Monthly Archives: June 2017

Melbourne Rare Book Week Events of Interest

Full program here: http://www.rarebookweek.com

“Curator’s tour of Medieval Books Great and Small: the Clumber Bible exhibition”, Susan Thomas

Date: Monday 3 July, 2017; and Saturday 8 July, 2017.
Time: 3 July: 12:30pm – 1:15pm; 8 July: 11:30am – 12:15pm
Venue: Dulcie Hollyock Room, Ground floor, Baillieu Library
Bookings: 3 July: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/curators-tour-of-medieval-books-great-and-small-the-clumber-bible-display-tickets-35421210795?aff=erelpanelorg
8 July: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/curators-tour-of-medieval-books-great-and-small-the-clumber-bible-display-tickets-35421414404

Be transported back to the 14th century by immersing yourself in the world of medieval books on this curator-guided meander through the Medieval Books Great and Small: the Clumber Bible exhibition.

Be astonished by the beauty, diversity and size of medieval texts – from the monumental and lavishly illuminated 23kg Clumber Bible (measuring almost 90cm across when open), to the exquisitely diminutive Sarum Breviary (10cm high). Do not miss this opportunity to get close to these splendid vestiges from an earlier time with Baillieu Library Rare Books Curator, Susan Thomas, who will provide short introductions to each object and be happy to answer your questions.


“Literature for everyman”, Stephen Herrin

Date: Monday 3 July, 2017.
Time: 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Venue: Monash University Law Chambers
Bookings: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQlxhSFwTOS5JuVrwYYiP3ei3IKg2KJEyx5vE2feFQjpZ4DA/viewform

From the middle of the 17th century literature began appearing in more affordable forms, such as tracts, chapbooks, yellowbacks, and penny novels. The literary genres of these books were wide ranging and for both adults and children. There were fairy tales, heroic tales, political subjects, ghost stories, travel and adventure. Gradually these began to gravitate to the more sensational, like the penny dreadfuls. Stephen Herrin will present many examples of these ephemeral literature from the collections of Monash University Rare Books.


“The Kerry Stokes Collection of Medieval Manuscripts,” Professor Emeritus Margaret Manion and Erica Persak

Date: Monday 3 July, 2017.
Time: 5:00pm – 6:15pm
Venue: The Oratory, Newman College
Bookings: https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=289593

Be captivated as Professor Emeritus Margaret Manion discusses this recently acquired 14th-century French Bible, and Erica Persak describes some of the wonderful medieval manuscripts in the Kerry Stokes Collection.


A Clumber Bible lunchtime double-bill:
“The Duke of Newcastle and the Clumber legacy, &; Early English Illustrated Biblical Cycles”, Shane Carmody and Professor Bernard Muir

Date: Tuesday 4 July, 2017.
Time: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Venue: Graduate Room, 1st floor, Baillieu Library
Bookings: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/a-clumber-bible-lunchtime-double-feature-the-duke-of-newcastle-and-the-clumber-legacy-early-english-tickets-35164970373

Do not miss two fascinating lunchtime talks presented in association with Medieval Books Great and Small: the Clumber Bible exhibition.

The Duke of Newcastle and the Clumber Legacy

Let Shane Carmody delight you with the enthralling story of the Dukes of Newcastle and the family seat Clumber House, Nottinghamshire. Not least, learn about the family`s book collecting interests and how they came to own an enormous 23kg medieval Bible!

Early English Illustrated Biblical Cycles

Professor Bernard Muir will captivate you with his commentary on a selection of early English biblical texts, explaining the meaning of the often beautiful iconography and other decorative schemas.


“The John Emmerson Collection”, Richard Overell & Des Cowley

Date: Thursday 6 July, 2017.
Time: 11:00am – 11:45am and 6:00pm – 6:45pm
Venue: State Library Victoria
Bookings: Email: inquiries@slv.vic.gov.au

Nicholas Barker, editor of The Book Collector, described the late John Emmerson as “one of the great book collectors of our time”. In 2015, the John Emmerson collection, comprising over 5,000 early English books, with a particular emphasis on the English Civil War, was donated to the State Library Victoria. This session will look at some of the highlights from the Emmerson Collection.

Richard Overell was until the end of 2014 the Rare Books Librarian at Monash University Library. He now works at State Library Victoria helping to catalogue the John Emmerson Collection.

Des Cowley is the History of the Book manager at State Library Victoria. He is co-curator of the Library’s ongoing exhibition Mirror of the World: Books & Ideas and co-author of The World of the Book (Melbourne University Press, 2007).

National Gallery of Ireland: Curator of Italian and Spanish Art – Call For Applications

The National Gallery of Ireland (‘the Gallery’) is Ireland’s major national cultural institution devoted to the collection and care of fine art. Comprising some 16,000 paintings, drawings, watercolours, miniatures, prints, sculpture and decorative arts, the institution’s extensive holdings include masterpieces by many of the most celebrated figures in the history of western European art. In addition, the Gallery houses the most representative collection of historic Irish art. The national collections and archives are important resources for access by anyone with an interest in art and art education. Its associated disciplines play an important role supporting the work of the Gallery’s library, archives, research, conservation, education, exhibitions andcollection services staff. Funded mainly by the State, the Gallery employs more than 100 staff and provides free access to the public 361 days a year.

The Gallery wishes to recruit a Curator of Italian and Spanish Art. The overall responsibility of this post is to care for, research and provide information about the Gallery’s collection of Italian and Spanish Art. Reporting to the Head Curator (or nominated deputy), the Curator of Italian and Spanish Art will:

  • Research and publish on the Italian and Spanish works of art in the Gallery’s collection
  • Keep abreast with current scholarly research in these fields
  • Ensure that the collections of Italian and Spanish art are displayed to the highest standards
  • Curate exhibitions on Italian and Spanish art that contribute to the Gallery’s public programme
  • Propose new acquisitions and loans
  • Provide insurance valuations for works in the collection
  • Propose the priorities for conservation and agree on works to receive treatment
  • Ensure that the information on the Italian and Spanish works of art is up-to-date (on the Gallery’s website, labels and the collection registration system)
  • Take part in the Gallery’s lecture programme
  • Respond to queries from the public, external specialists and arrange visits and inspections where appropriate
  • Maintain and develop professional relationships with colleagues from other museums, academics, private collectors, dealers and auction house staff
  • Contribute to sponsorship proposals, press releases and other related documentation
  • Actively contribute to the Staff Development Programme
  • Complete other duties as required

The successful candidate will have:

  • An advanced third-level qualification in art history
  • Specialist knowledge and expertise of Italian and Spanish art
  • A record of publications in at least one of the two areas
  • Knowledge of the Italian or Spanish language
  • Strong research and analytical skills with excellent attention to detail
  • Outstanding organisation and planning skills, and a commitment to meet deadlines
  • A track record of self-motivation and the ability to work independently and on his/her own initiative
  • Excellent communication and inter-personal skills and the ability to work as part of a collaborative project team
  • A willingness to partake in and enhance own professional development
  • Note: This job description is a guide to broad areas of responsibility and accountability and should not be regarded as a comprehensive listing. The job description may be subject to review in the view of new structures and / or the changing needs of the Gallery. All employees are required to be compliant with NGI screening, security and Garda vetting procedures.

    Grade and Salary: Salary will be in accordance with point 1 of the Engineer Grade III Salary Scale (PPC) currently €30,376 per annum.

    Candidates should note the National Gallery of Ireland complies with Department of Public Expenditure and Reform regulations and guidelines on Public Service pay and conditions of employment and pension provisions.

    Contract Duration: Full-Time Permanent.

    Post provisions: The successful candidate must be willing to work occasional evenings and weekends (as required).

    Closing date for receipt of applications: 4pm, Monday 10 July, 2017.

    Interview: scheduled week commencing 31 July, 2017.

    How to apply: Interested applicants should send a cover letter and curriculum vitae (in MS Word only) in strictest confidence to Ms. Michelle Serviss, HR Partner, Merrion Square West, Dublin 2 or alternatively via email to jobopportunities@ngi.ie. References (contact details) must be available upon request. Please state Curator of Italian and Spanish Art on application. Candidates should note that panels may be formed from which future positions may be filled.

    21st Biennial New College Conference on Medieval & Renaissance Studies – Call For Papers

    21st Biennial New College Conference on Medieval & Renaissance Studies
    New College of Florida, Sarasota, Florida
    8–10 March, 2018

    The twenty-first biennial New College Conference on Medieval & Renaissance Studies will take place 8–10 March 2018 in Sarasota, Florida. The program committee invites 250-word abstracts of proposed twenty-minute papers on topics in European and Mediterranean history, literature, art, music and religion from the fourth to the seventeenth centuries. Interdisciplinary work is particularly appropriate to the conference’s broad historical and disciplinary scope. Planned sessions are also welcome. The deadline for all abstracts is 15 September, 2017; for submission guidelines or to submit an abstract, please go to http://www.newcollegeconference.org/cfp.

    Junior scholars whose abstracts are accepted are encouraged to submit their papers for consideration for the Snyder Prize (named in honor of conference founder Lee Snyder), which carries an honorarium of $400. Further details are available at the conference website.

    The Conference is held on the campus of New College of Florida, the honors college of the Florida state system. The college, located on Sarasota Bay, is adjacent to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, which will offer tours arranged for conference participants. Sarasota is noted for its beautiful public beaches, theater, food, art and music. Average temperatures in March are a pleasant high of 77F (25C) and a low of 57F (14C).

    More information will be posted on the conference website (http://www.newcollegeconference.org) as it becomes available, including plenary speakers, conference events, and area attractions. Please send any inquiries to info@newcollegeconference.org.

    Representing Infirmity: Diseased Bodies in Renaissance and Early Modern Italy – Call For Papers

    “Representing Infirmity: Diseased Bodies in Renaissance and Early Modern Italy”
    Monash University Centre in Prato
    December 13-15, 2017

    Students currently enrolled in a Master’s or Doctoral program are invited to submit a project for “Representing Infirmity: Diseased Bodies in Renaissance and Early Modern Italy,” an international conference to be held at the Monash University Centre in Prato on December 13-15, 2017. The event is organized by John Henderson (Birkbeck, University of London and Monash University), a historian of medicine, Fredrika Jacobs (Virginia Commonwealth University) and Jonathan Nelson (Syracuse University in Florence), both historians of art, and Peter Howard (Monash University, Melbourne), a historian and Director of the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies at Monash (Melbourne and Prato).

    The conference will be the first to explore how diseased bodies were represented in Italy during the ‘long Renaissance,’ from the early 1400s through ca. 1650. Many individual studies by historians of art and the history of medicine address specific aspects of this subject, yet there has never been an attempt to define or explore the broader topic. Moreover, most studies interpret Renaissance images and texts through the lens of current under-tandings about disease. This conference avoids the pitfalls of retrospective diagnosis. Accordingly, proposed projects should look beyond the modern category of ‘disease’ to view ‘infirmity’ in Galenic humoural terms.

    The event begins with a keynote lecture by John Henderson on December 13, followed by two days of papers by (in alphabetical order): Sheila Barker, Danielle Carrabino, Peter Howard, Fredrika Jacobs, Jenni Kuuliala, Jonathan Nelson, Diana Bullen Presciutti, Paolo Savoia, Michael Stolberg, and Evelyn Welch. For topics, see below.

    Graduate students are invited to participate in the ‘poster session.’ Selection will begin on 15 August 2017. Grant recipients will produce a PDF for a poster that illustrates one aspect of how infirmity was represented in Renaissance Italy. The poster will be exhibited at the Monash Prato Centre, and an electronic version will be posted on the conference webpage. During the conference, students will give short presentations of their work. These junior colleagues are invited to all meals, and encouraged to participate in discussions; they may be invited to submit their paper for publication in the acts of the conference. Students will be provided with up to $500 for economy transportation, plus hotel and meals in Prato for the three-day event. Given the terms of this grant, priority will be given to US students and students in US programs, but all students are encouraged to apply.

    Applicants must be currently enrolled in a Doctoral or a research-based Master’s program. Applications should be sent via email to Infirmity2017@gmail.com, and must include the following:

    1. Academic Summary (university level only): a) name and address of current institution, b) title of program, c) short description of thesis (ca. 200 words), d) expected date of completion, e) name and address of advisor, and f) name and address of second academic or professional reference.
    2. Professional Summary: a list of relevant work experience and/or publications.
    3. Proposal: title, and short description (ca. 200 words).
    4. Proposals should address one the following topics:
      • What infirmities are depicted in visual culture, in what context, why, and when?
      • How did the idea and representations of infirmities change over the 15th-17th centuries?
      • How, did awareness of new diseases in this period inform the visual representation of infirmity?
      • How did these representations change across media (altarpieces, sculptures, votive images, prints, book illustrations)?
      • What was the relationship between images and texts, principally medical, religious, and literary?
      • How and why did representations of infirmity differ in popular versus learned texts?

    The Conference is organized by Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Monash University Prato, as part of the “Body in the City Arts Focus Research Program.”

    Funding for graduate students is provided by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, administered through Syracuse University.

    Shakespeare: Now And Then – Call For Papers

    Shakespeare: Now And Then
    The 41st Annual Ohio Valley Shakespeare Conference
    Baldwin Wallace University, Berea, Ohio
    19-21 October, 2017

    Plenary speaker: Professor Hugh Grady (Professor Emeritus, Arcadia University)

    How do time, and the times, figure in the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries? What is Shakespeare’s time? Was it then? It is now? Will it be in the future?

    The 2017 meeting of the OVSC seeks papers that consider how the works of Shakespeare and other early modern authors resonated in their own time, and how they continue to do so in ours. How do early modern writers’ views of time shed light on their own contemporary surroundings? On their own pasts? How does Shakespeare’s voice speak to, with, and/or against the voices of his contemporaries? In what ways do adaptations and interpretations of early modern works reach — or fail to reach — today’s audiences? How do the era’s plays and poems comment on the issues of their own times, and our own?

    Proposals for papers of 20 minutes, roundtable topics, or panels of three or four members on Shakespeare’s work and that of his contemporaries are welcome. Please send abstracts of 300-500 words to Professor Susan Oldrieve at soldriev@bw.edu.

    Undergraduate students are invited to present their work during seminar-style roundtables. Participants will be asked to submit 300-500 word abstracts, followed by 8-10 page papers for pre-circulation.

    Deadlines: Deadline for early notification is June 16, 2017. Deadline for full consideration is September 8, 2017.

    Location: Baldwin Wallace is just outside of Cleveland, 10 minutes from the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Downtown Cleveland is 20 minutes from campus, and public transportation is available.

    The OVSC publishes a volume of selected papers each year and conferees are welcome to submit revised versions of their papers for consideration. Students who present are eligible to compete for the M. Rick Smith Memorial Prize.

    Questions or submissions can be directed to Professor Susan Oldrieve (soldriev@bw.edu).

    16th International Conference on Books, Publishing & Libraries

    16th International Conference on Books, Publishing & Libraries
    University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
    7 July 2018

    Founded in 2003, the International Conference on Books, Publishing & Libraries brings together scholars and practitioners around a common shared interest in exploring the histories, traditions, and futures of books, publishing, and libraries.

    We invite proposals for paper presentations, workshops/interactive sessions, posters/exhibits, and colloquia. The conference features research addressing the annual themes.

    • Theme 1: Publishing Practices: Past, Present, and Future
    • Theme 2: Reading, Writing, Literacy, and Learning
    • Theme 3: Books and Libraries

    For more information regarding the conference, and to submit an abstract please visit our conference website: http://booksandpublishing.com/2018-conference

    Current proposal submission deadline: 3 July, 2017.

    Law and (Dis)Order – Call For Papers

    Law and (Dis)Order
    Sewanee Medieval Colloquium
    The University of the South, Sewanee, TN
    13-14 April, 2018

    The Sewanee Medieval Colloquium invites papers exploring aspects of law, order, disorder and resistance in all aspects of medieval cultures. This includes legal codes, social order, orthodoxy and heterodoxy, poetic or artistic form, gender construction, racial divisions, scientific and philosophical order, the history of popular rebellion, and other ways of conceptualizing our theme.

    Papers should be twenty minutes in length, and commentary is traditionally provided for each paper presented. We invite papers from all disciplines, and encourage contributions from medievalists working on any geographic area. A seminar will also seek contributions; please look for its separate CFP soon. Participants in the Colloquium are generally limited to holders of a Ph.D. and those currently in a Ph.D. program.

    Please submit an abstract (approx. 250 words) and brief c.v., via our website (http://medievalcolloquium.sewanee.edu), no later than 26 October, 2017.

    If you wish to propose a full panel session, please submit abstracts and vitae for all participants in the panel.

    Completed papers, including notes, will be due no later than 13 March, 2018.

    For more information, contact:

    Dr. Matthew W. Irvin
    Director, Sewanee Medieval Colloquium
    medievalcolloquium@sewanee.edu

    Follow us on Twitter @SewaneeMedieval

    Awakening the Sacred Through Literature and the Arts Conference – Registration Now Open

    Awakening the Sacred Through Literature and the Arts Conference
    Australian Catholic University, Strathfield, NSW
    7-8 July 2017

    Awakening the Sacred is the fifth in a series of conferences presented by The Sacred in Literature and the Arts (SLA), a community of interest that brings Australian and international writers, artists, musicians, academics, religious and members of the general public together to explore the interplay between the arts and the sacred.

    The 2017 conference asks how literature and the arts can help to awaken an experience of the sacred: do the arts provide a common ground for people of different faiths and no faith to open themselves to the ineffable? There will be a special focus on the meditative traditions and practices of East and West and the ways in which they are often nurtured and supported by literature and the arts. The conference is held in conjunction with The World Community of Christian Meditation.

    The conference features a wide range of speakers, including Laurence Freeman OSB, Miriam-Rose Ungunmerr, Sasha Grishin, Rachael Kohn, Maeve Heaney , David Tacey,Imam Afroz Ali, artists Michael Galovic and Chelsea Adkins, and the ACU Choir. The conference will also feature an exhibition of traditional icons and contemporary religious art by Michael Galovic, alongside works by Chelsea Adkins.

    For more information including the full program, and to register, please visit: https://www.acu.edu.au/about_acu/faculties,_institutes_and_centres/education_and_arts/scholarly_communities/sla/awakening_the_sacred_2017

    University of California, San Diego: Lectureship in Literature and Lectureship in History

    Lecturer Posting for Literature
    University of California, San Diego, Literature

    The Department of Literature, within the Division of Arts and Humanities at UC San Diego is committed to academic excellence and diversity within the faculty, staff, and student body. Pending budgetary approval, one or more non tenure-track lectureships are expected to be available in 2017-18 academic year. All Literature courses will be considered and based on department needs. Ph.D. or MFA or Master’s Degree in related field and outstanding teaching experience are required. The full list of courses offered by the department can be found in the online course catalogue: ucsd.edu/catalog/courses/LIT.html. Salary and level of appointment are based on qualifications and UC pay scale. Proof of authorization to work in the U. S. will be required prior to employment (Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1985).

    Applications close: October 1, 2017
    For full information and to apply, please visit: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/apply/JPF01366.


    Temporary Lecturer 2017-2018 in History
    University of California, San Diego, Arts and Humanities

    The Department of History within the Division of Arts and Humanities at UC San Diego is committed to academic excellence and diversity within the faculty, staff, and student body.

    We are seeking applicants for temporary lecturer position(s) in the fields of Africa, Ancient Mediterranean, East Asia, Europe, Jewish Studies, Latin America, Middle East, United States and History of Science. Appointment(s) may be part-time, full-time, quarterly or annual, with the possibility of renewal contingent on performance and funding availability. Position(s) available during the 2017/2018 academic year.

    Applications close: July 7, 2017
    For full information and to apply, please visit: https://apol-recruit.ucsd.edu/apply/JPF01372.

    Food and Feast in Premodern Outlaw Tales – Call For Papers

    Food and Feast in Premodern Outlaw Tales (edited collection)

    Editors: Melissa Ridley Elmes and Kristin Bovaird-Abbo

    We seek papers to round out an exciting collection of essays on the subject of “food and feast in premodern outlaw tales.” Although we are happy to consider abstracts on Middle English outlaws, we are especially interested in work that considers topics related to food and/or feasting in the following areas: pre-Conquest English, medieval Scandinavian, medieval continental, or early modern outlaws in history, literature, and/or culture. We welcome essays from any discipline. Please send an author bio and abstract for a 6,000-8,000 word essay to Melissa Ridley Elmes at MElmes@lindenwood.edu by August 1, 2017.