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TORCH | The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities

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The University of Oxford is home to an impressive range and depth of research activities in the Humanities. TORCH | The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities is a major new initiative that seeks to build on this heritage and to stimulate and support research that transcends disciplinary and institutional boundaries. Here we feature some of the networks and programmes, as well as recordings of events, and offer insights into the research that they make possible.

# Episode Title Description People Date
1 Likenesses: Translation, Illustration, Interpretation The themes raised by Matthew Reynolds' Likenesses: Translation, Illustration, Interpretation will be discussed by Dr Jason Gaiger (Ruskin School), Dr Adriana Jacobs (Oriental Studies) and Dr Nick Halmi (English). Matthew Reynolds, Jason Gaiger, Adriana Jacobs, Nick Halmi 08 Mar 2019
2 Epic Performances from the Middle Ages into the Twenty-First Century A discussion about the book Epic Performances from the Middle Ages into the Twenty-First Century. Part of 'A Book at Lunchtime' series Oliver Taplin, Wes Williams, Olga Taxidou, Sarah Whatley 06 Mar 2019
3 How not to Ruin Everything: Futures Thinking Launch Launch event for Futures Thinking, a new research group looking into future problems and opportunities created by advances in technology and artificial intelligence. Chelsea Haith, Robert Iliffe, Gretta Corporaal, Alexandra Paddock 05 Mar 2019
4 Oscar Wilde in Vienna: Pleasing and Teasing the Audience Sandra Mayer, author of Oscar Wilde in Vienna, argues it was his willingness to both please and tease his audience. His plays skilfully manoeuvre between conformism and subversion, conventionality and innovation. Sandra Mayer, Dominic Janes, Stefano Evangelista, Mary Luckhurst 20 Feb 2019
5 The Heterarchical Director - A Model of Authorship for the Twenty-First Century The keynote talk for 'Collaboration in Theatre symposium' at the University of Oxford, 19 October 2018. Duška Radosavljević 18 Dec 2018
6 Tales of Love and History - James Ivory in Conversation Oscar-winning American film-maker James Ivory will talk about his experiences with the legendary Merchant Ivory productions, in partnership with producer Ismail Merchant and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. James Ivory, Richard Parkinson, Katherine Harloe, Jennifer Ingleheart 18 Dec 2018
7 Smart People Work Everywhere - using your research skills outside academia A panel discuss using your research degree outside academia. Carole Souter, Philip Bullock, Kate Williams, Mark Byford 18 Dec 2018
8 Making Oscar Wilde A Book at Lunchtime seminar with Michele Mendelssohn, literary critic and cultural historian. Dr Sos Eltis (Brasenose, Oxford), Dr Charles Foster (Green Templeton, Oxford), Chaired by Professor Dame Hermione Lee (Wolfson, Oxford). Michèle Mendelssohn, Sos Eltis, Charles Foster, Dame Hermione Lee 14 Dec 2018
9 Forward with Classics A Book at Lunchtime seminar with Arlene Holmes-Henderson, Steven Hunt, Mai Musie, Dr Peter Jones (Co-founder, Classics for All), Dr Alex Pryce (Head of Student Recruitment, Oxford), Chaired by Professor Fiona Macintosh (St Hilda's Oxford). Arlene Holmes-Henderson, Steven Hunt, Mai Musié, Peter Jones 14 Dec 2018
10 Remembering the Jagiellonians A Book at Lunchtime seminar with Natalia Nowakowska, Somerville College, University of Oxford, Professor Julia Mannherz (Oriel, Oxford) Professor Hannah Skoda (St John’s, Oxford) Chaired by Professor Katherine Lebow (Christ Church, Oxford). Natalia Nowakowska, Julia Mannherz, Hannah Skoda, Katherine Lebow 14 Dec 2018
11 Reading Beyond the Code A Book at Lunchtime Seminar with Terrence Cave, Deirdre Wilson, Ben Morgan (Worcester College, Oxford), Professor Robyn Carston (Linguistics, UCL). Chaired by Professor Philip Bullock (TORCH Director). Terrence Cave, Deirdre Wilson, Ben Morgan, Robyn Carston 14 Dec 2018
12 Global Hungers: The Problem of Poverty in Postcolonial Literature A One-Day International Conference held at the Faculty of English, University of Oxford, on June 25, 2018. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Ros Ballaster, Ankhi Mukherjee, Robert J. C. Young 26 Jul 2018
13 Global Hungers: The Problem of Poverty in Postcolonial Literature A One-Day International Conference held at the Faculty of English, University of Oxford, on June 25, 2018. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Ros Ballaster, Ankhi Mukherjee, Robert J. C. Young 18 Jul 2018
14 Cultural Citizenship in India: Politics, Power and Media Cultural Citizenship in India argues that citizenship is an ongoing and evolving discursive project. Further, it studies the role of culture and different media in the process of citizen-making by taking postcolonial India as its case study. Lion König, Polly O'hanlon, Sundas Ali, Peter Frankopan 13 Jul 2018
15 Reni Eddo-Lodge in conversation with Rebecca Surender Reni Eddo-Lodge (author of Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race and winner of the Jhalak Prize 2018), in conversation with Dr Rebecca Surender (Pro Vice-Chancellor and Advocate for Diversity, University of Oxford). Reni Eddo-Lodge, Rebecca Surender 28 Jun 2018
16 Creative Commons Lost in Print? Linton Kwesi Johnson and the Reggae Music Archive Louisa Layne investigates the reggae music archive, exploring music and poetry through Linton Kwesi Johnson’s dub club. Louisa Layne 13 Jun 2018
17 Creative Commons Lost and Found: Till Damaskus III Travel back with Leah Broad to 1926 and hear recently found music by Swedish composter Ture Rangstrom, composed for a Strindberg play. Leah Broad 13 Jun 2018
18 The Monk, the Memorist, the Mushroom and the MRI Discover how we create and store ideas, and how modern neuroscience process 16th century theories on memory. Dan Holloway 13 Jun 2018
19 Creative Commons A Lost Victorian Utopia: Living to 100 An exploration of a Victorian blue-print for a city of health and happiness, where everyone could live to 100. Sally Shuttleworth 13 Jun 2018
20 Thomas Aquinas on Bodily Identity Book at Lunchtime, Thomas Aquinas on Bodily Identity Philip Bullock, Antonia Fitzpatrick, Cecilia Trifogli, William Wood 12 Jun 2018
21 Creative Commons Artist Talk: Made in Imagination Find out how Anne Griffiths’ work, Lost in Imagination, reimagines intriguing objects lost within the Pitt Rivers archive. Anne Griffiths 06 Jun 2018
22 Creative Commons Identity beyond Borders: Ethnicity in the American Pacific Evan Matsuyama gives a short talk on Japanese mortality, identity, and ethnicity in the Nikkei struggle against mass incarceration during World War II. Evan Matsuyama 06 Jun 2018
23 Creative Commons Lost and Found: The story of a Museum store Andrew Hughes gives a short talk on the discovery unusual things lost and found during a move of 100,000 Pitt Rivers Museum objects. Andrew Hughes 06 Jun 2018
24 Jewish Country Houses Conference Welcome and Opening Remarks Abigail Green (Oxford) introduces the conference, held in the Radcliffe Humanities Building on 5th March 2018. Abigail Green 23 May 2018
25 A Celebration of the Centenary of the Birth of Olive Gibbs 100 years since the Representation of the People Act, the act which gave women the vote. Susanna Pressel, Liz Woolley, Bruce Kent, Simon Gibbs 26 Feb 2018
26 Ethnicised Religion and Sacralised Ethnicity in the Past and the Present An expert panel discusses the phenomenon of ethnicisation of religious identifications focussing especially on the nexus of religious, ethnic and national identifications in colonial, anti-colonial and postcolonial settings from Ireland to South Asia. Elisabeth Bolorinos Allard, Faisal Devji, Peter Leary, Ilya Afanasyev 22 Feb 2018
27 Valuing Women With Disabilities Valuing Women With Disabilities: Infantilised, Medicalised, Pauperised? Marie Tidball, Helen Brookman, Julie Jaye Charles 21 Feb 2018
28 James Joyce and the Phenomenology of Film Book at Lunchtime, James Joyce and the Phenomenology of Film Katherine Morris, Ulrika Maude, Jeri Johnson, Cleo Hanaway-Oakley 16 Feb 2018
29 A History of Algeria James McDougall presents an expansive new account of the modern history of Africa's largest country James McDougal, Eugene Rogan, Laleh Khalili, Robert Gildea 25 Jan 2018
30 Imagining the Divine: Art and the Rise of World Religions Mary Beard and Neil MacGregor in conversation undefined 24 Jan 2018
31 Becoming / Unbecoming With comics artist Una Una 18 Dec 2017
32 Unlocking the Church Book at Lunchtime, Unlocking the Church William Whyte, Dan Hicks, Julia Smith, Mark Chapman 11 Dec 2017
33 Late Victorian into Modern Book at Lunchtime, Late Victorian into Modern Laura Marcus, Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, Michael Bentley, Charlotte Jones 08 Dec 2017
34 Autonomy, Community, Destiny: Re-Imagining Disability The second seminar in the Disability and Curriculum Diversity series at TORCH Elizabeth Frood, Dom Hyams, Marie Tidball 07 Dec 2017
35 Work, Time and Stress: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives Stress & overwork in both education and professional life in the Victorian era and the 'dynamic' nature of disability and the impact of the stresses of modern life has. Sally Shuttleworth, Marie Tidball 07 Dec 2017
36 Me and My Beliefs: Challenges of Identity and Society Me and My Beliefs: Challenges of Identity and Society held on 28 November 2017 Libby Lane, Jas' Elsner, Shaista Aziz, Elleke Boehmer 06 Dec 2017
37 Imagining the Divine: Art and the Rise of World Religions Book at Lunchtime held on 8th November 2017. Gervase Rosser, Georgi Parpulov, Stefanie Lenk, Kate Cooper 27 Nov 2017
38 Representing the Dead Book at Lunchtime event Helen Swift, jessica Goodman, Philip Bullock, Neil Kenny 26 Oct 2017
39 Hidden Beneath the Surface: Untold Tales of Neurodivergence and Mental Difference in Oxford World Mental Health Day 2017 Dan Holloway, Miranda Reilly, Sonia Boue, Marie Tidball 18 Oct 2017
40 Unflattening With Nick Sousanis Nick Sousanis, Dominic Davies, Segolene Tarte 05 Sep 2017
41 Disaster Drawn: Comics and Picturing Violence Keynote lecture by Hilary Chute as part of the Documenting Trauma conference. Hilary Chute 05 Sep 2017
42 Thinking the Beyond of Crisis Professor Simon Glendinnning (London School of Economics) delivered the keynote address on 'Thinking the Beyond of Crisis' at the TORCH Crisis, Extremes, and Apocalypse event 'Rethinking Crisis'. Simon Glendinning 18 Jul 2017
43 Creative Commons Exploring Sicilian Epigraphy Sicilian schools study and research epigraphy in their museums. Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, Andrew Fairweather-Tall 23 Jun 2017
44 Creative Commons Italian Stories in Britain A project about talking to Italian communities in Britain and finding out what stories there are. Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, Matthew Reza 23 Jun 2017
45 Creative Commons Unsilencing the library: An exhibition at Compton Verney Research into how books make us feel. Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, Sophie Ratcliffe, Steven Parissien 23 Jun 2017
46 Creative Commons Recreating the music of an ancient Greek chorus: Euripides Orestes Research into ancient music. Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, Armand O Angour 23 Jun 2017
47 Creative Commons Storming Utopia The director from the Pegasus theatre in Oxford, talks about his upcoming theatre piece. Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, Wes Williams 23 Jun 2017
48 Creative Commons Literature and Silence Research into multiple Quaker congregations. Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, Kate McLoughlin 23 Jun 2017
49 Creative Commons Transforming The Operatic Voice Looking at the relationships between philosophy and the creative practice of music. Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, Toby Young 23 Jun 2017
50 How the Mouse Lost its Tail, Or, Lamarck's Dangerous Idea Speaker: Jessica Riskin (University of Stanford) Jessica Riskin 19 Jun 2017
51 Progress, Providence, Eschaton: Löwith, Blumenberg, and After Speaker: Jean-Claude Monond (ENS) Jean-Claude Monond 19 Jun 2017
52 Rescue in the Face of Danger: Benjamin, Goethe, Sebald Speaker: Carolin Duttlinger (University of Oxford) Carolin Duttlinger 19 Jun 2017
53 The Modern Epimetheus. Carl Schmitt's Marian Katechontism Speaker: Hjalmar Falk (Oxford/Gothenburg) Hjalmar Falk 19 Jun 2017
54 Ernst Kantorowicz and the Politics of Political Theology Speaker: Martin Ruehl (University of Cambridge) Martin Ruehl 19 Jun 2017
55 On Real and Imagined Catastrophes: Gershom Scholem's Sabbatinism Speaker: Amir Engel (Hebrew University) Amir Engel 19 Jun 2017
56 Surrealism’s Political-Theological Afterlife: Benjamin—Blumenberg—Taubes Speaker: Julia Ng (Goldsmith's) Julia Ng 19 Jun 2017
57 Creative Commons Humanities Knowledge Exchange Showcase Knowledge Exchange is the mutually beneficial sharing of ideas, data, experience, and expertise, and involves collaboration between researchers and external organisations or the public. Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, Toby Young, Kate McLoughlin 19 Jun 2017
58 Between Historiography and Literature: "Gershom Sholem's Intellectual Biography" Speaker: Amir Engel (Hebrew University) Amir Engel 19 Jun 2017
59 Performance of 'Night Dance (Fantasy)' Musicians Dan Hulme and Nick Fowler perform Night Dance (Fantasy) at a recent Live Friday event, held at the Ashmolean Museum on March 3rd 2017. Dan Hulme, Nick Fowler 13 Jun 2017
60 Britain's History and Memory of Transatlantic Slavery Book at Lunchtime seminar on Britain's History and Memory of Transatlantic Slavery, edited and written by Ryan Hanley (Fellow in History, University of Oxford). Bob Harris, Ryan Hanley, Padraic Scanlan, Sebabatso Manoeli 13 Jun 2017
61 Everything in Everything: Anaxagoras's Metaphysics Book at Lunchtime discussion Anna Marmodoro, Elleke Boehmer, Naoya Iwata, Simona Aimar 06 Jun 2017
62 Volcanoes: Natural Disaster Narratives and the Environment in Caribbean Literature A panel discussion Elleke Boehmer, Imaobong Umoren, Richard Scholar, Anne Castro 05 Jun 2017
63 Bruno Latour's Anti-sacrificial Politics Part of the Sacrifice Revisited event Martin Crowley 22 May 2017
64 Meanings of ‘Sacrifice’ in Brexit Mythology Part of the Sacrifice Revisited event Kalypso Nicolaidis 22 May 2017
65 Gandhi, Sacrifice and the Ambiguities of Non-Violence Part of the Sacrifice Revisited event Faisal Devji 22 May 2017
66 Consequentialist Extremism: Present Sacrifices for Future Dreams in the Justification of Violence Part of the Sacrifice Revisited event Jonathan Leader Maynard 22 May 2017
67 On Violence, Gender, and Sacrifice: Old Stories and New Reflections Part of the Sacrifice Revisited event Kimberley Hutchings 22 May 2017
68 A Genre in Crisis: The Novel in 1940s France Professor Ann Jefferson discusses the French novel. Ann Jefferson 17 May 2017
69 InHabit: People, Places and Possessions Book at Lunchtime Seminar held on May 3rd 2017. Antony Buxton, Linda Hulin, Jane Anderson, Cathy Oakes 10 May 2017
70 Terminus or Renovation? Francis Bacon and crisis in early modern knowledge The TORCH Crisis, Extremes, and Apocalypse network hosted a talk on 'Terminus or Renovation? Francis Bacon and Crisis in Early Modern Knowledge' with Dr Richard Serjeantson (University of Cambridge) Richard Serjeantson 10 May 2017
71 Ernst Kantorowicz on Methods and Postage Stamps The TORCH Crisis, Extremes, and Apocalypse network hosted a talk on ''Ernst Kantorowicz on Methods and Postage Stamps' given by Professor Robert Lerner (Northwestern) Robert Lerner 10 May 2017
72 The Rise of Endless War The TORCH Crisis, Extremes, and Apocalypse network hosted a talk on 'The Rise of Endless War' with Professor Samuel Moyn (Harvard University). samuel moyn 10 May 2017
73 Robespierre and the Politicians' Terror The TORCH Crisis, Extremes, and Apocalypse network hosted a talk on 'Robespierre and the Politicians’ Terror' with Marisa Linton (Kingston University). Marisa Linton 10 May 2017
74 Dystopia Today The TORCH Crisis, Extremes, and Apocalyse network have hosted an event on 'Dystopia Today' with Greg Claeys (Royal Holloway, University of London). Greg Claeys 10 May 2017
75 Germs Revisited On Thursday 16 March 2017, Dr Emilie Taylor-Brown gave a talk with Dr Jamie Lorimer (School of Geography and the Environment) and Dr Nicola Fawcett (Medical Sciences Division) on the subject of Germs Revisited. Emilie Taylor-Brown, Jamie Lorimer, Nicola Fawcett, Kirsten Shepherd-Barr 25 Apr 2017
76 Creative Commons Whither Death? Helen Swift and Jessica Goodman discuss the one day conference 'Whither Death?' Helen Swift, jessica Goodman 28 Mar 2017
77 Creative Commons Miles Hewstone - What Does Diversity Mean to Me? Opening event in TORCH Headline Series exploring 'Humanities & Identities' Miles Hewstone 28 Mar 2017
78 Creative Commons Maria Misra - What Does Diversity Mean to Me? Opening event in TORCH Headline Series exploring 'Humanities & Identities' Maria Misra 28 Mar 2017
79 Creative Commons Marvin Rees - What Does Diversity Mean to Me? Opening event in TORCH Headline Series exploring 'Humanities & Identities' Marvin Rees 28 Mar 2017
80 Creative Commons Deborah Cameron - What Does Diversity Mean to Me? Opening event in TORCH Headline Series exploring 'Humanities & Identities Deborah Cameron 28 Mar 2017
81 Creative Commons Ellah Wakatama Allfrey - What Does Diversity Mean to Me? Opening event in TORCH Headline Series exploring 'Humanities & Identities' Ellah Wakatama Allfrey 28 Mar 2017
82 Creative Commons Jay Stewart - What Does Diversity Mean to Me? Opening event in TORCH Headline Series exploring 'Humanities & Identities' Jay Stewart 28 Mar 2017
83 Politics and Public Space in Contemporary Argentine Poetry Book at Lunchtime event. Ben Bollig, Bart van Es, Leigh A Payne, Eduardo Posada-Carbo 21 Mar 2017
84 Exodus, Reckoning, Sacrifice: Three Meanings of Brexit Lecture with Kalypso Nicolaidis (St Antony’s College). Respondent: Anand Menon (King’s College London) Convenors: Timothy Garton Ash and Kalypso Nicolaidis (St Antony’s College). Kalypso Nicolaidis, Anand Menon, Timothy Garton Ash 03 Mar 2017
85 Walter Benjamin Meets the Cosmics Professor Richard Wolin (CUNY) delivers a talk on 'Walter Benjamin Meets the Cosmics' for the TORCH Crisis, Extremes, and Apocalypse network. Richard Wolin 28 Feb 2017
86 Language, Crisis, and Affect The TORCH Crisis, Extremes, and Apocalypse network hosted a talk ‘Language, crisis and affect: Muted emotions in Heinrich von Kleist’s Michael Kohlhaas’ with Dr Tobias Heinrich (University of Oxford). Tobias Heinrich 28 Feb 2017
87 Living Bilingual Professor Elleke Boehmer (Director of TORCH) delivers a talk as part of the Creative Multilingualism and TORCH Bitesize Talks at Linguamania, Ashmolean Museum. Elleke Boehmer 22 Feb 2017
88 Bilingualism and the Internet Scott Hale (Senior Data Scientist) delivers a talk as part of the Creative Multilingualism and TORCH Bitesize Talks at Linguamania, Ashmolean Museum. Scott Hale 22 Feb 2017
89 A Tristan Tile in the Ashmolean Henrike Lähnemann (Professor of Medieval German Literature) delivers a talk as part of the Creative Multilingualism and TORCH Bitesize Talks at Linguamania, Ashmolean Museum. Henrike Lähnemann 21 Feb 2017
90 Do Objects Speak? Wen-chin Ouyang (Professor of Arabic and Comparative Literature at the School of Oriental and African Studies) delivers a talk as part of the Creative Multilingualism and TORCH Bitesize Talks at Lingumania. Wen-Chin Ouyang 21 Feb 2017
91 Musings from Cloud Cuckoo Land Dr Karen Park delivers a Creative Multilingualism and TORCH Bitesize talk as part of Linguamania Karen Park 21 Feb 2017
92 The Spirits of Crossbones Graveyard The book's author Sondra Hausner (Professor of Anthropology, University of Oxford) will explore the issues raised in her book. Sondra Hausner, Bridget Anderson, Diane Watt, Antonia Fitzpatrick 10 Feb 2017
93 Literature and the Public Good Part of the Book at Lunchtime series Rick Rylance, Jane Hiddleston, Timothy Michael, Ankhi Mukherjee 01 Feb 2017
94 #NeverHillary vs #NeverTrump The US Election on Social Media Panel Discussion Philip N Howard, Gemma Joyce, Matthew Lee Anderson, Yin Yin Lu 01 Feb 2017
95 Drawing the Line: Toward an Aesthetic of Transitional Justice This Postcolonial Writing and Theory Seminar is on 'Drawing the Line: Toward an Aesthetic of Transitional Justice' with speaker Carrol Clarkson (University of Amsterdam). Carrol Clarkson 06 Jan 2017
96 FRIGHT Friday - Stretched to Breaking Point Dan Holloway gives a talk for the FRIGHT Friday series of talks, held in the Ashmolean Museum on 25th November 2016. Dan Holloway 12 Dec 2016
97 FRIGHT Friday - Gothic Horror: Medicine and Monsters Dr Andrew Papanikitas gives a talk for the FRIGHT Friday series of talks, held in the Ashmolean Museum on 25th November 2016. Andrew Papanikitas 12 Dec 2016
98 FRIGHT Friday - Fear and Flesh: Gothic Medicine Dr Barry Murname gives a talk for the FRIGHT Friday series of talks, held in the Ashmolean Museum on 25th November 2016. Barry Murname 12 Dec 2016
99 FRIGHT Friday - Fear of Cats and Other Phobias Professor Sally Shuttleworth gives a talk for the FRIGHT Friday series of talks, held in the Ashmolean Museum on 25th November 2016. Sally Shuttleworth 12 Dec 2016
100 FRIGHT Friday - Parenting, Fear, Hope and Salvation Dr Joshua Hordern gives a talk for the FRIGHT Friday series of talks, held in the Ashmolean Museum on 25th November 2016. Joshua Hordern 12 Dec 2016