UCL Early Modern Exchanges

All good things come to an end It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news that the UCL Faculties of Social & Historical Sciences and Arts & Humanities have decided to close the IAS on 31 July 2026.

It is with great sadness that we are sharing the news that the UCL Faculties of Social & Historical Sciences and Arts & Humanities have decided to close the IAS.

We will close our doors forever on 31 July 2026.

Follow the link to leave thoughts, comments, memories 💗

www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

The Song of Songs: Poetry in History How does poetry work in the medieval and early modern and other worlds? This workshop will take the example of the Biblical Song of Songs.

The Song of Songs: Poetry in History
10 April 2-5pm @ucl-ias.bsky.social
How does poetry work in the medieval and early modern and other worlds? This workshop will take the example of the Biblical Song of Songs.
www.ucl.ac.uk/early-modern...

Sponsored by members of the ‘London Forum for Premodern Studies’, including members from @warburginstitute.bsky.social, the Centre for Renaissance and Early Modern Studies at @qmul.bsky.social, @cemskcl.bsky.social and us, @uclearlymodxcha.bsky.social

With invited speakers Camilla Caporicci (Perugia) and Miri Rubin @mirierubin.bsky.social (QMUL)

The Song of Songs: Poetry in History How does poetry work in the medieval and early modern and other worlds? This workshop will take the example of the Biblical Song of Songs.

The Song of Songs: Poetry in History
10 April 2-5pm @ucl-ias.bsky.social
How does poetry work in the medieval and early modern and other worlds? This workshop will take the example of the Biblical Song of Songs.
www.ucl.ac.uk/early-modern...

Stevenson Lecture - Richard Oswald’s Library: Slavery, Collecting, and the Invention of Rare Books The 2026 Stevenson Lecture examines the library assembled at Auchincruive House in Ayr by Glasgow merchant Richard Oswald, in light of Oswald’s extensive profits from the transatlantic slave trade.

Richard Oswald’s Library: Slavery, Collecting & the Invention of Rare Books
25 Feb 6-8pm @artshumsucl.bsky.social
Prof Emma Smith will examine the library of Glasgow merchant Richard Oswald (c.1705–84), in light of his vast profits from the transatlantic slave trade.
www.ucl.ac.uk/arts-humanit...

18TH CENTURY BRITISH HISTORY PHD LIGHTNING TALKS CFP

Are you at the start of your PhD? Want to tell an eager and engaged audience about it in 5 mins? We want to hear the best PGR research about 18th Britain at our #LightningTalks event 29 April 2026.

Please see the poster for further information!

Call for Chapters: Evident Tongues, Evident Bodies Language, Sense, and Proof in the Early Modern World. Deadline for submissions: 12th April 2026.

Call for Chapters: Evident Tongues, Evident Bodies
Deadline to submit: 12th April 2026
We invite chapter proposals for an edited volume examining how encounters through language and the senses shaped the production of evidence in the early modern period (c.1492–1700).
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

Reading and writing can lower dementia risk by almost 40%, study finds Cognitive health in later life is ‘strongly influenced’ by lifelong exposure to intellectually stimulating environments, say researchers

The study points to using libraries and visiting museums as bringing these enormous brain health benefits ... who would have thought? Well, librarians and museum folk for a start ... www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

Europe Through Jokes and Laughter Communities of Laughter and Constructions of Cultural Belonging and Otherness in the Context of the European Expansion in the Early Modern Period.

Europe Through Jokes and Laughter
9 March 4-6pm @uclhistory.bsky.social
Communities of Laughter and Constructions of Cultural Belonging and Otherness in the Context of the European Expansion in the Early Modern Period.
www.ucl.ac.uk/early-modern...

The Forgotten Fear of Excrement Join us at Wellcome Collection for our Historical Health & The Body Reading Group for PhD, ECR & interested historical researchers.

The Forgotten Fear of Excrement
19 February, 1-2pm @wellcomecollection.bsky.social
The Historical Health & The Body Reading Group for PhD, ECR & interested historical researchers.
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

Thomas Ostermeier's Richard III: Staging Shakespeare in Translation UCL School of European Languages, Culture and Society is pleased to welcome Elisa Leroy to give this talk.

Thomas Ostermeier's Richard III: Staging Shakespeare in Translation
@uclselcs.bsky.social is pleased to welcome Elisa Leroy to give this talk.
12 February 2026, 12pm-1:30pm
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group - Session 14 The Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group is an informal discussion group exploring queer and trans themes in medieval and early modern texts.

Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group - Session 14
10 February 2026, 3:30pm-5pm
An informal discussion group exploring queer and trans themes in medieval and early modern texts.
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

Lightning Talks at The London Archives - IN PERSON Are you a student or Early Career Researcher? Need feedback on in-progress research? Can you summarise your research in 5 minutes or less?

⚡ Lightning Talks at The London Archives ⚡

Are you a student or ECR? Need feedback on your work? Can you summarise it in 5 minutes? Join us for Lightning Talks at The London Archives - a friendly event open to researchers of London and its history!

📆 Wed 11 February
🕔 5pm

Rewriting Race in Early Modern Medicine Join us at Wellcome Collection for our Historical Health & The Body Reading Group for PhD, ECR & interested historical researchers.

Rewriting Race in Early Modern Medicine
5 February 1-2pm
Join us at Wellcome Collection for our Historical Health & The Body Reading Group for PhD, ECR & interested historical researchers.
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

VERY EXCITING BOOK!

Come and discuss this VERY EXCITING BOOK with @ihreurope1500.bsky.social on 18 May @ihr.bsky.social!

and get your copy from @harvardpress.bsky.social: www.hup.harvard.edu/books/978067... #EarlyModern #SkyStorians

Time, Narrative & Emotion in Early Modern England Join us at Wellcome Collection for our Historical Health & The Body Reading Group for PhD, ECR & interested historical researchers.

Time, Narrative & Emotion in Early Modern England
22 January 2026, 1pm–2pm
Join us at Wellcome Collection for our Historical Health & The Body Reading Group for PhD, ECR & interested historical researchers.
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

IHR programme for the Europe & the World Seminar 12 January: Yahya Nurgat: The Politics of Sacred Space in the Early Modern Islamicate World: The Shrines of Karbala and Najaf 9 March: Sheilagh Ogilvie: Epidemics and Institutions from the Black Death to Covid 23 March: Pablo Gómez: The Early Atlantic Slave Trade and the Invention of Modern Corporeality

Winter Programme 2025-26 for our seminar on Europe & the World @ihr.bsky.social !

Mondays, 17:30 (UK time).

Everybody very welcome, in Bloomsbury or on zoom. All info and forms to get the zoom links here: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/... #EarlyModern #SkyStorians

Congratulations to UCL STS’s Professor Simon Werrett on the publication of his new paper exploring the rich intersections of art and science in eighteenth‑century Russia. A fascinating contribution to the field. Read it here:

Event title 'Between Translation and Confusion' next to a coat of arms with a dragon and a man with a sword

Ethiopian Christianity, Islam and European Perceptions of Religious Sameness and Difference
10 December 2025, 5pm–7pm
A UCL Early Modern Exchanges seminar with Eduardo Fernández Guerrero (The Warburg Institute) and Carlos Cañete Jiménez (CSIC)
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group
Session 13 is on 9 Dec 2pm-3:30pm
The Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group is an informal discussion group exploring queer and trans themes in medieval and early modern texts. @ctlnkane.bsky.social
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

New IAS Reading Group: Evident Tongues, Evident Bodies Join IAS Postdoctoral Fellows, Rana Banna & Mary Newman, for the second session of their reading group, exploring how early-modern writers connected linguistic encounters with sensory encounters of se...

New IAS Reading Group: Evident Tongues, Evident Bodies
26 Nov 2:30-4pm
Join IAS Postdoctoral Fellows, Rana Banna & Mary Newman, for the second session of their reading group, exploring how early-modern writers connected linguistic encounters with sensory encounters.
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group - Session 12 The Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group is an informal discussion group exploring queer and trans themes in medieval and early modern texts.

Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group - Session 12
The Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group is an informal discussion group exploring queer and trans themes in medieval and early modern texts.
25 Nov 2pm-3:30pm with @ctlnkane.bsky.social
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

Historical Health & The Body Primary Sources Show-and-Tell Join us at Wellcome Collection for our Historical Health & The Body Reading Group for PhD, ECR & interested historical researchers.

Historical Health & The Body Primary Sources Show-and-Tell
20 November 2025, 1pm-2pm
Join us at Wellcome Collection for our Historical Health & The Body Reading Group for PhD, ECR & interested historical researchers.
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

New IAS Reading Group: Evident Tongues, Evident Bodies Join the IAS Postdoctoral Fellows, Rana Banna & Mary Newman, for the first session of the reading group, exploring how early-modern writers connected linguistic encounters with sensory encounters of s...

New Reading Group: Evident Tongues, Evident Bodies
12 Nov 2:30pm
Join IAS Fellows Rana Banna & Mary Newman for the first session, exploring how early-modern writers connected linguistic encounters with sensory encounters of seeing, hearing, touching, tasting & smelling
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

📆 Coming up on 18 Nov: UCL Lunch Hour Lecture, The Witch in the Bible and Beyond

Hear from Dr Alinda Damsma on her research about the impact of the Bible on the early modern witch-hunts. These lectures are free, open to all and online.

Book now: buff.ly/LupLYZS
@uclhjs.bsky.social

New IAS Reading Group: Evident Tongues, Evident Bodies Join the IAS Postdoctoral Fellows, Rana Banna & Mary Newman, for the first session of the reading group, exploring how early-modern writers connected linguistic encounters with sensory encounters of s...

Evident Tongues, Evident Bodies: Language, Sense & Proof
12 Nov 2:30-4pm
This new @ucl-ias.bsky.social reading group explores how early-modern writers connected linguistic encounters with sensory encounters in the production of evidence.
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

New IAS Reading Group: Evident Tongues, Evident Bodies Join the IAS Postdoctoral Fellows, Rana Banna & Mary Newman, for the first session of the reading group, exploring how early-modern writers connected linguistic encounters with sensory encounters of s...

Evident Tongues, Evident Bodies: Language, Sense & Proof
12 Nov 2:30-4pm
This new @ucl-ias.bsky.social reading group explores how early-modern writers connected linguistic encounters with sensory encounters in the production of evidence.
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group - Session 11 The Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group is an informal discussion group exploring queer and trans themes in medieval and early modern texts.

Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group - Session 11
11 Nov 2-3:30pm with @ctlnkane.bsky.social
The Queer and Trans Pre-Modern Reading Group is an informal discussion group exploring queer and trans themes in medieval and early modern texts.
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...

Displaying Sara Baartman, the 'Hottentot Venus' Join us at Wellcome Collection for our Historical Health & The Body Reading Group for PhD, ECR & interested historical researchers.

Displaying Sara Baartman, the 'Hottentot Venus'
6 November 2025, 1pm-2pm
Join us at Wellcome Collection for our Historical Health & The Body Reading Group for PhD, ECR & interested historical researchers.
www.ucl.ac.uk/institute-of...