'The Desire for Syria in Medieval England': EK Myerson in conversation with Hope Doherty-Harrison
When:
—
Venue:
Birkbeck Clore Management Centre
In June 1458, two boats were cornered by pirates off the coast of Malta. Their captain, Robert Sturmy, was no match for the notorious Genoese freebooter Giuliano Gattilusio. The precious cargo for which Sturmy paid with his life contained stealable goods but also cultural significance. Sweet wines, spices, silks, jewels, and minerals – these alluring commodities gripped the medieval English imagination. E. K. Myerson utilises this dramatic incident of Mediterranean plunder to reveal the impact of Syrian imports on medieval art, language, and everyday life. They argue that the cultural category of 'Syriana' became a powerful tool, transforming medieval English society in ways which continue to resonate today.
Join EK Myerson and Hope Doherty-Harrison as they discuss Myerson's new book.
EK Myerson is an artist working with text, film, sculpture and medievalism. They are currently developing a new practice-based research project on alchemical vinegars, funded by the Wellcome Trust and based in the UCL History of Art Department (2026—2029). EK recently completed their MA in Contemporary Art Practice at the Royal College of Art, and has a PhD in medieval literature from Birkbeck College (2022). Their short films have been screened at Birkbeck Institute of the Moving Image, Genesis Cinema and the Trans+ Virtual Centre of Excellence. The Desire for Syria in Medieval England is their first book.
Hope Doherty-Harrison is Lecturer in Medieval Studies at Birkbeck, University of London. She is the author of Love and Anti-Judaism in Medieval English Romance: Typologies of Violence and Desire (Manchester University Press, 2025) and her current book project focuses on Judas in the Middle Ages, under contract with Cornell University Press. Hope's essays have also appeared in venues such as New Medieval Literatures, Journal of Medieval Religious Cultures, and Open Library of Humanities. Together with Alexandra R. A. Lee and E. R. P. Champion she is co-editor of Towards an Accessible Academy: Perspectives from Disabled Medievalists (De Gruyter, 2025). Hope's work has been supported by the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at the University of Edinburgh, the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art with Yale University in London, and the Leverhulme Trust.
Doors open: 6.45 pm
Event starts: 7.00 pm
The book launch is organised by the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities.
This in-person event is free and open to all but registration is required. Please click on the 'book your place' link at the top of the page to secure your place.
Contact name: Dr Elia Ntaousani - BIH Manager
Tags: