Monthly Archives: August 2014

Why we (still) need an oral history of reading

We’re delighted that Professor Martyn Lyons is spending this summer 2014 in the UK. With Lucy Taska, Martyn published the first oral history of reading, Australian Readers Remember (1992), and he’ll be giving the first of the Oral History Society‘s research seminars at the Institute of Historical Research on Thursday 4 September: ‘The Australian Readers Remember project in retrospect, or why we (still) need an oral history of reading’.

The seminars are at 6pm, free and open to all. Click here for more information.

Martyn is also part of the project’s Advisory Group which is first meeting on Monday 8 September.

Appointment of Research Associate to Memories of Fiction Project

Shelley and I would like to thank all those who applied to work on the Memories of Fiction project. With more than sixty high quality applicants, it was tough deciding on four to shortlist and interview.

We are, however, very pleased to announce that we have appointed Dr Amy Tooth Murphy as our research associate. Amy has in-depth experience of  researching popular perceptions of literature, reading and oral history.

Her most recent project has been with Toby Butler, at the University of East London’s School of Arts and Digital Industries (History).  The Bethnal Green Memorial Project has attracted a great deal of news interest, including from the BBC.

Last year Amy completed her thesis at the University of Glasgow: ‘Reading the Lives between the Lines: Lesbian Oral History and Lesbian Literature in  Post-War Britain’ (supervised by Prof. Lynn Abrams (History) and Dr David Shuttleton (English Lit).

Graham Smith

On January 6 next year, Amy will be speaking at an Oral History Society/Institute of Historical Research seminar. ‘The Continuous Thread of Revelation: Chrononormativity and the Challenge of Queer Oral History’, RHolden Room, 103, on the first floor of Senate House.