Thursday 9 December 2010

Musicians' panel session

A highlight of the conference is a panel session involving musicians with a close personal involvement in communism. Regrettably Henry Flynt has withdrawn from the conference due to ill health. I am delighted that in his place we will hear from Ernie Lieberman (also known as Ernie Sheldon), a prominent figure in the American folk movement of the 1940s and 1950s. Also on the panel are the distinguished composers Konrad Boehmer and Giacomo Manzoni. Each panel participant will offer a personal reflection upon the conference theme, to be followed by discussion and questions from the audience.

Conference concert

Details of the conference concert may be found here.

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Abstracts for papers now available

Abstracts for papers to be delivered at the conference are now available, together with the conference programme: see the conference programme and abstracts booklet.

Tuesday 17 August 2010

Conference registration now open

You may register for the conference online through the British Academy website. The full conference fee is £70 and there is a reduced fee of £35 for students, the retired and the unwaged. The fee includes admission to all sessions, tea, coffee and sandwich lunch throughout the duration of the event and admission to the concert by Apartment House.

Tuesday 20 July 2010

Hotels / accommodation

The conference is non-residential, so delegates are asked to make their own accommodation arrangements. The British Academy is located in one of the most expensive areas of London, but nonetheless there are affordable accommodation options either within walking distance or a few tube stops away. I offer below some suggestions (prices correct at time of posting); please feel free to use the comments facility on this page to offer other tips, warnings, or requests for ideas. If you wish to roomshare with another delegate, let me know (by email) your preferred budget and duration of stay, and I will attempt to team people up.

Vandon House: Operated by the Central University of Iowa, this hotel is less than ten minutes walk from the British Academy. It offers basic accommodation at remarkable prices for this part of London (from £45/night, breakfast included in the price). Single rooms use shared bathrooms (6 single rooms to a bathroom), but the twin rooms are en-suite. The rooms are very basic but clean and the atmosphere is orderly and friendly.

Penn Club: The Penn Club is operated by the Quakers, and is situated on Russell Square, about 20 minutes walk from the British Academy (or two tube stops). Single rooms are from £60/night. I haven’t seen the rooms, but have heard recommendations.

International Lutheran Student Centre: More denominational accommodation, located close to the British Library and St Pancras station (easy tube connection to British Academy). The ILSC is principally designed for international postgraduate students staying in London for several weeks, but they accept requests for shorter stays. The rooms are tiny, and use shared bathrooms, but fully-equipped kitchens are also provided, and the ethos is friendly and peaceful.

Premier Inn, County Hall: This is not a cheap option at c. £120/night, but it is in a fantastic location behind the London Eye and next to the South Bank Centre, and a convenient 10-minute walk (via Westminster Bridge) from the Academy. County Hall was formerly the home of the now defunct Greater London Council, whose last leader was ‘Red’ Ken Livingstone. The hotel has recently been comprehensively refurbished, and although the accommodation lacks luxury extras the rooms are bright, airy and comfortable. A room share is possible if you specify a twin rather than double room (the room price is the same for single or double occupancy).

City Inn, Westminster: A contemporary hotel with very comfortable and well appointed rooms, located in a quiet neighbourhood close to the Thames and the Palace of Westminster. Count on a 20-minute walk to the British Academy, or a taxi – the tube is not convenient for this journey. Doubles and twins are currently available for the conference dates at £110-£120 per night; this price includes free wi-fi.

Conference venue

The British Academy is our host and generous sponsor. The Academy is one of the most important funders of humanities and social science research in the UK. It also hosts regular research events at its own premises in central London, of which our conference is one.

Local arrangements for the conference, including registration, are being handled by the Academy. Registration will be possible through the Academy's website from late August.

A map showing the Academy's location can be found here.

Conference programme

The provisional conference programme may be viewed here.

Our keynote speakers are Professor Gianmario Borio (University of Pavia), Professor Georgina Born (University of Cambridge) and Professor Anne Shreffler (Harvard University).

A panel session of key protagonists will involve distinguished musicians including Konrad Boehmer and Giacomo Manzoni.

A concert will be given by the ensemble Apartment House.