Medieval Matters: Is it Term Yet?

27 September 2021
Luisa Ostacchini
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Dear Medievalists,

The days are getting colder, the leaves are getting crisper and Bodleian is getting busier… Michaelmas term is almost here! 0th week is just on the horizon, and I’m sure you can’t wait for the medieval events that lie in store. The Durham proverbs advise us that ‘geþyld byþ middes eades’ (‘patience is half of happiness’), so we must wait patiently for all of our seminars, reading groups and opportunities, but today I bring you some pre-term announcements to tide you over:

  • Network for new postdoctoral researchers: New postdoctoral Medievalists and Early Modernists from all disciplines are warmly invited to join a friendly network of new postdocs to help support the transition from doctoral to postdoctoral research. If you would like to get involved, please email Rebecca Menmuir at r.menmuir@qmul.ac.uk
  • ​Call for Papers: Spirits and Spirituality in Medieval Britain and Ireland C. 600-1400. The organisers invite papers which explore representations of spirits and spirituality in the medieval period from c. 600-1400 in Britain and Ireland, including, but not limited to the influence of Eastern and / or Western patristics; representations of spirits and demons; approaches to spirituality; how spirits and spirituality are represented in medieval texts, artefacts, art and material culture; or alternative spiritualities. Please send abstracts of no more than 200 words to eleni.ponirakis3@nottingham.ac.uk by the 30th November 2021.
  • Job opportunity: The BnF are recruiting an Editorial content editor for The Art of Reading in the Middle-Ages, on a six-month contract starting 1/11/2011. For further information, see the job posting here

  • Future Philology: Digitization and Beyond: A two-day online symposium organised by the Invisible East Programme. This is a fantasic opportunity for scholars working on digital corpora of documents from the ancient and medieval world to share their experiences and insights. Thursday 30th September – Friday, October 1st 2021. For more information and to register, please visit https://invisibleeast.web.ox.ac.uk/event/future-philology-digitization-and-beyond#/.

  • Medieval Roadshow: a great way for all seminar/reading group/medieval event convenors to publicise their wares. Come and give a two-minute in-person advert at this term's Roadshow: Tuesday 12th October, 5-7 pm, at Teddy Hall. Please email luisa.ostacchini@ell.ox.ac.uk so she can get an idea of who'll be talking -- but if you haven't 'booked' don't worry - turn up anyway and we'll fit you in. The Roadshow is an excellent way re-connect with our medieval community after so many months of virtual events.

Finally, I’d like to remind you to make sure to send your submissions for the Medieval Booklet to luisa.ostacchini@ell.ox.ac.uk before October 1st. Many thanks to everyone who has already sent me their entries. The Booklet will arrive in the first Monday email of 0th Week! Until then, I hope everyone is patiently but excitedly looking forward to the start of term.

Best wishes,

Luisa.