SAS What's On January | February | March 2020

What’s On

January | February | March 2020

A selection of events highlighting the latest research across the humanities

sas.ac.uk

Welcome to the School of Advanced Study and to Senate House Library, University of London.

The School of Advanced Study is the UK’s national centre for the support and promotion of academic research in the humanities. Its nine institutes offer an extensive programme of seminars, workshops, lectures, and conferences. Each year around 1,800 events are organised on humanities topics, attracting more than 68,000 participants from around the world.

Institute of Advanced Legal Studies / ials.sas.ac.uk Institute of Classical Studies / ics.sas.ac.uk Institute of Commonwealth Studies / commonwealth.sas.ac.uk Institute of English Studies / ies.sas.ac.uk Institute of Historical Research / history.ac.uk Institute of Latin American Studies / ilas.sas.ac.uk Institute of Modern Languages Research / modernlanguages.sas.ac.uk Institute of Philosophy / philosophy.sas.ac.uk The Warburg Institute / warburg.sas.ac.uk

Senate House Library is the central library of the University of London. With more than two million books and 1,200 archival collections, it is one of the UK’s largest academic libraries focused on the arts, humanities, and social sciences. The Library organises a number of exhibitions and related events throughout the year.

The events included in this guide are just a few of the many taking place from 1 January through 31 March 2020. For a complete list, please visit sas.ac.uk/events and senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/exhibitions-and-events.

Book your place

Most events at the School of Advanced Study and Senate House Library are free and open to the public but some do require advance booking and/ or purchase of a ticket. Booking links are provided with each description in this guide. You can confirm event details on our websites (sas.ac.uk/events and senatehouselibrary. ac.uk/exhibitions-and-events) or by contacting the events team at sas.events@sas.ac.uk. For more information on attending our events, read the University of London’s visitor regulations at bit.ly/uolvisitors.

Join our mailing lists

You can request to be added to our weekly events email list or add/amend/remove your details from our postal mailing list by writing to sas.events@sas.ac.uk.

2

Listen or watch again

Many of our events are recorded and available to view or download at sas.ac.uk/events, on iTunes U (Research at the School of Advanced Study), and on YouTube (SchAdvStudy).

Be part of the conversation

Facebook: facebook.com/schoolofadvancedstudy and facebook.com/senatehouselibrary Twitter: @SASNews and @SenateHouseLib The School’s flagship blog, Talking Humanities, written by humanities scholars throughout the UK, provides a range of thought-provoking articles on subjects that matter to humanities researchers.

Visit talkinghumanities.blogs.sas.ac.uk.

sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

Our venues

Access

Unless otherwise stated, events are held within the University of London precinct in Bloomsbury, central London. Most events take place in or around Senate House (north and south blocks) on Malet Street, WC1.

The University prides itself on making its events accessible to all who wish to participate. To that end, it will endeavour to make all reasonable adjustments to facilities to accommodate accessibility needs. If you have a particular requirement, please discuss it with the event organiser ahead of the event date, or contact our events team at sas.events@sas.ac.uk.

How to get here Euston, King’s Cross, St Pancras

Assistance dogs are most welcome.

Russell Square, Tottenham Court Road, Goodge Street, Warren Street, Euston Square

A large-print version of this guide can be viewed or downloaded at sas.ac.uk/events.

Bus routes 7, 10, 14, 24, 29, 59, 68, 73, 91, 98, 134, 168, 188, and 390 all have stops within walking distance of Senate House.

Attending an event

To plan your journey within London, visit tfl.gov.uk.

Events are subject to change; please check the

event’s Kings Crosswebpage for the latest information. To Station everyone’s safety and security, bags and ensure

Bicycles: Bicycle racks are located throughout the University’s central precinct. Please note that we St Pancrasrucksacks may be searched before entry and cannot be held responsible for theft or damage toStationsecurity personnel may ask to see photograph ID. bicycles.

The For more information, visit sas.ac.uk/events/ British Library Parking: Public car parking is not available at Senate attending-event.

House. The closest car parks are NCP at London Euston Station Brunswick Square and London Shaftesbury. nR

Senate House University of London Malet Street London WC1E 7HU

oad

e lac

nP

r bu Wo

to Eus

Euston Square Station

Gordon Square

et tre rS we Go

Warren Street Station

Warburg Institute

ce Pla

Institute of Advanced Legal Studies

Ma let

Russell Square Station So

Russell Square

t ee Str

e lac nP gto n i rr To

k Tavistock oc ist Square Tav

ut ha

The British Museum

R urt Co oa

Holborn Station

d

reet Oxford St

The Warburg Institute Woburn Square London WC1H 0AB

w Ro

m ha

en

Mo

Senate House

tt To

er rtim

t ee Str

n to mp

Goodge Street Station

Charles Clore House Institute of Advanced Legal Studies 17 Russell Square London WC1B 5DR

Tottenham Court Road Station

sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

3

Event highlights

Kigale 2020: How serious is the Commonwealth about Media Freedom?

21 January, 18:00–20:00 | The Wilson Room, Portcullis House, Westminster, SW1A 0AA Free | Book in advance: RSVP to pichen@parliament.uk commonwealth.sas.ac.uk/events/event/21512

Reassessing Independence in Peru after 200 Years 21 January, 16:00–20:00 | Garden Halls, 1 Cartwright Gardens, London WC1H 9EN Free | Book in advance ilas.sas.ac.uk/events/event/21628 Scholars from Peru, Argentina, Bolivia, and Chile will meet in London to reassess the process of independence in Peru and South America, taking advantage of the new perspectives that have been developed around the bicentennial celebrations. Speakers include Alejandra Irigoin (LSE), Marta Irurozqui (CSIC Madrid), Juan Luis Ossa (Adolfo Ibáñez, Chile), Klaus Gallo (Torcuato di Tella, Argentina), Víctor Peralta (CSIC Madrid), and Natalia Sobrevilla (Kent).

Organised by the Institute of Latin American Studies and the Embassy of Peru, London.

4

In the Commonwealth Charter (2012), member countries signed up to Chapter V on Freedom of Expression: ‘We are committed to peaceful, open dialogue and the free flow of information, including through a free and responsible media, and to enhancing democratic traditions and strengthening democratic processes.’ British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt also put support for media freedom at the heart of Britain’s foreign policy goals. Media freedom and freedom of expression are vital underpinnings of democracy, good governance, and accountability. What does the choice of Rwanda as the next host of the heads of government meeting (CHOGM) signify for Commonwealth values? In reality, is the Commonwealth merely part of the dismal global trend of oppressive restrictions on the media and attacks on journalists, despite the Commonwealth’s public rhetoric? Speakers include Papa OwusuAnkomah (High Commissioner of the Republic of Ghana), Rebecca Vincent (Reporters Without Borders), and Akbar Khan (Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, 2015–19).

Organised by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies.

sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

Event highlights

Launch of Nearly the New World: The British West Indies and the Flight from Nazism, 1933–1945 by Joanna Newman 5 February, 18.00–19.30 | Woburn Suite, Senate House Free | Book in advance commonwealth.sas.ac.uk/events/event/21626

Lecture Series – Cosimo I de’ Medici and Granducal Florence 29 January, 17:30 | The Warburg Institute Free | Book in advance tiny.cc/Medici

A special panel discussion will launch Nearly the New World: The British West Indies and the Flight from Nazism, 1933–1945, a new book by Joanna Newman, Secretary General of the Association of Commonwealth Universities. The book tells the story of the European Jews who fled Nazi persecution and sought refuge in the West Indies from the 1930s through to the end of the Second World War. Drawing on letters, memoirs, and interviews, it highlights the xenophobia and bureaucratic obstructions they faced and the hardships they were forced to endure. Speakers will include Trevor Phillips, the writer and broadcaster, and former Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Organised by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies.

Cosimo I de’ Medici (1519–74), first Grand Duke of Tuscany, was both a consummate administrator and a fierce patron of the arts. The last in the Warburg’s series of lectures marking the 500th anniversary of Cosimo I de’ Medici’s birth will discuss the influence on his life and reign of his forebears Cosimo the Elder and Lorenzo the Magnificent, and representations of Cosimo’s likeness made during his lifetime both by commission and in tribute. With Jonathan Davies (Warwick) and Gemma Cornetti (Warburg Institute).

Organised by the Warburg Institute.

sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

5

Event highlights

Freedom, Servitude, and Politics in Renaissance France 7 February, 10:00–18:00 | The Warburg Institute Free | Book in advance warburg.sas.ac.uk/whats-on/conferences In early modern French political, historical, and literary traditions, questions of freedom and servitude are perennial topics of debate, central to notions of government and the individual.

In this one-day conference, six key researchers discuss current critical perspectives on ideas of tyranny, submission, and liberty in the French Renaissance, and their bearing on early modern history, political theory, philosophy, and literature. Speakers include Laurent Gerbier (Tours), Olivier Guerrier (Toulouse), Wes Williams (Oxford), Emma Claussen (Cambridge), Sophie Nicholls (Oxford), and John O’Brien (Durham).

Organised by the Warburg Institute.

6

Jane Austen Society Study Day: Jane Austen’s Manuscripts 8 February, 9:00–16:30 | Woburn Suite, Senate House £35 standard | £25 JAS members £15 (students/unwaged) ies.sas.ac.uk/events/conferences/jane-austenstudy-day-2020 This conference focuses on Austen’s manuscripts, exploring her fiction and writing practices throughout her life. In response to Austen’s teenage writings, papers will explore the ‘sick and wicked’ tendencies of these early pieces, and how her taste for crime may be detected in her later prose. Was Sanditon a new development for Austen, or part of a continuing conversation with her earlier novels?

The conference will also feature the Brian Southam Memorial Lecture, given by Kathryn Sutherland, who will speak on ‘More than Words: The Other Lives of Manuscripts’. This talk explores what Austen’s manuscripts can tell us of how she worked, and their own adventures in time and space. Finally, the day will reflect on how Austen’s career developed, comparing her earliest writings with her last known composition, and how her first biographers transmitted these works to the public.

Organised by the Institute of English Studies.

sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

Event highlights

Brexit and the Constitution 12 February, 18:00–19:30 | Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Charles Clore House Free | Book in advance ials.sas.ac.uk/events/event/21494 Entry in the Europe Communities, as the European Union then was in 1973, had major consequences for the British constitution. It led to the constitutional innovation of the referendum and cast doubt on the central principle of the constitution, the sovereignty of Parliament. Brexit could have equally seismic constitutional effects. It will mean a shift from Brussels to Westminster, from the courts to Parliament and the executive. It will remove the protection of the European Union Charter of Fundamental Rights. It might, therefore, return Britain to the condition of 'elective dictatorship' identified by Lord Hailsham in the 1970s. While Britain was in the EU, the country was, in practice, living under a codified constitution. Brexit is a process rare—if not unique—in the modern world, involving as it does disengagement from a codified to an uncodified constitutional system. It is also rare, if not unprecedented, for a democracy to exit from a major international human rights regime. Brexit could, however, prove to be Britain’s constitutional moment; by exposing the nakedness of Britain’s uncodified constitution, it could prove the catalyst for a codified constitution so bringing Britain into line with virtually every other democracy in the world. Speaker: Vernon Bogdanor, Professor of Government, KCL. Organised by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and the Institute of Historical Research.

sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

A Judicial Conversation: A Judge’s Personal Journey – The Rt. Hon. Lord Dyson in Conversation with Ruth Herz and Professor Leslie J Moran 24 February, 18:00–19:30 | Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Charles Clore House Free | Book in advance ials.sas.ac.uk/events/event/21522 Lord John Dyson is one of the leading lawyers of his generation. After a successful career at the Bar, he rose to become a Justice of the Supreme Court and Master of the Rolls. Judges rarely reveal their true thoughts and feelings about their work. They know that they owe the public a duty to keep the judicial mask in place.

Liberated by his retirement four years ago, Lord Dyson has written a retrospective on his life and his career. In his compelling memoir, he gives insights into the challenges of judging and describes his life and career with disarming candour. He also gives a fascinating account of his immigrant background, the impact of the Holocaust on his family, and his journey from the Jewish community in Leeds in the 1950s to the top of his profession. This event provides a rare opportunity to delve deeper into Lord Dyson’s experience of life as a leading judge.

Leslie J Moran is Professor of Law and Visiting Researcher at Birkbeck College and a Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies. Dr Ruth Herz is a former judge in Cologne and Visiting Professor at Birkbeck School of Law. Organised by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.

7

Event highlights

Sheila Kassman Memorial Lecture – Aristotle on the Anatomy, Physiology, and Psychology of Animal Locomotion Christof Rapp (LMU Munich) 10 March, 17:00–19:00 | Room G35, Senate House Free ics.sas.ac.uk/events/event/21140

The 2020 Biennial Ingeborg Bachmann Centre Lecture – Bachmann, Celan, Bachmann Peter Filkins 3 March, 18:00–19:30 | Senate House Free | Book in advance modernlanguages.sas.ac.uk/events/ event/21291 Peter Filkins is a poet, scholar, and translator.

Darkness Spoken, his translation of Ingeborg Bachmann’s collected poems, received a Distinguished Translation Award from the Austrian Ministry for Education, Art, and Culture in 2007. Filkins has also translated The Book of Franza and Requiem for Fanny Goldmann, the two lesserknown and fragmentary volumes of Bachmann’s Death Styles trilogy, which begins with Malina.

Filkins is also a leading authority on the work of H.G. Adler. His biography of Adler, H.G. Adler: A Life in Many Worlds, was published by OUP in March 2019. Filkins is the Richard B. Fisher Professor of Literature at Bard College at Simon’s Rock, where he also teaches translation.

Organised by the Institute of Modern Languages Research.

8

Studying the joints of animals in his biological writings, Aristotle concluded that the flexion and straightening of the limbs would not be possible without some resting point within the joint. He further concluded that the same principle must hold not only of the movement of particular limbs, but also of the movement of the animal as a whole, so that, when the animal moves as a whole, there must be a region within the animal that remains at rest. Aristotle’s anatomic scrutiny of different types of joints thus confirms a very general principle of his physics and cosmology, namely that all movement presupposes something unmoved. In his De Motu Animalium Aristotle draws on this principle to account for the physiology and psychology of animal locomotion.

Organised by the Institute of Classical Studies.

sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

19–20 March | Senate House Fee applicable | Book in advance ies.sas.ac.uk/events/conferences/reader-bookbooks-reading-and-libraries-fiction

Gerald Aylmer Seminar 2020 – Co-Production and Collaboration in the Archive 11 March | The National Archives, Kew Book in advance history.ac.uk/events/aylmer2020

This conference examines the social and domestic depictions of books, reading, and libraries in fiction: what was and was not read, what this says about the context of literary works, and what it indicates about the reception of books more widely, in text and illustration.

Studying such depictions enables a comparison between fact and fiction, and asks the question: how far does fiction mirror reality? As well as a range of papers, this conference will feature a workshop on Reading Europe Advanced Data Investigation Tool (READ-IT), a transnational, interdisciplinary project that is creating a database of European reading experiences across times and cultures. The workshop will offer an introduction to this database and discuss some of the wider issues involved in locating, annotating and describing, and digitising reading experiences.

Organised by the Institute of English Studies.

This annual one-day symposium brings together historians and archivists to discuss topics of mutual interest, particularly the nature of archival research and the use of collections.

This year’s symposium will explore the nature of ‘co-production’, the benefits of co-produced research, and whether co-production is exploitative. The day will be structured around three elements relating to the structure, practice, and value of co-production and collaborative work. These three areas enable us to consider the ‘life cycle’ of a range of co-produced projects: from origins and planning to their operation, lessons learned, and value added once a project is completed.

The seminar is jointly convened by Institute of Historical Research, The National Archives, and the Royal Historical Society.

sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

9

Event highlights

The Reader in the Book: Books, Reading, and Libraries in Fiction

Event highlights

The Real Estate Market in the Roman World 25–27 March | Room G26, Senate House Free | Book in advance ics.sas.ac.uk/events/event/21471 The property market was a key economic sector in ancient Rome. Roman society was strongly shaped by patrimonial mentality and – as happens in modern societies – also largely influenced by political agendas, speculative enterprises, and financial crises. The study of this multifaceted sector requires a deep understanding of cultural and normative frameworks, institutions, and economic structures, but also cross-disciplinary approaches and comparative research of other pre-industrial and modern societies. The conference will be enriched by economic theory, discuss new evidence and perspectives, and bring together current research on a wide variety of business and managerial activities, motivations, and social aspects that concerned both urban and rural, residential and commercial properties.

Ultimately, the event aims to provide tools and ideas that inspire future research in ancient and comparative ‘real estate studies.’

Organised by the Institute of Classical Studies.

10

Philosophical Criticism and Contemporary Art 28 March, 10:00–18:00 | Room 349, Senate House Free | Book in advance philosophy.sas.ac.uk/events/event/21704 This conference brings together leading philosophers of art and art theorists to focus in depth on major works of twenty-first century contemporary art. The aim is not to motivate general philosophical claims about the nature of contemporary art but rather to examine a single work or a short run of works by a particular artist and to consider this in light of the broader issues of philosophical interest that it might be thought to raise. The idea behind the conference as a whole is that close attention to an individual work of art can be both critically and philosophically illuminating, and that this provides one model for substantive work in aesthetics, work that is not only philosophically serious but critically and historically sensitive.

Organised by the Institute of Philosophy, University of Warwick, the Ruskin School of Art at the University of Oxford, and the London Aesthetics Forum. Supported by a grant from the British Society of Aesthetics.

sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

11

Short courses and summer schools

Short courses and summer schools Our institutes offer a range of summer schools and short courses taught by distinguished scholars. For further details about courses and fees, please visit sas.ac.uk/summer.

The Modern Commonwealth Short Course Study online at any time The modern Commonwealth was formed in 1949 with the London Declaration, which changed the basis of membership from common allegiance to the British Crown to a free and equal association of independent states. Yet this organisation often remains misunderstood or underappreciated. This short course, which can be undertaken entirely online, provides an insight into the history that has shaped the modern Commonwealth of Nations as well as the key events, figures, and formal agreements that have made it the organisation it is today.

Organised by the Institute of Commonwealth Studies.

London Rare Books School June–July The London Rare Books School (LRBS) is a series of five-day, intensive courses on a variety of book-related subjects taught in and around Senate House, University of London. It offers a range of fascinating specialist courses ranging from Medieval Women and the Book, the History of Book Illustration, and the Digital Book, covering over two thousand years of book history and investigating the world’s diverse cultures and traditions in book production.

Organised by the Institute of English Studies.

12

The London Palaeography Summer School 8–12 June The London International Palaeography Summer School is a series of intensive courses in Palaeography and Manuscript Studies. Courses range from a half to two days duration and are given by experts in their respective fields from a wide range of institutions. Subject areas include Latin, Middle English, Early Modern English, German and Greek palaeography, calligraphy, illuminated manuscripts, codicology, manuscript editing, and liturgical and devotional manuscripts.

Organised by the Institute of English Studies.

Professional Legislative Drafting Course 22 June – 17 July The aim of this course is to encourage modern drafting techniques with an emphasis on effective and user-friendly legislation, and to expose drafters to a variety of drafting styles, thus allowing participants to select elements that best suit their national laws and their own tradition, culture, and jurisprudence. Suitable for both experienced and inexperienced drafters.

Organised by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.

T. S. Eliot International Summer School 4–12 July The T.S. Eliot International Summer School welcomes to Bloomsbury all with an interest in the life and work of this Bloomsbury-based poet, dramatist, and man of letters. The Summer School brings together some of the most distinguished scholars of T.S. Eliot and modern literature.

Organised by the Institute of English Studies. sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

13–17 July Drawing on the rich heritage of 'Victorian Bloomsbury', the Institute of English Studies offers an annual study week dedicated to celebrating and understanding the great nineteenth-century writers.

Organised by the Institute of English Studies.

History Now: The Institute of Historical Research Summer School 13–17 July How does history shed light on the urgent questions we face today? How do we use and misuse the past in the present? How will history change in the coming decade? This summer school combines lectures, workshops, hands-on training, and writing sessions.

Organised by the Institute of Historical Research.

Aby Warburg, the Picture Atlas and the Making of Visual Culture 13–24 July The second annual Warburg Institute Summer School is dedicated to the work of Aby Warburg and his picture atlas Mnemosyne. Participants will first be introduced to exemplary panels from the Atlas; they will examine original material, familiarise themselves with the collections of the Warburg Institute, and discuss relevant texts

by Warburg and other scholars that unlock this inspirational and complex body of work. This course will focus particularly on material and popular culture, on art and science, and on intercultural relations. It includes site visits (for example, to the V&A, Wellcome Collection, British Library, and National Gallery) to work through the different ways in which we can examine artworks and artefacts.

Organised by the Warburg Institute.

Normativity and Reality of Human Rights Dates to be confirmed This third edition of the human rights summer school addresses the interplay between norms and facts about human rights, with a focus on the impact of new technologies on human rights. Jointly organised by the Human Rights Consortium and the University of Padova, its aim is to reflect on the challenges for human rights normative systems stemming from the variety of situations in which human rights are operationalised. The normative/factual fault lines, the chasm between law and reality, are investigated not only in terms of compliance gaps, but also as opportunities for expanding and attuning the legal, ethical, and philosophical articulations of current human rights narratives.

Organised by the Human Rights Consortium.

sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

13

Short courses and summer schools

Nineteenth Century Study Week

Exhibitions

Exhibition – Senate House Library

Childhood in Dickensian London 20 January – 20 June | Senate House Library Free | Open Monday–Saturday Senate House Library senatehouselibrary.ac.uk @SenateHouseLib | #Dickens150

14

With 2020 marking the 150th anniversary of Charles Dickens's death, Senate House Library's exhibition takes visitors on a journey through Victorian London from the 1830s to the turn of the twentieth century.

On display are first edition copies of Dickens's most-loved novels, examples of his journalism, and intricate drawings and sketches of Dickens and the characters he created. There are also books and documents relating to wider social reform in Victorian-era London, all of which are from Senate House Library's vast collections. These are complemented by some of Dickens's personal items, such as a walking stick he used on his 'night walks' in London, on loan from the Charles Dickens Museum in London. There are more than 80 items on display exploring the issues experienced by children growing up in Victorian London.

Focusing on social injustice through Dickens's best-known deprived child characters, visitors can put themselves in the shoes of a young child growing up in the 1800s and consider how much things have changed two centuries on. sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

Exhibitions sas.ac.uk/events | senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/events

15

School of Advanced Study University of London Senate House Malet Street London WC1E 7HU United Kingdom

Senate House Library University of London Senate House Malet Street London WC1E 7HU United Kingdom

E: sas.info@sas.ac.uk T: +44 (0)20 7862 8833

E: senatehouselibrary@london.ac.uk T: +44 (0)20 7862 8500

facebook.com/ schoolofadvancedstudy

facebook.com/ SenateHouseLibrary

twitter.com/ @SASNews

twitter.com/ @SenateHouseLib

blogs/ talkinghumanities.blogs.sas.ac.uk

blogs/ senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/blogs

sas.ac.uk This publication is available in other formats.

Please write to sas.info@sas.ac.uk.

Cover image: Infinity Mirror Room, a lighting and mirror installation artwork by contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama (Singapore, 2017)