Cultural Studies and Humanities Good News October 2021

Expert on dystopian and post-apocalyptic writing talks about why people are obsessed with dystopian fiction

Susan Watkins has spoken to the Independent about why it is we’re becoming increasingly obsessed with dystopian fiction. You can read the article here: The Squid Game effect: Why do we seek out dystopias?

Ruth Robbins and Susan Watkins presented a paper at the 34th annual meeting of the Society for Literature, Science and the Arts. 

The paper was titled 'The Performativity of Matter and the Foetal Maternal Apparatus – the Pregnancy Scan in Contemporary Women’s Reproductive Dystopias'. It examined the representation of the pregnancy scan in three contemporary reproductive dystopias and related these fictions to the history of medical intervention in pregnancy. Ruth and Susan are hoping this will be the beginning of a larger project on women and science, focusing on the medicalisation of women's bodies from the Victorian period to the present day and the treatment of that subject in culture. This builds on their work as co-editors of the University of Wales Press Intersections in Literature and Science series. 

Emily Zobel Marshall and Rachel Rich organised an in-conversation with multi-award-winning artist Yinka Shonibare as part of the School Black History Month programme

In 2023, Turner Prize nominee Yinka Shonibare will be unveiling a sculpture in Leeds in memory of the Nigerian migrant David Oluwale- who died as a result of police harassment in 1969. Shonibare considers identity and colonialism in his work, examining race, class and the construction of cultural identity. His work comments on the tangled interrelationship between Africa and Europe, and their respective economic and political histories.

Shonibare discussed his artistic vision, his work and his response to the David Oluwale story with Emily and Rachel.

Emily Zobel Marshall has written a piece for an academic newsletter

Emily has written a piece for The Conversation and the Leeds Beckett website entitled ‘Remembering the Black Abolitionists of Yorkshire.’ You can read the piece in The Conversation here.

Emily Zobel Marshall has been interviewed for the Leeds library podcast

The podcast is called: ‘The latest episode of Tales from The Leeds Library features Dr Emily Zobel Marshall. We talk about Emily's work with Carnival, her work with the charity Remember Oluwale and their planned memorial sculpture garden featuring work by artist Yinka Shonibare. We also talk in depth about Emily’s most recent book American Trickster: trauma, tradition and Brer Rabbit – a fascinating study of the cultural journey of Brer Rabbit from its contested origins in African folklore to an internationally recognisable trickster figure.’ The podcast is available here.

Carnival Cultures PHD student at the school, is calling for a permanent Black British Museum in the UK to celebrate and honour the contributions of the Black community

Dr Tola Dabiri is one of the directors at Museum X CIC, which is home to the Black British Museum Project. She has just complied and edited the Black British takeover of the Museums Journal (Sept/Oct edition). You can read the full article on her call in The Voice newspaper here.

Emily Zobel Marshall delivered a paper on traditional mas in Caribbean Carnival at the 8th Biannual Steelpan Conference at the London Tabernacle

The conference is the home of Notting Hill carnival. The paper was entitled “Who Going to Take Care of the Baby?” Diasporic Baby Dolls and Gendering Resilience in Carnival Mas’. It will be shortly published in the International Journal of Carnival Arts and forms a part of her wider AHRC research network funded project ‘Women in Carnival.’ 

Emily Zobel Marshall has had a piece on Harewood house published in a special Black British takeover edition

Emily has had a piece on Harewood house and its plantation history entitled ‘Facing up to the Past’ published in a special Black British takeover edition of the Museums Journal. You can read the journal here.