wycliffe railed politician will make against clerical privilege and produced his disparaging remarks own English translation of the Bible. about universities, Wycliffe’s ideas were seen as very along the lines that dangerous by the establishment of the such institutions are day, and may have played a part in ‘ivory towers’ inspiring the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381. obsessed with abstract ideas that have no One can certainly see why the nobility and relation to the ‘real world’. In truth this the princes of the Church would not want has never been the case; there are the common people having access to countless examples of interactions passages of this kind: between universities and the wider world.

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and Academics, and that goes for historians howl in your miseries, which shall too, are not detached from the wider come upon you…Your gold and world, they are fully engaged with it. This silver is cankered: and the rust of is amply demonstrated by the current them shall be for a testimony issue of the History Newsletter. The work against you, and shall eat your flesh of Professor Paul Ward, the department’s like fire…Behold the hire of the new head, has a strong focus on the active labourers, who have reaped down and continuing role of people at large in your fields, which by fraud has been shaping their own identities and, in the kept back by you, crieth: and the cry process offering academic historians new of them hath entered into the ears insights into an ongoing process and of the Lord…(Epistle of St James, relationship. The article on John Stuart 5:1) Mill does not present him as a dead Ideas can lead to actions, as the figure, but as someone with continuing London lawyers – custodians of the rights influence. The late Lady Thatcher who of privilege and property – found to their expressed her admiration for Victorian costs, when they were slaughtered by the values, would certainly have found enraged peasants. something positive in Mill’s individualism. In the nineteenth century the claims The piece on York notes the interaction made by historians, like William Stubbs, between old and new in that city: the that the English had a unique capacity for nexus of ‘Heritage’ and commerce? good government, helped to underpin the The various pieces on the Erasmus drive for imperial expansion: If we were so Programme also demonstrate another good at shaping governments, then feature of the university tradition, the perhaps we ought to confer the benefits readiness to embrace people and ideas of our capacity on other races. In the from other cultures and societies. This twentieth century, John Maynard Keynes, tradition has enormously enriched our a product of King’s College, Cambridge, academic life for many years, bringing us developed a form of economics that philosophers like Isiah Berlin, political transformed Britain’s wartime economy, historians like Isaac Deutscher and G. R. and dominated economic thinking down Elton, anthropologists like Bronislaw to the 1970s. Malinowski and a host of others. This In more recent times academic continuing process of cross-fertilisation historians like Dominic Sandbrook, cannot be anything but positive for Andrew Roberts, Simon Schama, Richard national life and specifically for our Starkey, Lucy Worsley and many others, students at Edge Hill; long may it continue appear regularly on our TV screens and in whatever solution our politicians stumble our newspapers. On TV their towards over our relations with the popularisations of the past also help to European Community. shape ideas of what it means to be English I commend to you this positive, (British?) now. In the press historical engaging and vibrant History Newsletter. I knowledge is deployed to promote a wide must also thank all of those who worked range of attitudes and policies. Sandbrook so hard to produce it. for example used the example of Britain in the 1930s to promote policies of Austerity following the financial crisis of 2008.

John Stuart Mill: A Philosopher for our Time? BY NORMA HIEBERT-DUFFY

A recently published article the world changed around in The Economist him. He was a product of (04/08/2018) featured his time in that the John Stuart Mill in the first nineteenth century of a series entitled provided a frame for his ‘Philosophers Brief’. Mill, arguments, but he knew who is widely considered the importance of stepping to be one of the outside that framework nineteenth century’s when driven to by the seminal thinkers, is of dictates of logic and interest at any time. morality. And so it is Today, however, as we unsurprising that, although wrestle with the results of in his early years he the referendum on Brexit espoused the utilitarian and with Donald Trump’s doctrine that the criterion solipsistic worldview, some of Mill’s ideas of public action should be ‘the greatest hold more resonance than they have for happiness of the greatest number’, he some time. In the years leading up to the later exchanged this for a more nuanced financial crisis of 2008 it may have application, one which considered the less appeared that the capitalist universe was significant number, on whose backs the unfolding as it should. A broad acceptance happiness of that more fortunate number of liberal principles was resulting not only rested. in global economic progress but in further Mill’s concern was to cut both equality, as well as rising standards of ways. He espoused the concept of a living, health and education. The thinking universal franchise but he also wrote on was that we were, at least, moving in the the ‘tyranny of the majority’, and right direction. Now, worryingly, the world expressed concern that the will of the seems to have been turned upside down. majority could stifle individual creativity As the article points out, Mill’s and thinking. Indeed, he felt that earlier ideas were a product of the forces individual freedom might suffer more and people that shaped his young mind. under mass democracy than under He was born in 1806, on the heels of the autocratic rule. He was equally concerned American and French political revolutions with the predominant effects of and in the midst of Britain’s revolution of ‘respectable’ middle-class opinion. As an industry. For a time he came under the antidote Mill mooted the concept of tutelage of that father of Utilitarian weighted voting power, whereby some, thinking, Jeremy Bentham, and Mill who through study had gained greater carried some of its philosophy with him knowledge and understanding, would be throughout his life. It should be stressed, granted more votes than the under or un- however, that he was a pragmatic educated. This concept may well seem philosopher, willing to change his views as unpalatable now; in the developed world,

at least, the standard of schooling for majority’ can be, as one of his disciples those with even the minimum of opined, the ‘tyranny of conformity’. If we legislated education is incomparably are indeed experiencing a slide into a higher than it was for the majority in the post-liberal world, perhaps we can take mid-eighteen hundreds, when legislated advantage of the concomitant loosening schooling had yet to be implemented. To of the restrictions of liberal conformity, right this balance Mill backed universal however much we might miss the education and, although he did not trust inherent stability of such conformity. In the state to provide that education, he our current world ‘turned upside down’ granted that it should be subsidized by the we have the opportunity to test our state when necessary. This conundrum of opinions against an emergent, populist state versus private education is still standard; we may need to examine the playing itself out in our day, as successive democratic credentials of binding governments experiment with academies referendums, to redefine Britain’s global and voucher systems as the means with position, and to rethink existing models of which to maximize educational immigration and free trade. opportunities. The end, however, remains In his treatise ‘On Liberty’ Mill the same; to raise public awareness and insisted that one’s opinions must be knowledge in order that the power to continually tested for veracity. As decide the collective future can be trusted students of history it behoves us all to use in the hands of all the people. this educational opportunity to overcome Yet, in spite of our progress on this prejudice and narrow self-interest. Let us front, it is unlikely that Mill would have justify Mill’s belief in the universal approved of the use of a referendum to franchise and in education for the masses. decide whether or not Britain should This is our opportunity to find an erudite remain in the European Union, however voice with which to shape the future. he might have chosen to vote himself. Furthermore, it is incumbent upon us to One of his fears was that the majority exercise this voice with intellectual would reject expertise and base their flexibility and boldness, always testing the judgements instead on prejudice and veracity of our ideas and exercising a narrow self-interest. Moreover, the willingness to exchange error for truth. obverse side of the ‘tyranny of the

Erasmus: Student Voices The following section of the History Newsletter celebrates the Edge Hill History Programme's participation in the Erasmus programme for European student mobility. Although relative latecomers to a scheme established since 1987, in which more than 3 million people have participated, since 2014 we have established thriving partnerships with both Rouen University in Normandy and Oldenburg University in northwestern Germany, giving rise to multiple visits in each direction by undergraduates, postgraduates and staff which have enhanced the experiences of our History community in so many positive ways. This issue gives you a chance to hear first hand student experiences from Justine Boust, who went from Rouen to Edge Hill, Franziska Schultz, who went from Oldenburg to

Edge Hill, and Patrick Soulsby, who went from Edge Hill to Rouen. I hope you will be inspired by just how much Justine, Franziska and Patrick's life-changing Erasmus experiences have benefited them. Ironically 2018-2019, the academic year which at the time of writing is due to see the UK's departure from the European Union, will also see the Edge Hill-Oldenburg History partnership achieve, for the second time in its history, equal numbers in both directions. Three Edge Hill History undergraduates are currently embarking on a full year in Oldenburg, turning their three-year degree into a four-year degree, while three Oldenburg History students are coming to Edge Hill for either a semester or the year (in addition to two from Rouen, plus others from both who, while registered in English, may take individual History modules). This balance represents something of a Holy Grail for the world of UK higher education, which nationally sees much lower outgoing than incoming mobility. It reflects a real enthusiasm on the part of last year's second year History cohort to expand their horizons internationally, channelling that spirit of international friendship emphasised in Franziska's article. I urge other students to follow their example, and that of Franziska, Justine and Patrick, to as Justine puts it, 'take the plunge!' Although the current political situation inevitably means some uncertainty for the future of British participation in Erasmus, two glimmers of hope are that the British government has guaranteed to underwrite UK participation in Erasmus until 2020, and that the European Commission is planning a significant expansion of Erasmus cooperation with non-EU third countries. Students should therefore continue to apply as usual for the next application cycle taking place in February-March 2019. In the meantime, you are encouraged to prepare by developing your language skills: while many modules are taught in English, as Patrick testifies in these pages the more you learn of the local language the more rewarding will be your experience of living abroad. In addition to the Language Centre's classes, a gentle way to practice is that since last year, I have established an informal weekly French conversation group in our department, including participants at a wide range of levels: details of this semester's meeting times will be announced shortly. I would like to conclude by extending a warm welcome on behalf of the whole department to our new incoming students from Rouen and Oldenburg: both they and UK students and staff are very welcome to join our conversation. Dr Daniel Gordon, Erasmus Coordinator for History

My experience as an Erasmus student at Edge Hill BY JUSTINE BOUST

My name is Justine, I am French, and I spent my second year at Edge Hill as an Erasmus student. My decision to take part in the Erasmus programme and go live in England for ten months was, to be fair, probably less historically significant than Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam’s trips were. However, I think that my decision, and every single student’s decision to take part in this program since 1987, is of tremendous significance for the improvement and continuance of European countries’ and peoples’ relations. On a more personal level, my decision to take part in the Erasmus programme was for sure one of the

most important decisions I have ever taken in my life so far. It is one of those experiences that challenge and deeply affect your perception of the world. Although I cannot render in an article the full experience of that year spent abroad, I will do my best to give you the highlights. There are many aspects of your life that are different when you undertake a period abroad with Erasmus. I will start by talking about the academic side. I found it amazing to be able to study in a different country than mine, as the educational system is very different in England and in France. The system in England is much more focused on individual study than it is in France. This was pretty hard for me to adapt to at first, as the rhythm is very different, but I am glad I got to experience it, as it provided me with different skills that I would not necessarily have developed in France and that I will benefit from in the future. Studying at Edge Hill also allowed me to learn from different tutors with different views and opinions as well as different research areas from the tutors I study with in France. Another very important skill that is developed through Erasmus is the mastery of a second language. Living in a country is probably the best way to learn its language, and living in England made me more proficient in written and spoken English. I think the hardest part was probably understanding people talking to me, especially people with Northern, Scottish or other accents that are very different from the standard accent we are used to in school. But that was also one of the best parts as I discovered all these delightful ways to pronounce English words, and all these regional expressions. During my Erasmus year, I met so many different people I would not have met otherwise. It was amazing to get to meet British people as well as people from all over Europe and the world, and to discover their cultures and ways of life. I made friends from so many different countries this year and even got to visit some of them in Greece this summer. In terms of travelling, being in a foreign country spurred me to visit more places, and during this year I travelled in several places in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. I also enjoyed the cultural life that was accessible to me at Edge Hill and in Liverpool, as well as in the different places I travelled to. This year also pushed me outside of my comfort zone, as I had to deal with all the practical sides of life in a different language than my mother tongue, and it is something I am really glad I accomplished and am proud of. Overall, I am still dazzled at how much this year brought me; I met amazing people and learnt so much, and I really hope that in the future I can renew that type of experience. If you are interested in taking part in the Erasmus program, I would just say this to you: take the plunge!

Being an international Student at EHU BY FRANZISKA SCHULTZ About me My name is Franziska and I was an Erasmus student at Edge Hill University from September to December 2017. My home university is the University of Oldenburg in Northern Germany. During my time at EHU I studied two History modules and one English Literature module. My experiences at Edge Hill have been very different from what I have got to know at my home university. I was surprised at how friendly everyone was and that it was common to call the professors by their first name. I was also impressed by what the campus

7 offered the students. It is not common in German universities to have such a great sports center let alone a supermarket, a theater or a bar on campus.

Being an international student I stayed at EHU with over 100 other international students from all over the world. During my first days I got to know quite a lot of people. The international student office organized a lot of meet-ups and trips to help us meet each other. After just a few days I met a lot of new friends mainly from Italy, Germany, Mexico, Spain and Belgium. During my time at Edge Hill I also visited Edinburgh, Dublin and Liverpool with my new friends. Until today we still message each other and I am very thankful to have friends all over the world now and be able to visit them.

Studying at Edge Hill As already mentioned above I studied History and English Literature. The funny thing is that I was very interested at Edge Hill at first because I read that there is a module on Jane Austen’s literature. Since I adore her books I felt the urge to visit Edge Hill. This was one of the best decisions I ever made. Not only was I lucky enough to be able to study the module, I also met one of the funniest and best professors I ever had: Andy McInnes. I attended his class with another German student and have never before been treated this nicely as a foreigner in a classroom before. When I was sixteen I went to High School in the United States and was not been treated that nicely as a German in the classroom, especially in my history class. Therefore I was a bit nervous to study history modules abroad. But my fears were unjustified. I have met great professors and have been treated very nicely. I especially enjoyed the module “Europe Re-Made” with Dr Gordon and Nicky Tsougarakis. There were two things about the module that are still stuck in my head. One is a discussion we had in

our last seminar. We were divided into four groups. Each group got the name of a country that was involved in the First World War. As it happens I was part of the German group. Our task was to discuss the outbreak of the War and see if a war could have been prevented. History has taught us that neither the First nor the Second World War did any good. Therefore I tried hard to prevent the First World War. My group and I succeeded and prevented the outbreak of the war. Having met so many people from around the world made me realise that we are basically all the same, no matter where we come from. I hope that globalization helps us to establish friendships around the world and prevent new wars from breaking out. The second thing which I really liked about the module was an essay that we had to write. Our task was to analyse how a novel from the nineteenth century could be used as a historical source. I chose to write about Anna Karenina and enjoyed it so much that I decided to write my bachelor thesis about Russian history. In addition to that I also applied for a scholarship to visit a summer school in Saint Petersburg. Luckily I got the scholarship and will be in Saint Petersburg for three weeks in September.

Summary My time at Edge Hill has influenced me on a lot of things. I fell in love with England instantly and decided to go back there to study for a master’s degree. My future plan is to become a history professor at a university. Since I liked the teaching and the universities in England much better than in Germany, I hope to be able to move to England after my studies and work at a university. Edge Hill and England have not only helped me to get to know people from around the world, it has also influenced my plans for the future. I am really thankful that I had the opportunity to study abroad and I hope that the Erasmus programme will continue for a long time. I want to thank everyone who made my semester one of the best experiences during my studies and I want to encourage every student to take the opportunity and study abroad.

From Edge Hill to Rouen BY PATRICK SOULSBY A year ago, I travelled to France to begin my ERASMUS+ placement at the Université de Rouen. I was at an important stage in my PhD research on British and French anti-racist memory cultures during the 1980s and 1990s and I was lucky enough to have just over three months to spend working in the French archives.

This wasn’t my first time living abroad. In 2016, I lived and worked in Spain for several months, but I remember all too well the nerves which steadily grew as the departure date drew nearer. The same was true again before catching my flight to Paris. I was nervous about a number of things: what will my accommodation be like? Will I meet fellow graduate students? Will I be able to find enough material for my research in the archives? Will I be able to get by with my rusty (to put it mildly) French language skills? Of all my worries, I was probably most preoccupied with the latter. However, I found that once you break through the initial awkwardness barrier of speaking poor French you quickly lose the fear embarrassing yourself. And embarrass myself I did. The incident I most vividly recall involved trying to pronounce Rouen with the notorious French ‘r’. When asking for directions to the right platform for the train to Rouen at Gare St-Lazare the station staff thought I was repeatedly referring to the Rhône valley in the South of France. In a fit of mutual incomprehension and not a little exasperation, I had to write down the letters ‘R-O- U-E-N’ on a slip of paper. Crisis averted. From then on, I tried to make the most of every opportunity to speak in French and improve my language skills in as many social situations as possible. I even enrolled in a French-speaking course at the university and was able to practice with other overseas graduate students. As a PhD student, I was largely left to my own devices. I split my time between Rouen and Paris, visiting the archives for my research. In Paris, I spent many hours working in the Bibliothèque de documentation internationale contemporaine (BDIC) – recently renamed as La Contemporaine – and the thoroughly intimidating Bibliothèque nationale de France (BNF). Here I worked my way through a variety of anti-racist publications and pamphlets. I was very lucky to have this degree of freedom to travel, visit archives and explore new places. I also made the most of the opportunity to travel more widely. During my time abroad, I visited Berlin for several days and also took day trips to Lisieux and Amiens. Back in Rouen, I spent much of my time working at the university library or in a café using the archival materials I found in Paris to write up different sections of my thesis. In my spare time, I would head into the town and sit in one of the many terrasses with friends or just with a good book and hot café. The Bois de l’Archevêque by the campus at Mont-Saint- Aignan was a great location for a run in the evening, offering pretty views of the surrounding Seine valley. If you ever visit Rouen (either on ERASMUS+ or on holiday) I would highly recommend visiting the Musée des Beaux-Arts which boasts works by Rubens and Caravaggio as well as an excellent collection of impressionist paintings by Monet, Renoir and Degas. Many of the paintings of Rouen from the late nineteenth- and early twentieth- centuries reveal a very different town before its devastation by Nazi occupation and Allied bombing raids in 1940 and 1944 respectively. After visiting the gallery, you could enjoy a spot of lunch in the Square Verdrel before wandering down the busy Rue Jeanne d’Arc, turning onto the Rue du Gros Horloge and

10 marvelling at the intricate stonework around the fourteenth-century astronomical clock. If the sheer number of tourists haven’t put you off, why not make your way to the main plaza outside the cathedral of Notre Dame de Rouen? Its imposing and ornate gothic exterior conceals a strikingly austere interior. On my very last night in Rouen, I headed into the city as the winter shadows were lengthening for a final wander round the cobbled streets. To my surprise, the cathedral was open later than usual. Despite the outrageously lavish nativity set (complete with fully-functioning water-wheel and artificial pond), the inside of the cathedral seemed barer than usual in the evening light. In the soft light and silence, an impression developed of the innumerable layers of human, cultural and historic experience that had passed through the building and the surrounding city.

Making the most of your ERASMUS+ experience My ERASMUS+ experience was slightly different to that of an undergraduate. I was not obliged to make up the same credits by signing up for classes as undergraduate ERASMUS+ students would be. However, I can offer five top tips for making the most of your time studying overseas;

1) Give the language a go: Yes, you will feel self-conscious and awkward at first but don’t worry about how much or how little you know. Once you cross the initial embarrassment threshold you will grow significantly more confident in speaking the lingo. 2) Seek out other ERASMUS students: Whether in your classes or at events organised by your host university try to make connections with other visiting students. They will be in the same boat as you and there’s a good chance they will be living overseas for the first time too. Meeting people from different national and cultural backgrounds will also expose you to new perspectives and will enrich your overall experience of studying abroad. 3) There are people to help: The International Office at Edge Hill is there for a reason. They will put you in touch with those responsible for the welfare and assistance of ERASMUS+ students overseas. If there is anything you are worried about (e.g. finances, studies, accommodation etc.) then don’t hesitate to get in touch. 4) Enjoy a different university experience: One of the most interesting and, at times, bewildering aspects of the ERASMUS+ experience is getting to know how universities operate elsewhere. There is a good chance you will encounter slightly different methods of learning, teaching and assessment. Embrace it and embrace the opportunity to study your subject abroad. 5) It’s not all about the work: Remember to work hard and play hard. Make the most of the opportunity you have to travel, socialise, try the local cuisine and see the sights. ERASMUS+ is not just about receiving a university education overseas for a semester or a full academic year: it’s about experiencing the pace and flavour of life elsewhere.

It is also important for you to care for yourself while living overseas. The first few weeks will be spent trying to get settled into the new university routine as well familiarising yourself with the new surroundings. You will have good days, bad days and ‘meh’ days. And that’s ok. Make sure you keep in touch with your family and friends back home. Listen to yourself and take time for yourself when you feel you need it. Don’t be hard on yourself if things go wrong. It takes a certain degree of courage to live and study abroad when you’re an undergraduate. You will learn invaluable skills from independence to self-motivation. You will come back having achieved something supremely important. Who knows? It may just change your life. My final point is this: In the current context of Britain’s ongoing withdrawal from the European Union, it’s difficult to overstate just how valuable an opportunity ERASMUS+ is right now. It is not something to be taken for granted, especially when the future of British students’ participation is no longer guaranteed. These are indeed ‘interesting times’ and what better way to experience this present historic moment by observing it on different soil.

Learning with an Erasmus Staff Mobility visiting lecturer BY NORMA HIEBERT-DUFFY In a continuation of the guest lecturer segment of Edge Hill University’s History programme, students enrolled in the 2018-19 academic year had the privilege of attending a series of lectures and seminars given by Dr Michael Sommer, of Carl von Ossietzky University in Oldenburg, Germany, who was visiting EHU as part of the Erasmus Staff Mobility programme. Dr Sommer’s studies have ranged through Ancient History, Latin, Greek Political Sciences, Modern History and Near Eastern Archaeology and have taken him to the Universities of Freiburg, Basle, Bremen and Perugia. He is also no stranger to England as, after achieving his doctorate, he was a Visiting Fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford, as well as lecturer in Ancient History at the University of Liverpool from 2005 to 2012. Dr Sommer continues to engage with other universities through his role as Erasmus Tutor at the University in Oldenburg. Furthermore, he was active in organizing, with fellow

historian Miguel John Versluys, a session at a (Theoretical) Roman Archaeology Conference (TRAC) in Frankfurt entitled ‘The Romanisation of the Roman World: New Theoretical, Practical and Methodological Approaches to an Old Paradigm’. His participation is cited in Professor Versluys’s journal article on the same subject, ‘Understanding Objects in Motion. An Archaeological Dialogue on Romanization’, Archaeological Dialogues 21 (2014), 1-20. Moreover, as it pertained to archaeological evidence, this journal article proved a valuable adjunct to Dr Sommer’s lectures. Although Dr Sommer’s primary research centres on the history of the Roman Empire and the Levant, the breadth of his knowledge was apparent from the topics he covered in this series. The lectures and seminars were open to all students of history at Edge Hill University, but the exigencies of the beginning of term probably meant that first year students, for whom attendance was compulsory, were the primary beneficiaries of this fascinating series. Professor Sommer began with what, for some of us at least, would be our first formal introduction to the importance of the historiographical argument and its influence on how we study history. In his lecture entitled ‘19th Century Historiography: The Roman Empire and the British Empire’ Professor Sommer presented us with the views of two twentieth century historians, that of John Seeley and of Francis Haverfield, contrasting their conclusions in order to underline for us the importance of examining diverse arguments which, although based on similar knowledge, were dictated by differing points of view. In a departure from two additional lectures in which he explored Roman civilization from Diocletian to the fall of the Western Empire, as well as Constantinople, Italy, and the Barbarian Kingdoms in the sixth century, Professor Sommer also displayed his breadth of expertise with an address on the subject of ‘Art and Architecture’. For various reasons, however, a scheduled tour of neo-classical architecture in Liverpool, which he was to lead, did not take place. It is to be hoped that this will be possible another year. Finally, it was apparent to those students who were fortunate enough to participate in a seminar with Dr Sommer that he is also an erudite and gifted teacher, able to make history come alive. His Roman world is inhabited not by inert figures from the past, but by people struggling with the complexities of their time, as we also struggle in ours. These were individuals whose actions were not based on the rigid circumstances and principles of a bygone era, but who were influenced by the context and nuance of their age. Professor Sommer provided us with a fine introduction to the History programme, indeed.

First year History trip to York BY CARLA ELLWOOD Arriving at York Minster, I was struck by such windows. For particularly large ones, the level of beauty and craftsmanship of such as the Great West Window, months its architecture. Grand double doors, of cleaning is required due to each three stunning towers and stone walls individual glass panel having to be carved by hand were only a few details delicately removed, cleaned and then that expressed its gothic nature. brushed with a UV coating. The extensive Upon entering the Minster I began to upkeep of all of the windows was perhaps fully appreciate not only the size of the the most informative part of the trip, as it

building, but the magnitude of skill allowed for a genuine insight into how required to create it. As a group, my people view the upkeep of the Minster as fellow students and I were guided through very important. the Minster, where we paid close As the trip to York Minster progressed attention to the decorative windows. we were able to see the organ and learn Amongst these, one that personally stood of its own history. After being destroyed out was the Great West Window. Standing by a fire in 1829 the organ had to be re- at sixteen metres tall, the Great West built, only for it to be further damaged in Window was something quite spectacular. a subsequent fire in 1984. Yet, despite Displaying art forms that have developed such set-backs to a rather central feature over hundreds of years gave this piece a to any Minster, it is still standing today. sense of weighted historical value and was We were graced with the opportunity one of the most impressive features inside to explore the Chapter House - a circular the Minster. It was here that we then room, stacked with low stalls. Whilst you learnt of the arduous process of cleaning are easily attracted to the stained-glass

windows that tower above you, a closer nature was a major stepping stone in look will reveal a more peculiar art form. becoming comfortable around so many Small carved heads of men, women and new faces. Another aspect of my trip that even mythical creatures offer both a was highlighted during my free time was humorous and dark tone to the room. For how easily history and modernity are that reason the chapter room was my entwined in this city. Walking down one personal favourite to explore. street full of busy shops only to see Whilst the Minster was the main Clifford’s Tower peering over ahead was attraction of my time spent in York, we something that I only wish I could were given a set experience in my own period in which we home town. were free to do Whilst only spending what we wished. one day in York, I Here I explored the experienced a period of cosy coffee houses history that, up until then, and quirky shops I had only ever read or that line the learnt about in education. streets of York, Furthermore, I had the with a small group opportunity to develop of my fellow friends and become closer students. Exploring in this way really to those who I will be studying with for allowed for barriers to break down the rest of my time at University. For that, between me and other students who, at my time in York was one of my most this point, were still very unknown to me. favourite experiences of my first year at I believe that participating in a trip of this University.

Life at University… Besides the lectures BY LIAM HARRIS After receiving my A-Level results at the end of August 2017 and realising that I had guaranteed my place at Edge Hill on the History Degree course, I began to try and imagine what the ‘University life’ would be like. Several questions went through my mind: would I enjoy living away from home? Would the course be the right one for me? Would I be able to balance my work effectively? When I reflect on these questions now, as I come to begin my second year, I can safely say that the answer to the questions is a resounding ‘yes’! Having spoken to friends who had already started University, they gave the impression that the assessment of coursework appeared to be focussed on essays and other written assignments. Although the majority of the projects were written, the modules still took a variety of different forms. Some of the more interesting assignments included the Balloon Debate and the Documentary/Video project. The video project was a particularly interesting, but also challenging, assignment to do; it was something that I had never done before and allowed for a more creative presentation of our work. Furthermore, I found that

all of my tutors were easily reachable if I struggled with anything and found that they were more than happy to help. Of course there is the other side to University; this is the side that involves you living away from home and doing everything for yourself, most likely for the first time. For most this is a frightening prospect. It is something that many students have never done before. However, just like getting used to the new academic style of University, living away from home soon becomes second nature. You make your own routines and find your own way to do everything, and before you know it is the end of the semester and time to go back home for the holidays. Before University started last September, I had in my head the idea that I would be going home to see my family every fortnight. That could not be further from what happened. It was not because I did not want to see them, or that I did not miss them, it was simply because I was enjoying my time at University that much! I think then it is important to say that you take what you want to from your first year at University. There is a lot to learn (the library, living away from home, lectures and coursework, etc.), but if you have the right people around you everything will simply slot into place. There is a cliché that you will hear quite a lot, that ‘you will meet friends for life at University.’ As much as it is a cliché, it is also the truth. The people you surround yourself with are the people you will share the next three years of experiences with. In your first year, when you are all learning everything together, you will come to rely on them and vice versa. When you are missing home, they will be there to support you; when you are feeling down after getting a lower mark on your essay than you expected, they will be the ones who remind you that there is always the next assignment. The friends you make in your halls quickly become your new family. That is probably one of the best things you can take from your first year at University. And so, before you know it, May has arrived and you have finished your first year at University. It will not be easy all of the time and I am sure sometimes you will question whether University is right for you. All I can say is that it is normal to have these doubts, but talk to your friends, your tutors and your family, and then you will realise that University is where you deserve to be!

The Importance of Preparation and Early Contribution BY JENNIFER WASHBOURNE Welcome to our new first years. Starting university is a daunting yet exciting prospect and twelve months ago I was both excited and nervous; excited about new opportunities but nervous because I felt like I knew nothing about university. If someone had sat me down twelve months ago and told me that I should choose my module assignments the minute they become available so I could prepare and plan how I was going to approach the upcoming academic year, I would have brushed them off; but looking back I wish I had gone through each module handbook and chosen my assignment titles in advance. One assignment in particular springs to mind when I think about the importance of preparation and early contribution and that is an assignment under HIS1017 ‘History and Society in Theory and Practice’. This particular assignment was based on an online discussion forum on which you are expected to argue your personal views in an academic

manner on various different subjects. I cannot stress how important it was to contribute early, not only to achieve the best grade but also to get the most out of this assignment. I found it extremely interesting reading what my peers’ opinions were on various academic matters, but, I also found that creating a response was not as easy as it first seemed. A lot of research is required, not only to create your own response but also to understand why other people disagree. Due to the amount of research required for this assignment it is so important that you look into each subject matter early so that you can create an opinion in your head and build on that when doing your research. If you start contributing online early then you can create more posts and truly get the most out of this assignment. Essays make up most of your grades and the essay title you answer is purely down to personal choice, so take advantage of this and choose an essay title that you can really talk about in depth. Essay titles are in the module handbooks which are available online and I would recommend going through the module handbooks and giving yourself an idea of which essay title you would choose. By doing this you are able to do a bit of ‘light’ reading in advance to prepare your argument for the essay. With this in mind I hope you all enjoy and get the most out of your first year. If you remember to prepare and contribute to your assignments early then you’re sure to achieve.

The Exploits of the History Society BY HANNAH JACKSON

The history society changed presidential hands in September 2017 and has undertaken various history based (and admittedly non-history based activities) over the academic year. To kick off the events of the year the history society hosted a quiz in which students and lecturers alike were invited to test their history knowledge, from your standard history questions to topics such as film and music. This event saw a good turn out, with six teams all vying for the title of historical masterminds. The winners were awarded a box of Celebrations and their choice of a historical book, both academic and fictional. Following the opening event the History Society hosted a range of themed nights, all including free drinks and snacks. Such events included history bingo, where instead of your classic numbers the bingo sheets had answers to history questions, and there were prizes for a line and for a full house. This evening went down well, with two separate winners, one a historian, obviously, and the other a geographer. Other themed nights that were hosted by the history society included; an olde world board game night (with traditional games such as cards, Chinese checkers and a couple of more modern games such as Jenga and Cards Against Humanity), two film and pizza nights (in which both films were ‘historical’), a beer pong of empires (where one team was the Roman Empire and the other the British Empire, each cup was a country that had once belonged to the said empire, and once a team had successfully gotten the ping pong ball into a cup they had to answer a question about that country whilst it was a colony in order to be awarded the cup), and a night at Edge Hill Student’s Union’s Social, just to mention a few. One of the Society’s greatest successes had to be the hosting of a talk by Gordon Read, a lifelong history enthusiast and archivist in multiple Lancashire and Liverpool

17 archives. The talk was about the wonderful woman, Edith Rigby, often referred to as Preston’s Suffragette. The event took place on a Thursday evening and welcomed students from various courses outside of the history department, such as geographers, nurses and creative writing students. The event also attracted people from the local community, one women travelling in from Liverpool just for the event. Gordon discussed the fascinating life of Edith Rigby, from her earlier teen years up until her death in 1948. The talk sparked many different, and sometimes heated, discussions regarding feminism, class, and the teaching of history itself. It has been an honour to be the president of a society for people passionate about what has come before us and what lies ahead in the future.

National Identities and Collaborative Histories BY PAUL WARD Paul Ward started as Professor of Public History and Community Heritage and Head of the Department of English, History and Creative Writing at Edge Hill in March 2018. In 2018-19, he will be teaching on Time Detectives.

My research and I’ve considered right-wing forms of teaching interests patriotism – the ‘traditional’ ways in relate to two key which country and nation are associated themes: British national identities since with nationalist and Conservative political the nineteenth century and the co- forces, but I have also argued that production of historical knowledge. patriotism and Britishness have been The United Kingdom has always been an contested by left-wingers and radicals in unstable political entity because it Britain. The best-selling socialist book of encompasses a collection of different the late nineteenth century was called nations – England, Scotland, Wales all of Merrie England, by Robert Blatchford. Ireland until 1916-21 and part of it since Labour’s biggest electoral history in 1945 then. Additionally, many of the British was achieved by combining the patriotism convinced themselves that their genius for and radicalism of the Second World War. government gave them a right and duty to In 1964 and 1997, Labour leaders won by subjugate substantial parts of the world. talking about renewing the nation through Britain is also ethnically diverse, and their progressive politics. I’ve examined always has been, yet there has been a the role of the monarchy and its recent narrative that suggests such institutions in developing a sense of diversity only happened after the Second Britishness, so I’ve written about the World War, with the arrival of the Empire Beefeaters at the Tower of London as Windrush. For the millions of people living symbols of the nation. They were in Britain, the context of their thinking appointed from the armed forces, which about their identities was complex. I have was recruited from across the British Isles. explored some of the ways in which those They were also largely working class. This who have lived in the British Isles have was a ‘democratic’ form of patriotism thought about themselves. associated with the endurance of the

British monarchy. The Beefeaters consider that as an individual I wasn’t best their history goes back to at least 1485. equipped to understand the past. I could I’ve written, too, about political figures in only view it from my perspective – as a Wales, Scotland and (Northern) Ireland, white, lower-middle class, heterosexual and how they man in a secure position in a negotiated their British university. politics with the If you do an experiment, Union – the you will confirm that my constitutional way in experience is the dominant which these one in universities. Google countries are linked ‘historian’, click on images to England. I’ve and see what appears. When published on I searched in early women’s patriotism September 2018, in the first in the First World War, anti-racism in the fifty images, 36 men but only three 1970s, British-born Hollywood film star women were depicted. There were no James Mason, and most recently reggae people of colour. About 60 per cent of and sound system cultures. university historians and 80 per cent of It is the endless complexity in the history professors are male. There are tiny ways that people think about their numbers of Black and Asian Minority identities in Britain since the nineteenth Ethnic historians in paid university posts century and the fluid set of historical and working class people are seriously circumstances – urbanisation, under-represented. In my role as head of industrialisation and decline, imperialism, department, I can do something to the rise of the USA, world wars, civil wars, address such structural issues and, in my class war, devolution and Brexit – that research, I decided that I would do mean that my research question (what research with, rather than on, people. This does it mean to ‘be British’ in modern means the collaborative analysis and Britain?) will never be answered fully, so interpretation of historical primary there are always new themes to explore. sources. Academically trained historians The second aspect of my research – and public groups or individuals, who the co-production of historical knowledge bring expertise borne of experience and – is intrinsically linked to the first. In my emotion, together undertake systematic book Britishness since 1870, I suggested historical research using primary source that ‘ordinary people ... played the major materials. This approach was shaped by part in constructing their own identities’ being part of a major inter-disciplinary and that it was essential to listen to research project called Imagine: expressions of self-identity in the Connecting Communities Through historical record rather than relying on Research. The academics involved from judgements made by often elite groups. other disciplines – collaborative This was an attempt to consider how to ethnography, social justice studies and interpret identity not as an academic health provision – considered that they exercise but as a way of understanding could never understand society as how millions of individuals thought about academics alone and they needed to work their social and national context in in collaboration with people in the historical circumstances. Because national communities they were studying – even to identities are so complex, it seemed to me know what questions to ask.

How then do I apply this to history? homelands through the continuation of For me, it involves working with cultural forms from the West Indies, but community organisations interested in was also a response to the hostile city their histories as ways of developing their environments in which these immigrants futures. I’ve worked extensively with an built new lives amidst widespread internet TV company called Kirklees Local discrimination. I’ve involved students in all TV, who are interested in Black History these projects and others – such as a and the experiences of the Windrush project on Yorkshire and India in the generation. Milton Brown, who runs KLTV, 1930s, which resulted in an exhibition, a is a co-author with me of several conference paper and a jointly-written published essays. I’ve worked with book chapter. Hardeep Sahota on Bhangra Renaissance, The co-production of historical a Heritage Lottery funded project, with a research, therefore, seems to offer vision to celebrate Panjabi heritage to significant advantages in ensuring preserve the future. It focuses on the community histories and people’s origins of the dance form of Bhangra and identities are taken seriously and its impact on identity in Britain. I’ve aided contribute to new knowledge that will be in the development of the Sound System taken into account in historiography. It Culture project, led by Mandeep Samra of promises to offer insights not necessarily Let’s Go Yorkshire. Sound system culture open to university academics in flourished in Britain because of the mass understanding the life experiences of immigration of Caribbean people in the people in the past and the present. It’s post-war period. It allowed immigrants what I intend to continue to do now that and their families to make sense of I’m at Edge Hill. separation from wider families and Many of my publications are available to download at: https://edgehill.academia.edu/PaulWard and there are links to the organisations I work with at: https://www.edgehill.ac.uk/history/staff/ paulward/ If you are interested in collaborating on research projects, please do get in touch: [email protected] or call by my office, which is Clough 19.

Sound System Culture at Greenhead Park, Huddersfield. Photographer Elliot Baxter. Used with permission of Let’s Go Yorkshire.

Staff news Paul Ward Barton, ‘Prison Tourism’ in The Companion to the History of Crime and Paul joined Edge Punishment (Policy Press, 2017). She also Hill after 18 years presented her research on ‘The sad at the University demise of Ernest Collins: An emotive tool of Huddersfield. for reformers’ at the Digital Panopticon Since arriving at Conference, held at the University of Edge Hill, he has Liverpool in September 2017. Alyson’s published an research has also been featured in the article called media. In December 2017 she wrote an 'Sound System Culture: Place, space and article on ‘Britain’s Bonnie and Clyde’ for identity in the United Kingdom, 1960- the BBC’s History Magazine and in June 1989' in the Spanish journal Historia 2018 she participated on BBC Radio 4’s Contemporánea. He has also been Making History with a contribution on finishing off a book called Co-producing Dark Tourism, which can be accessed Research: A Community Development here: Approach (Policy Press, forthcoming http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006 November 2018), with colleagues at qxrc. A new piece on ‘Suicide and its Durham, Brighton and Manchester historical importance’ will be published in Metropolitan universities. In the last year, the Social History Exchange Blog in he has talked to civil servants in the September 2018. Department of Culture, Media and Sport Alyson also organized a two-day and Department of Communities and international conference, which was held Local Government as part of the Imagine: at Edge Hill on 31 August and 1 Connecting Communities Through September: the British Crime Historians Research project 2013-2018, based on Symposium attracted over 100 delegates, research on local history, ethnic diversity including scholars from Ireland, the USA, and industrial decline, about how local Canada, Australia, Finland, Italy, South knowledge should be valued in policy- Africa and Israel. making. Roger Spalding Alyson Brown In February of this In the last year, year Roger’s book Alyson has on the Left wing of published several the Labour Party, articles: ‘The sad Narratives of demise of Delusion was z.D.H.38 Ernest published. This Collins, critique of Labour’s suicide, informers Left argues that in the period 1931 – 1945 and the debate on the abolition of the Left developed a style of politics based flogging’, in Cultural & Social History upon highly speculative narratives, rather (2018); ‘Prison riots’ in The Companion to than careful objective analyses. The book the History of Crime and Punishment further argues that this approach, based (Policy Press, 2017); and, along with A. on an idealised view of the aspirations of

the working class, persisted until the early Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellowship. In years of the current century. The book January 2018 Daniel was also very happy also discusses how Left politicians of the to participate in the House of Commons period, and their biographers have launch of the book co-edited by James produced carefully edited accounts of Renton resulting from an earlier Edge Hill- their careers. sponsored conference at UCL on At the moment Roger is considering Islamophobia and Antisemitism. writing an article on the 1919 popular The spring of 2018 was dominated by the novel, Dope by Sax Rohmer, the creator of 50th anniversary of the events of May the ‘Chinese super-villain’, Fu Manchu. 1968. Daniel was interviewed by The novel deals with the perceived moral Colombia’s leading newspaper El Tiempo collapse, particularly of the young, in the and the French daily L’Humanité, and did period immediately after the First World a fact-checking request for the American War. This crisis was facilitated by the magazine New Republic. He even had a invasion of London by ‘Orientals’ peddling minor run-in with the New York Times a variety of narcotics, in particular Opium. (over the contents of a '68 anniversary The novel deals with the way that this article he wrote commissioned by them inversion of the normal imperial but which never saw the light of day, relationship is dealt with. At the end of which would have criticised President the novel the leading white characters are Macron's attempts to make it harder to found in Egypt as the ‘natural’ order of claim asylum as well as highlighting things is restored, with the ‘Orientals’ in current protests by immigrants in France): the orient, under benevolent Anglo-Saxon he hopes this is the only thing he has in control. The novel gives an insight into the common with President Trump. social impact of the First World War, and He had, nevertheless, been invited to the desire of many people to return to the speak about his current research on the certainties of the pre-war world. history of free public transport in some French towns, and international debates Daniel Gordon about it, at a conference at Georgetown In the autumn of University in Washington DC, where he 2017 Daniel was was told that his book Immigrants and an invited Intellectuals: May ’68 and the Rise of Anti- speaker at Cross Racism In France provokes fierce Disciplines, a arguments among students at one of the workshop at US’s most elite universities, for whom it is Newcastle a set text. An abridged version of one of University to the chapters in it has recently been mark the published in French and Dutch translation retirement of Professor Máire Cross, by the cutting-edge Belgian magazine where he gave a paper on 'Henri Krasucki Lava. (1924-2003): transnationalism and the In addition to further 1968 conferences at paradoxes of the French Left'; and at the Nottingham University and Warwick concluding roundtable of The Children's University, he participated via videolink in 1968, an international conference May 1968: Legacies of Protest in France, a organised by Le Studium School of Virtual Round Table debate hosted at the Advanced Study in Tours at the city's University of Pittsburgh, between four public library and funded by an EU Marie historians in different locations and a live

audience, recorded for YouTube posterity. A Level students at Notre Dame Catholic He was also asked to write for the US- College in Liverpool on 'Minorities in based website H-France a response essay Russian History'. He also brought the '68 to May ‘68: New Approaches, New anniversary to Ormskirk, by inviting Dr Jill Perspectives, a new special issue of the Lovecy, a participant in the occupation of journal French Historical Studies. Sciences Po Paris in 1968 and now a But for Daniel the most poignant moment retired lecturer and Manchester city of the anniversary was learning that councillor, to address a Witness Seminar printouts of a blogpost obituary he wrote with students on the third year Special in November 2017 for the website French Subject 1968 And All That: Protest in History Network about the important but Western Europe. forgotten ’68 French student leader In his spare time Daniel performed in Jacques Sauvageot, who he met in 2013 front of several thousand people as John and 2015, had been handed out at The Baptist in the Chester Mystery Plays, Sauvageot's funeral - despite being in which capacity he won the Rubeus written in English. Hagrid Award for Best On-Stage Beard. The final outcome of the '68 anniversary season will be Daniel's article 'Talking Out Bob Nicholson of Revolution: Henri Krasucki and Jacques Bob Nicholson has Chirac's Secret Pigalle Negotiations and continued his the Resolution of the French General research into the Strike of May-June 1968', about which he history of spoke at the Departmental Research Victorian jokes Forum and which will be published in the and hopes to Labour History Review in December 2018. launch his digital In May 2018, he gave a paper entitled archive of 'Sans Frontière and Dissident Memories of historical humour Algeria, 1979-1986' to an international later this year. He has written several new conference at Oxford University on articles and book chapters on the history Algeria, France How memory works. of nineteenth century Britain, including an Historical imagination as a category of article for Digital Journalism that he co- practice aiming to shed new light on authored with Edge Hill’s Quintus van individual and collective processes of the Galen. This year he has also been working memorialisation of the Algerian War of closely with computer scientists at the Independence (1954–62) in contemporary University of Bristol on a project that Algeria and France. experiments with ‘big data’ approaches to Notable teaching developments this year historical newspaper archives. Finally, in included the launch of Daniel's new April he joined BBC Radio 3’s team of second year module Migration and resident ‘Time Travellers’ and can often Mobility in Contemporary European be heard sharing curious historical stories History, also drawing on wider expertise on their ‘Essential Classics’ morning show. from within the Department, elsewhere in the University and the wider local community - including a talk to students by a Syrian refugee living in Skelmersdale about his experiences of fleeing across Europe. In May 2018 Daniel gave a talk to

Charlie Whitham men, women and children transported to The past the British colony of Van Diemen’s Land as academic year convicts. Lydia is looking forward to was yet another spending the semester at Edge Hill busy time for a teaching on the modules The Rise of the Masters British Empire and Seeds of Conflict in the programme that Holy Land and working on a research this autumn will paper about the adaptation of digital see another historical data. fourteen students finish with a Masters in History, English or Popular Culture. The Nicky Tsougarakis programme continues to flourish and this In December new academic year promises to reach our 2017 Nicky highest intake ever at more than 20 new participated in recruits, greatly buoyed by the inclusion the second on the programme of some new modules meeting of the and a fresh injection of teaching talent Pilgrim Libraries from the Department. The continued Network, which attraction of the programme should help was held in us in finding new and innovative ways of Rome, where he presented his work on providing our masters level teaching as we the medieval Franciscan library of Candia. look to improve our content and delivery Having been awarded a grant by the into the future under the inspirational Gladys Krieble Delmas foundation, he took stewardship of new programme leader research leave between January and April Nicky Tsougarakis and HoD Paul Ward. 2018, in order to continue his investigation of this library. He spent this Lydia Nicholson period in Venice, where he conducted his Lydia has joined research at the State Archives of Venice, the team from as well as various other Italian libraries, in the University of Padua, Bologna and Rome. He also Tasmania where presented his work at international she taught conferences in Venice (April 2018) and across History, Leeds (July 2018). Creative Arts and Nicky is now Programme Leader for the Media Studies. MA in History and Culture, the MA in She recently submitted her PhD English and the MA in Popular Culture. investigating the process of adapting historical research through drama and Patrick Soulsby digital media, and as part of her PhD At the very produced a web-series which will be beginning of the released online later this year. Her year, Patrick was research was undertaken as a member of pleased to have the Founders and Survivors Project, an a book review of international research team using Michele Battini’s quantitative and digital analysis Socialism of techniques to investigate the experiences Fools; Capitalism and legacy of the approximately 73,000 and Modern Anti-Semitism (2016)

published in the academic journal Modern led him to spend a significant amount of and Contemporary France. Between time working in London, particularly at the January and May 2018, he was writing up George Padmore Institute (GPI), Black chapters and preparing for his upcoming Cultural Archives (BCA) in Brixton and the Progression Viva. During this period he British Library. also presented at a lively and stimulating Despite the somewhat daunting prospect workshop at Bangor University on the of embarking on his third year of PhD topic of Migration and Protest. His paper research, he is very much looking forward explored the question of anti-racist to teaching again and hopes that this will representation in the pages of the British be another stimulating and fruitful anti-fascist magazine Searchlight and the academic year. souring of its partnership with the Campaign against Racism and Fascism Quintus Van Galen (CARF) throughout the 1980s and early Over the course of 1990s. He also presented at the Edge Hill last year, Quintus post-graduate conference speaking about has worked how anti-racism and Holocaust memory together with Dr appeared to provide a foundation for Bob Nicholson to Jewish-Catholic reconciliation in France c. produce an article 1981-1991. Much of the material for this for the special latter talk was based on the research issue of Digital conducted during his semester at the Journalism on digital research methods Université de Rouen. Patrick will be entitled ‘In Search of America’, which will speaking on this topic again at a appear in print shortly. This article offers conference on Jewish Identity, the an exploration of the value of Topic Holocaust and Anti-Racist Struggles since Modelling to the research of historic 1945 at Senate House, London in October journalism based around a case study on 2018. The Departmental Research Forum press coverage of the United States. in June was also an excellent opportunity Additionally, he has also attended the 5th to present and think through more recent DH Benelux Conference in Amsterdam to findings regarding the ostensible discuss some of these findings with field ‘Europeanisation’ of British anti-racism in experts. He also presented his work at the the early 1990s. North-West Victorian Print Culture After a busy but enjoyable semester of Network on the fundamental issues that teaching, Patrick spent the summer underlie many of the digital resources we researching and writing more of his thesis use, and the need for a more thorough on British and French anti-racist memory source criticism. cultures c. 1980-1999. Over the last few months, he has been focusing primarily on Jenni Hyde the role played by (post)colonial memory The last twelve in British anti-racism. In other words, he is months have been interested in the extent to which the very exciting and historical legacy of British colonialism varied. Back in informed postcolonial anti-racism, helped October last year, articulate demands for social justice as Jenni helped to well as challenge the received national commemorate the narrative of Britain’s imperial past. This 500th anniversary of

the Reformation by singing religious importantly, she has given lots of public ballads at the John Rylands Library in talks, several A-level lectures, and even Manchester. In February, in the middle of written GCSE revision podcast scripts! her teaching at Edge Hill, her first book, Over the next year she is planning to Singing the News: Ballads in Mid-Tudor continue her research on the ballads England was published by Routledge. She connected to the Pilgrimage of Grace as made recordings of all the musical well as starting some new research on the examples in the book, and they are freely links between Tudor ballads, epitaphs and available on her website. There was psalms. more cause for celebration during the summer, when she was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. She also presented her work at two major international conferences. Just as

Don’t miss the exciting events this semester. Keep up with all the news By following: https://www.facebook.com/EhuHistoryN oise -EHU History Noise https://www.facebook.com/groups/46438 2500582693/ -The Edge Hill History Society @EdgeHist - Twitter