Birkbeck Medieval Seminar 2026: Whose Middle Ages?

When: 27 March 2026, 10:00 — 17:00
Venue: Birkbeck 43 Gordon Square

The Middle Ages are all around us. As the philosopher, medievalist and novelist Umberto Eco pointed out 30 years ago, 'before rejoicing or grieving over a return of the Middle Ages, we have the moral and cultural duty of spelling out what kind of Middle Ages we are talking about'. Since then, we have seen a diversification of scholarly approaches to the Middle Ages, including global and decolonial approaches. But how have these academic discussions related to discussions and representations of the Middle Ages in the wider culture?

At the 2026 Birkbeck Medieval Seminar, join us for a day of discussion about the claims that are placed upon the Middle Ages, in poetry, art and the wider culture. Taking up the question asked by Andrew Albin et al. in their 2019 book, Whose Middle Ages? Teachable Moments in an Ill-Used Past, Dr Rebecca Menmuir (University of Oxford), Dr Daniel Sawyer (Birkbeck), Dr George Bartlett (Courtauld) and Dr Olenka Pevny (University of Cambridge) will address the continued power of ideas from and about the Middle Ages in contemporary culture.

Programme

10:00 Welcome and registrations

Session One - Facilitator: Alan Davey (Birkbeck)
10:30-11:30 'Chaucerian Reception in the Modern World: Medievalism, Forgery, Fiction' - Dr Rebecca Menmuir (University of Oxford)
11:30-12:30 'Californian Poets on Middle English' - Dr Daniel Sawyer (Birkbeck)

12:30-13:30 Sandwich lunch in the Keynes Library

Session Two - Facilitator: Dr Nick Evans (Birkbeck)
13:30-14:30 'Exorcising Theodora: Late 20th and Early 21st Century Representations of a Byzantine Empress ' - Dr George Bartlett (The Courtauld)
14:40-15:30 'From Ideological to Scientific Medievalism: The Restoration of Rus’ Monuments in Ukraine ' - Dr Olenka Pevny (University of Cambridge)

15:30-16:00 Tea/Coffee in the Keynes Library

16:30-17:00 Roundtable

Contact name: Nick Evans

Contact phone: 07954365186

Speakers

Tags: