2nd speaker report - Tamzin Simmons

A massive thanks to our Friday speaker Tamzin Simmons for her in-depth paper on Exile Prophecies in Dante's Inferno.

Tamzin Simmons, speaking at the Arts PG Forum

Tamzin certainly impressed us with her thorough grasp of the material, which was well-paced and enlightening. The range of questions that followed her paper demonstrated how engaging the topic was!

Organiser Wendy, top right, and other attendees.

1st paper report - Steven Lovatt

Last Friday, Steven Lovatt took the unusual step to look back on some of his past work, reread his previous dissertation and share his findings with the group. A confident speaker, Steven's enthusiasm for the subject was palpable and his musings explored the topic of Jewish artists' representations of the Russian landscape.

His review was infused with a range of atmospheric tools. To start with, the group was treated to some rustic music clips. Then a handout was provided, full of quotes that conjured up images of peasant life in Russia. Along with the PowerPoint images, we were able to visualise Steven's vision of Jewish artists and their struggles. 

While time constraints forced him to skip some fascinating material, we never felt rushed and were left asking for more! This groundbreaking research showcased some largely forgotten artists who clearly deserve the attention afforded them at this session.

This Friday's paper explores Dante's Inferno!

We are very much looking forward to Tamzin Simmons' presentation this Friday, 4.10pm, (Dept. of Archaeology) 43 Woodland Road. 


Individuals and Public Life: an Exploration of the Exile Prophecies of Dante's Inferno
I will provide a short overview of the political situation in Florence in Dante's time and talk briefly about his political ideas in the context of his other works before going on to consider three episodes in the Inferno where Dante's exile is foretold and examine the view of the relationship between individual and society that is presented in them.

Download the event poster here:
BEST: PDF

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About the speaker:

Tamzin Simmons BA (Hons) French and Italian, University of Leeds. MA by Research in Modern Languages and Cultures (Italian), University of Leeds. 2nd Year PhD in Italian: "Rectitude, Revelation and Truth in the Christology of Dante's 'Commedia'."

New Resources section - now live

Check out Darrelyn Gunzburg's PDF file on presentation skills, available to download  from our new Resources section.
PDF: Darrelyn Gunzburg  

Download our newest poster

Feel free to download and share our updated poster.

PhD Movie at the Student's Union

Many seasoned PhD students will be well aware of the hilarious comic strip PhD Comics. The Student's Union are hosting an exclusive premier of its fantastic movie this Wednesday.

Follow the challenging life of Academia, Piled Higher and Deeper introduces audiences to the unique and funny culture surrounding four unsuspecting graduate students as they struggle to find a balance between research, teaching and their personal lives, all with large doses of humour and heart.

Join the organisers of the Arts PG Forum at the event, which is showing at the Student's Union Winston Theatre. Followed by a drinks reception hosted by the PG Senate Reps. Tickets £5 (+50p transaction fee, waived if purchased at Wicked Coffee on the ground floor or the Info Point on Tyndall Ave.)

Find out more here: http://www.ubu.org.uk/ents/event/163

Our first paper, presented this Friday

We are very excited to announce our first paper will be presented by Steven Lovatt, this Friday:

Strangers in a strange land? Jewish representations of the Russian landscape, 1860-1940

In this paper I shall discuss the representation of the Russian landscape in the work of Jewish painters and writers active in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. After introducing some of the general theoretical and contextual issues that bear upon my subject, I shall move on to a more detailed consideration of particular works. Although my discussion will be wide ranging and not confined to problems of cultural and national identity, my focus throughout will be the question of the extent to which distinctively Jewish perceptions of the Russian landscape (if such existed) might be considered compatible with a contemporary Russian discourse of national-spiritual uniqueness that placed special emphasis upon the native terrain of the ‘motherland’.

Steven Lovatt has a BA in Russian Studies from the University of Leeds and a Masters degree in the same subject from the University of Bristol. He has just begun an MLitt in the Department of Philosophy at Bristol that will examine the role of irony in the works of Fiodor Dostoevskii and SÆren Kierkegaard. Steven also contributes articles and reviews on the English-language literature of Wales to Welsh literary publications.

Friday 4 November, 4.10 pm; Lecture Theatre One (LT1), Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, 43Woodland Road.