CANCELLED
The University is closely monitoring national and international developments in relation to COVID-19 and taking actions as appropriate. As a result, a decision has been made to cancel or postpone all University led public events until the end of April 2020.
The British Association of American Studies conference 2020 is taking place at the University of Liverpool, from Thursday 16th - Saturday 18th April 2020.
Liverpool is a city with strong historical, cultural and political links with the Americas. Liverpool had a pivotal role in the transatlantic slave trade and was often referred to as the ‘second city’ of the British empire, and is now committed to addressing its imperial past with the establishment of the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum.
This relationship with America also brought writers including Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott and Herman Melville to Liverpool. In the 20th century, Liverpool’s ports became a gateway by which African-American rhythm and blues reached a new generation. This led to the formation of arguably the world’s most influential band, The Beatles, who in turn went on to experience unprecedented success in America.
Liverpool also has a long history of political radicalism and protest, much of which is explicitly tied to the waning in the 1960s and 1970s of the city’s position as an international port. Liverpool’s contemporary arts institutions have a tradition of displaying work by radical American artists, with 2019 seeing landmark exhibitions by Judy Chicago and Keith Haring. The conference will address the following themes in particular: the slave trade and its legacies, transatlantic cultural exchange and communities of dissent.
Closing Date for Early Bird Registrations is 16th February 2020. Last booking date is 6th April 2020.
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