We've just completed the first term at our new home, the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. As well as being home to many of the University’s Humanities faculties, the building also features a number of public spaces, including a 500-seat Concert Hall, a 250-seat theatre, a black box immersive performance space, dance studio and cinema, an exhibition space, and a café and bar. The public cultural programme will begin in April 2026. You can browse upcoming events on the Schwarzman Centre website.
For the English Faculty, Michaelmas term was busy with public lectures. Professor Simon Gikandi delivered this year's Clarendon Lectures in English on the topic of ‘English in the (post) Colonial Archive’. We also had the termly lecture by our Professor of Poetry, A.E. Stallings, which offered a fascinating overview of the types and uses of rhyme, and the second Dorothy Whitelock lecture, at which Professor Jane Roberts gave an intriguing account of the early medieval records concerning St Guthlac of Crowland.
Faculty members have been sharing their research in different ways: Professor Santanu Das recorded a series of videos about his research with EXPeditions as part of their Philip Leverhulme Prize Collection. He explores three different themes: Rethinking history, war and empire, Touch and intimacy, and Sea literature: from sail to steam. Professor Pablo Mukherjee explored the topic of Fake News and the Victorians: Literature in the First Information Age in a British Academy 10-Minute Talk. While Professor Paulina Kewes co-authored an article on the excommunication of Henry VIII published in History Today magazine. This term, we were also delighted to see Professor Elleke Boehmer elected as a Corresponding Fellow of the Australian Humanities Academy.
Our Shakespeare webinars with Professor Emma Smith continue on the first Monday of each month. We ended 2025 with Romeo and Juliet and will start 2026 exploring Measure For Measure on 5 January. You can register for upcoming webinars and watch recordings of previous webinars on our website.
We're looking forward to Hilary Term when we'll be holding our first public events in the Schwarzman Centre. We'll be welcoming A.E Stallings for her next Professor of Poetry lecture on 29 January, and Professor Devyani Sharma will be giving her inaugural lecture on 12 February.
Follow us on social media to keep up to date with English Faculty events and activities. You can find us on X, Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky
