"university of liverpool" blog posts
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Stories We Tell: History, Mythologies, Memories and Monuments
How have national and international narratives influenced how history is taught, represented and interpreted on both sides of the Atlantic? How is this discourse used to mould political dialogue in United States and the United Kingdom? What is the value of democracy?
Posted on: 14 April 2023
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Congratulations to the Classes of 2020, 2021 and 2022!
This summer we draw the final curtain on what has been the most turbulent and demanding period in the life of university departments up and down the country. In History at Liverpool, not only have we seen our wonderfully resilient class of 2022 graduate in person in the sumptuous surroundings of Hope Street’s Philharmonic Hall, but we have also welcomed back to campus – at long last! – well over 300 students from the classes of 2020 and 2021. These students were denied their own in-person graduation ceremonies due to lockdown restrictions, and it was a tremendous privilege – and not a little emotional – to see them again in person.
Posted on: 1 August 2022
Closing the Gap: Supporting School Students to Success
Can you remember your time at school? Think back to the opportunities and experiences available. Did the school encourage you and your fellow classmates to go on to study at a highly selective university?
Posted on: 5 April 2022
Sustainable Swaps Guide
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it” – Robert Swan, Author. Little changes can make a big impact when lots of people choose to make them. Here are just a few ideas of sustainable swaps you can make to reduce your impact on climate change.
Posted on: 29 March 2022
Decolonising Bluecoat: A Collaborative Project
PhD researcher Michelle Girvan tells us about her work with the Bluecoat, Liverpool's oldest inner-city building, to investigate the building's complex connections with global trade, slavery and empire.
Posted on: 16 March 2022
Beyond the Viking homestead, the example of Aud the Deep-minded
Two major roles have been discussed for women in the Viking Age, the conforming housewife who took care of the homestead, and her polar opposite the fierce shieldmaiden. However, my research focuses outside these categories, on women who went abroad with Viking fighting forces who were not warriors. Often these women are nameless in literary sources, but one stands out from the Icelandic Sagas, Aud the Deep-minded.
Posted on: 9 March 2022
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Mapping Fascism Across Europe
Image credit: Pascual Marín, A group of members of the SF in Gipuzkoa rendering the Roman salute (1937). Kutxa Fototeka, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Posted on: 9 March 2022
Mala Zimetbaum- An Auschwitz Heroine
Mala Zimetbaum was a 22-year-old woman of Polish Jewish descent who was living in Belgium when the Second World War began. Mala’s life, along with millions of others, was turned upside down by the Nazi invasion of the country in May 1940. In September 1942, at the age of 24, Mala was deported to Auschwitz Birkenau concentration camp in Poland.
Posted on: 9 March 2022
Why Asexual Representation Matters
31st October 2021, I entered News From Nowhere, an independent bookstore on Bold Street. As I placed 3 items on the counter to purchase, I felt free. I bought a pin badge, a 5x3ft flag and a mini-handheld flag, all displaying a black stripe, a grey stripe, a white stripe and a purple stripe from top to bottom. These colours represent the asexual, or ace for short, flag, although I’m sure many of you may already be familiar with that flag. And although I’d long ago discovered my own asexuality, it was the first time I’d openly and proudly admitted to myself and another person that I am asexual.
Posted on: 9 February 2022
Books to read for the celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month
If you are like me and love celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month by reading stories that include queer identities, I have a list of fiction stories to recommend. However, it’s important to also read non-fiction and own voices stories and I highly recommend doing that too.
Posted on: 8 February 2022
Semester 1 Summaries: Bethan Asher
The first semester of my second year studying history at Liverpool has been a blast. Having lived in student accommodation at the on-campus Crown Place Halls of Residence last year, I was worried that living slightly further out of the city would be difficult. Quite the opposite- living in a house with five of my friends has been so much fun. Living in halls last year was exciting and a great way to make new friends with people doing a broad range of courses and all from different places. The university made such an effort to make halls feel like home with weekly activities to do with flatmates and events in the social areas. There are so many options here in terms of accommodation and the best thing is that most of them are pretty good value!
Posted on: 16 December 2021
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Visiting the Liverpool Conservation Centre of National Museums Liverpool
In the centre of Liverpool, there is a very unassuming building that looks like a piece of history on the outside, holding a literal treasure of well-kept knowledge. This is rather reminiscent of the purpose we were there for, to examine pieces of art worn with history and pick apart their deeper meaning. The place I’m talking about is the Liverpool Conservation Centre of National Museums Liverpool, home of over 1500-year-old diptychs that I and a few lucky others have come to see.
Posted on: 10 December 2021
Professor Charles Forsdick reflects on the importance of decolonising the curriculum
As part of BHM Professor Charles Forsdick reflects on the importance of decolonising the curriculum within the University of Liverpool’s relaunched MA in International Slavery.
Posted on: 22 October 2021
‘Bath 250: A Virtual Conference to Mark the 250th Anniversary of the New Assembly Rooms At Bath’
On 30th September 1771, the Upper Rooms in Bath opened their doors for the first time. Two hundred and fifty years later, the Bath 250 conference welcomed scholars from across the globe to celebrate this momentous occasion.
Posted on: 13 October 2021
We (won't) remember them
You may have noticed that part of the title is in brackets. In this article, I intend to decipher whether the removal of Imperialist statues diminishes our remembrance of history.
Posted on: 13 October 2021
Our Favourite Places to Visit Outside of the City
Sometimes you just want to take a break from city life, escape for a few hours. We know the feeling! We've put together a few suggestions of where you could go, including some stops along the way. So get your comfy trainers ready because you're about to go on an adventure.
Posted on: 8 August 2021
‘News you’re not supposed to know’: Uncovering the birth of Liverpool Free Press 1971-77
This little newspaper, run on a shoestring and staffed by part-timers in a tiny office, was responsible for investigating and breaking the news of a huge corruption scandal that ended with three prison terms for local councillors and business leaders.
Posted on: 10 May 2021
Bridgerton's Regency style - what was fashion really like in the early 19th century?
Were you dazzled by Daphne Bridgerton's debutante dress in 'Bridgerton'? With its wardrobe of high waistlines and puffed sleeves, this hit show has made Regency fashion - and the idea of #regencycore - a key trend in 2021. We spoke to museum curator, Pauline Rushton, to find out what fashion was really like in the early 19th century.
Posted on: 29 April 2021
World Heritage Day: a student's view
For World Heritage Day 2021, we spoke to History student Hannah Schofield-Lea, currently completing a placement at the World Museum, Liverpool.
Posted on: 19 April 2021
Four historic places to visit now in Liverpool
After feeling like we have been stuck inside for an eternity, students across Liverpool can slowly start to enjoy the beautiful locations in this historic city. Whilst Liverpool’s museums and indoor facilities are closed, take advantage of the sun and being allowed outdoors and explore some historic sites.
Posted on: 12 April 2021
Remembering the working class Suffragettes
Holding my £5 note with Winston Churchill’s face on it to buy my period supplies, would normally bring me anger, as this country still glorifies a man who worked against women having the right to vote.
Posted on: 15 March 2021
From Uzbekistan, with love: the communist career of Evgeniia Zel’kina
The biography of Evgeniia L’vovna Zel’kina cuts an unexpected path across the history of early Soviet Uzbekistan. Zel’kina was born in 1900 in Moscow, in the family of a Jewish doctor. After 1917, likely captivated by the new revolutionary ideology, she studied to become a professional activist at the Institute of Red Professors.
Posted on: 12 March 2021
Why we need to disrupt gendered perceptions of sexual crime
When it comes to an event such as Women’s History Month, we rightly celebrate women’s achievements and the historical contributions that they have made, in addition to exploring women’s lives and experiences.
Posted on: 1 March 2021
Out and proud - the legacy of the Gay Liberation Front
The Gay Liberation Front (GLF) originated in America, with the famous Stonewall Riots on 27 June 1969 and leading figures such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. By 1970, the idea had been brought over to the London School of Economics and the first meeting was held in a basement with 19 people on the 13 October 1970. Within a month, after leafleting and more meetings, the crowds of attendees grew.
Posted on: 24 February 2021
Where are all the Trans People in History?
Many trans people, myself included, wonder why we never learn about all of the amazing transgender people in history. Of course, being trans is not all there is to know about me, but it's still something I’m very proud of and that I continue to engage with. I love the community that I am a part of! I love both learning about history, as a history student, and being trans, so it's upsetting to see a lack of trans representation in history books. So where are all the trans people in history? Here are four trans people who have contributed to the progress of the trans community and our rights...
Posted on: 4 February 2021
Sex and 'Sexuality' in South Asian History
While the British justified the conquest and colonisation of a quarter of the world’s population on the grounds that they were bringing the ‘rule of law’ to peoples who had none, in reality they superimposed an alien legal system upon often complex pre-existing legal norms.
Posted on: 29 January 2021
Welcome to Liverpool! 5 tips for History students new to University of Liverpool
Welcome week runs from 28 September – 2 October 2020 and is set to be a little different this year, however there are still tons of events and tools that you can use to interact with the department, explore the city and get to know the University of Liverpool as a new student. Here are 5 tips for History students during Welcome Week to get your university experience off to a flying start:
Posted on: 26 September 2020
After Edward Colston: The Bristol Library Society and the Slave Trade
The toppling of the statue of the slave trader Edward Colston (1636-1721) in Bristol on 7 June 2020 has reminded a whole country – and many other parts of the world – of the city’s historical involvement in the slave trade. In the eighteenth century, Bristol prided itself as the second city of the British Empire and the traffic in human beings played a seminal role in creating the city’s wealth. In the second half of the century, the city used its increased prosperity to found cultural institutions, and one of the most notable ones was the Bristol Library Society, established in 1772-73. As a postdoctoral member of Professor Mark Towsey’s AHRC project on ‘Libraries, Reading Communities and Cultural Formation in the Eighteenth-Century Atlantic’, I conduct research on this institution and recently signed a contract with Bristol Record Society to publish an edition of its eighteenth-century committee minutes in book form.
Posted on: 10 June 2020
Professor Elaine Chalus discusses women and elections in the age of revolution
Professor Elaine Chalus, Head of the Department of History at the University of Liverpool, was recently recorded discussing women and elections with Megan King from the University of Kent’s Age of Revolutions research project.
Posted on: 6 May 2020
'Untold Histories of Empire': The truths about empire that museums don’t want to tell you – and why
Dr Deana Heath is a Reader in Indian and Colonial History at the University of Liverpool, and organiser of the Untold Histories of Empire project at the World Museum as part of the Being Human Festival.
Posted on: 13 November 2019
Libraries, Reading Communities and Cultural Formation in the Eighteenth-Century Atlantic
7-12 October is National Libraries Week 2019 – a time to celebrate the power of libraries to change lives through reading. The theme this year is how libraries engage communities through technology, building skills and encouraging participation. It’s fitting, therefore, that this week also marks the launch of a major new digital humanities project funded by the AHRC exploring the history of libraries, led by Professor Mark Towsey from the Department of History at the University of Liverpool.
Posted on: 9 October 2019
Opinion: What’s special about Robert Mugabe?
Following the death of Robert Mugabe earlier this month, Dr Diana Jeater reflects on the life of the former President of Zimbabwe and the response to his passing in the media.
Posted on: 18 September 2019
Five things to do during Welcome Week
Welcome Week kicks off on Monday, giving new students the opportunity to get to know their new flatmates, explore Liverpool and settle in before they start lectures. Take a look at our top five tips to help you get started with university life.
Posted on: 13 September 2019
Department of History Graduation 2019 — Social media roundup
Last week we said goodbye to our Class of 2019 at the School of Histories, Languages and Cultures graduation ceremony as they begin the next step of their journey as University of Liverpool graduates. Check out our roundup of social media messages from the day.
Posted on: 23 July 2019
Opinion: British Empire is still being whitewashed by the school curriculum – Dr Deana Heath on why this must change
Dr Deana Heath: Jeremy Corbyn has recently proposed that British school children should be taught about the history of the realities of British imperialism and colonialism. This would include the history of people of colour as components of, and contributors to, the British nation-state – rather than simply as enslaved victims of it. As Corbyn rightly noted: “Black history is British history” – and hence its study should be part of the national curriculum, not segregated in a single month each year.
Posted on: 8 November 2018
Explore the history of urban dog mess at the Plop Up Dog Poo Family Fun Day
Dog mess is a messy and infuriating presence on our streets. Awareness raising campaigns and fining and have made some progress in encouraging dog owners to do the responsible thing and scoop the poop. But dog mess continues to pose difficult management issues for councils who receive thousands of complaints each year about the 3,000 tons that hit British streets daily.
Posted on: 14 September 2018
"It’s two institutions presenting rival claims on the loyalties of North African Christians" – Dr Robin Whelan discusses Being Christian in Vandal Africa
Following the recent publication of Dr Robin Whelan’s book 'Being Christian in Vandal Africa: The Politics of Orthodoxy in the Post-Imperial West', Dr Chris Pearson sat with the author and Lecturer in Mediterranean History at the University of Liverpool to discuss their research and how their interest in the topic began.
Posted on: 8 February 2018
Exploring perceptions of Liverpool’s International Slavery Museum
Third year history student, Tiria Barnes, explores perceptions of Liverpool’s International Slavery Museum using articles from Gale Primary Sources.
Posted on: 15 December 2017
An experience to remember - PhD research at University of Georgia
Early in 2017, I was awarded a University of Georgia (UGA) Franklin College – University of Liverpool Short-Term International Research Fellowship. So a few months later, I found myself in Athens, Georgia, enjoying a week of beautiful fall weather and the generous hospitality of the southern United States.
Posted on: 8 December 2017
Statues of medical racist who experimented on enslaved people should also be taken down
Stephen Kenny blogs about how statues of a medical racist who experimented on enslaved people should be removed.
Posted on: 23 August 2017
Nuclear stories: understanding nuclear anxiety through storytelling
When I first undertook my History PhD research on nuclear anxiety in Britain, I was instantly surprised by how much people wanted to tell me their 'nuclear stories'. It appeared to me that the legacies of Cold War nuclear anxieties ran much deeper than I had originally believed.
Posted on: 23 August 2017
The 'Sniffing the Past' app - take a dog's eye view of the city in London, Paris and New York
What part do dogs play in urban history? Can their stories give us a fresh perspective on some of our most iconic cities? Chris Pearson has been researching dogs, humans and history in London, New York and Paris - and his new app is bringing these 'hidden histories' to life.
Posted on: 1 August 2017
Urban street photography - piecing together the past
Liverpool is bursting with museums and for History PhD student Dan Warner, the Museum of Liverpool's current photography exhibition has been a key piece of inspiration for his research:
Posted on: 29 September 2016
A handy guide to our 2016 Open Days
An open day is a great opportunity to meet with your future lecturers and current students, who can give you a unique insight into your course, the University and Liverpool itself. So here's our handy guide to some of the highlights of our open days - join us on on Saturday 24 September and Saturday 8 October.
Posted on: 16 September 2016