Latest Posts
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Women firsts in Cabinet, a long view.
Dr Jacqui Turner After Rachel Reeves’ appointment as Chancellor, and in the wake of her first address to the public, Jacqui Turner reflects on the longer history of women in the Cabinet. Labour have won a historic landslide in 2024,… Continue reading
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History Department Outreach: June 2024
Our department has been fortunate to welcome lots of school pupils over the past month. Sharing our craft is an important part of our department, and several events were organised by our outreach director, Dr Daniel Renshaw. Alongside him this… Continue reading
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Your Vote Matters: 4th July Election, a Guide to Voting- By Abbie Tibbott
Many students within the department of history have been involved in political causes both within and outside of the classroom. As the July election creeps closer, it may feel overwhelming. It could be that you are facing your first general… Continue reading
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Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Rum: The curious history of pirate music
To celebrate the release of his new book, Richard Blakemore explores the musical side of pirate history. Pirates and music: I imagine what comes into your head is that haunting refrain from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, or perhaps the soaring… Continue reading
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A Project to Uncover the Truth, by Ellie Grigsby
‘The little girl could not sleep because her thoughts were way too deep, her mind had gone out for a stroll and fallen down the rabbit hole.”– Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland, 1865. At my first supervision session in 2022,… Continue reading
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Celebrating Doctoral Research: Fairbrother Showcase 2024
Each year, the Fairbrother showcase celebrates excellent doctoral research from across the university. This year, two of our brilliant doctoral researchers, Luke Walters and Dr Anne Jeavons, presented their work at the event, held at the Reading Biscuit Factory, an… Continue reading
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Exam Season: Advice for Students
Students may have already had their fill of advice this assessment season, both in revision sessions and from the university centrally. From general exam guidance to the past paper archive, there are a lot of resources on the university website… Continue reading
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The 1939 Municipal Rent strikes in England. When women held their communities together, by Fiona Lane
‘The idea of living in a neighbourhood…appears virtually to have no connection with any responsibility for its good government in the mind of the average housewife.’[1] The theme of ‘inspire inclusion’ for Women’s History Month is a welcome opportunity to… Continue reading
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May Hobbs: Organising the Nightcleaners, by Amy Longmuir
May Hobbs was born in Hoxton, East London in 1938. Like many other working class women, by the 1960s she found work as a nightcleaner in the ever-increasing number of high-rise office blocks in central London. Much of this work… Continue reading
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#IWD: Female Comradery, Politics and Belonging, by Abbie Tibbott
The theme for International Women’s Day this month is ‘Inspire Inclusion’, and it got me thinking a little bit about how important collaboration is to getting things done, and what evidence I have seen of this during my own research.… Continue reading
READING HISTORY 