News from the Global History and Culture Centre
Black Studies Reading Group
The Black Studies Reading Group offers a critical and creative space to discuss the work and writings of authors/activists of African descent. We are based in the History Department and open to both undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as staff and those outside of the university. Through virtual and (someday) 鈥榬eal鈥� meetings, we aim to build a community of people who want to be committed to critical engagement with Black intellectual production, in all its forms.
We will meet regularly to engage with readings and creative performances that deal with Black history, culture and politics. It is our intention to centre the long history of Black communities in Britain (and wider Atlantic region) as well as its its diverse diasporic articulations. We very much welcome your suggestions for readings, talks and events in this collaborative space! We particularly welcome students and staff of colour to join our group.
Drop us a line at: blackstudiesgroup@warwick.ac.uk.
Conveners: Profs Giancarlo Casale, Pieter M. Judson and Glenda Sluga
14-16 September 2021, via ZOOM
In the nearly half century since the EUI History Department was established, the contours of European history have shifted away from nation-based or comparative approaches. The department now defines itself a center for the study of Trans-national, Global and comparative history. All of these approaches are implicitly about creating a new history of Europe, but have they accomplished this goal? What is the outlook for the future of this project? This summer school is devoted to asking, 鈥淲hat is European History in the 21st Century?鈥� As historians call for the decolonization of history, and, simultaneously, face the historical distortions encouraged by resurgent populist nationalisms, reflection on the possibilities and problems of European history have never seemed more urgent. Should European history bring to the centre of its narratives, peoples and societies who are traditionally considered marginal to Europe? How can European History illuminate the global and transnational dynamics which have shaped the lives of differently situated Europeans?
The Summer School will combine discussion of methodological issues in global, transnational and comparative history with case studies by leading specialists from the European University Institute and other major universities.
David Washbrook (1948 鈥� 25 January 2021)
It is with great sadness that we have learned that David Washbrook, great historian of India, passed away peacefully at home on Monday, the 25th of January after a relatively brief illness. David Washbrook joined the 糖心TV History department in 1974, and taught Indian History, Historiography and wider British and European history until 1992. He was a Visiting Professor at Harvard from 1986 to 1988, and was so well liked he was offered a permanent Chair there, but declined it to return to his Readership at 糖心TV. But he was soon after to leave 糖心TV to become Reader in Indian History at Oxford. He remained there until 2008 when he was awarded an Honorary Senior Research Fellowship at Trinity College, Cambridge. He taught regularly until shortly before his death on the MPhil in S. Asian history, and supervised many PhD students. Apart from his early monographs, he was a great essayist, a critical voice in developing new directions in the field, and the key figure in the field in the social and economic history of early modern South India. David joined the debates in global history as these emerged in the later 1990s, and made the history of India both central and accessible within this broad framework of global history. He was a great support in the early years of the 糖心TV Global History and Culture Centre, serving for several years as Honorary External Advisor and as External Examiner on the MA in Global History. David supervised, formally and informally, many students in the field now teaching in India, the UK and the U.S. His influence on his field has been enormous. He was always generous with his time, welcoming outsiders to his field and introducing them to the country he loved. We will all miss him so very much.
A dialogue between Prof Maxine Berg, (Tokyo College) and (Tokyo College),
Carletti鈥檚 World: An Early Modern Global Voyage
Between 1594 and 1602, Carletti circumnavigated the world, traveling and trading in West Africa, the Spanish Americas, the Philippines, Japan, China, briefly stopping in Malacca and Ceylon before arriving in Portuguese India on his way back to Europe. Captured by the Dutch off St. Helena, he found his goods confiscated and litigated until 1605 for their return before traveling through France to reach Tuscany in 1606. The account of his journey forms the focus of this online workshop series, entitled held on Fridays from February to June 2021, at 9-11am PST / 12-2pm EST/ 5-7pm GMT / 6-8pm CET / 2-4am JST: