Below is a brief report, authored by James Davison (University of Liverpool) on the Trans*Historical conference, which was organised with the support of SSNS through its Publication and Conference Grant.
The Trans*Historical conference took place between the 10th and 11th of July 2023, hosted by the University of Liverpool, and was the first conference to bring together speakers from such a broad range of disciplines, with papers spanning from the Neolithic to the 21st century, around the common theme of trans history. Twenty-five delegates presented at the conference, including Masters’ students, Postgraduate Researchers, Lecturers, and Professors. The conference attracted international attention and was attended by speakers from Scotland, Ireland, Denmark, France, Spain, the United States, and Australia. The presence of premodern, early modern, and contemporary historians together at one event, although unusual, is something that we had hoped for from the outset of planning this conference. It created an opportunity for the sharing of valuable knowledge, perspectives, and advice between speakers who otherwise would have likely never encountered each other. The papers presented by our speakers from outside of academia introduced innovative themes and methodologies that further enriched the conference. A number of the delegates commented on the atmosphere of the conference being open and supportive to the range of perspectives offered, which was something we worked to facilitate throughout the planning and hosting of the event. There was a significant interest in running the event again in the future, and considering the successes of the first conference, the organising committee have made the decision that we will continue to run, and hopefully expand, Trans*Historical in the coming years. We have received offers from the University of Nottingham and a doctoral graduate from the University of Liverpool to help fund, organise, and promote Trans*Historical in coming years.
The generous funding from the SSNS was essential to making this conference a reality and ensuring that the event was free and accessible to delegates and guests. Thank you!
– James Davison, 25 July 2023