News & Events

On 8th May 2024, the Birkbeck Institute for the Study of Antisemitism is hosting a public lecture during Birkbeck's Arts Week 2024, where Professor Bryan Cheyette (University of Reading) will bring together the narratives and memories of two groups of people who suffered under slavery: the victims of the slave plantations in the American South before the American Civil War; and those who underwent forced labour in the concentration camps in Europe. He will focus on two icons: Frederick Douglass and Primo Levi.

Civil Rights Movement activist, organiser and photographer Maria Varela's work will be exhibited at St John's College from the 29th of April 2024 to the 18th of May 2024. There will also be a talk with Maria Varela on the 30th of April at the Rothermere American Institute, where she will share her experiences photographing the South during this time. From events such as the Meredith March Against Fear, to profiling leaders such as Fannie Lou Hamer, Varela’s photography offers an important perspective on one of the most significant periods of reckoning in American history.

Upcoming celebration and symposium in Liverpool on Sat 4th May, for the bicentennial birth of tap dancer William Henry Lane ('Master Juba), who received fame across both sides of the Atlantic! More info and tickets below, and expressions of interest / calls for participants who may wish to speak, participate, or get involved in any parts of the celebration are very welcome - please contact us at CelebratingMasterJuba@gmail.com. Celebrating Master Juba: 200 Years On The bicentennial birth of tap dancer William Henry Lane Saturday 4th May – 12:30-9:30pm

This monograph offers the first comparative examination of American and New Zealand fiction writing, taking the Pacific War as a locus point. It utilizes postcolonial theory, island studies, and trauma theory to determine the extent to which ideologies traceable to the Second World War continue to manifest in fiction writing. In light of current discussions surrounding Christopher Nolan's film Oppenheimer, Chapter 5's focus on novelizations of the Manhattan Project story is especially timely.

The Teaching American Studies Network invites proposals for a one-day symposium to be held at the University of Warwick on 9 July 2024. The theme for the 2024 Symposium is “Decoloniality: Difficulties and Multiplicities”.

Registration for this year’s Digital BAAS conference will be closing on Tuesday, so if you haven’t registered, please do as soon as possible! Digital BAAS will be held entirely on Discord, an interactive online server that offers opportunities for networking, socialising, and sharing ideas informally, as well as more formal research-sharing. Attendees will be able to listen to panels, chat with colleagues, and form new connections all in one space!