Grim up North? Event to discuss Northern identity

‘Is it really grim up North?’ is set to take place at the Leeds Library on Friday 16 September.

The free event has been organised by PhD students, Michael Reeve and Andrew McTominey, with the aim of promoting debate about Northern identity and how its expression shapes our perception of people and places.

Michael, who is studying jointly at Leeds Beckett and the University of Hull, explained: “Northern identity is an area that has been very under-researched in the fields of history and heritage studies so we want to use our event to build a network of researchers who work in the area of Northern identity – and other regional identities, bringing together new perspectives and academic backgrounds.”

Supported by the Heritage Consortium, the day will run from 11am to 5pm at the historic Leeds Library on Commercial Street. For more information and to book a place, please visit http://bit.ly/GrimUpNorth or email northernidentity2016@gmail.com. Following the event, there will be an optional evening meal at Prezzo.

Andrew, whose studies are based at Leeds Beckett and the University of Huddersfield, added: “Presentations on the day will span the fields of history, heritage studies, cultural and media studies, and English – all with a Northern focus – and including a keynote presentation by Professor Barry Doyle, Director of the Centre for the History of Public Health and Medicine at the University of Huddersfield. There will also be space for debate, discussion, networking and socialising. The day is open to everyone and we especially want to encourage postgraduate students and early career researchers to attend, as well as members of the Thoresby Society – the local Leeds history society based at the Leeds Library.”

The day will also be a chance to learn more about Michael and Andrew’s research degree studies, which are both funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Heritage Consortium.

Michael’s PhD is centred around urban communities and culture during the First World War, in particular the impact of civilian bombardment on local identities in port towns in the North East of England. Whilst Andrew’s study is investigating the history of the Washburn Valley reservoirs, built predominantly in the late 19^th Century to supply water to the city of Leeds, and the social and cultural effects of their construction on the area.