York Festival of Ideas 2024 has a wide range of inspiring events to attend and engage with, both in person and online – most of them free. A sample of the history events in this year’s programme is outlined below. You can see the full list of history events on the Festival website.
The Festival is led by the University of York, working in partnership with more than 100 local and national organisations, and is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors. The full Festival programme can be explored at yorkfestivalofideas.com.
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Headline events include:
Fool:In search of Henry VIII’s closest man, Monday 3 June, 6pm to 7pm (Online)
Historian, Peter K Andersson, explores the life of Henry VIII’s court fool, William Somer, a legendary entertainer and one of the most intriguing figures of the Tudor age.
Black England in the Eighteenth Century, Monday 3 June, 8pm to 9pm (Online)
The idea that Britain became a mixed-race country after 1945 is a common mistake. Georgian England had a large and distinctive Black community. Whether prosperous citizens or newly freed slaves, many ran the risk of kidnap and sale to plantations.
Gretchen Gerzina, author of Black England and actor Paterson Joseph, author of the historical novel The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho, will discuss the dramatic and often moving stories of Georgian England’s forgotten Black community.
The Cultural Heritage of Afghanistan, Monday 3 June, 7.30pm to 8.30pm (In-person)
Afghanistan is a country with an extraordinarily rich history which has given rise to major archaeological, artistic and architectural cultural heritage sites all over the country. After four decades of war and conflict and the aftermath of the Taliban takeover, concerns are growing for the country’s rich heritage. Architectural historian and former diplomat Mossadeq Khalili discusses the current state of conservation.
The Art of Darkness: The history of goth, Saturday 1 June 7pm to 8pm (In-person)
Join writer John Robb for a comprehensive history of goth music and culture, as he explores the origins and legacy of this enduring scene. Drawing on his own experience as a musician and journalist, John discusses the style, the music and the clubs that spawned goth culture, alongside political and social conditions. Hear a first-hand account of being there at the legendary gigs and clubs that made the scene happen.
Pox Romana: The plague that shook the Roman world, Tuesday 4 June, 8pm to 9pm (Online)
Historian, Colin Elliott, provides a wide-ranging and dramatic account of the Antonine plague, the mysterious disease that struck the Roman Empire at its pinnacle.
China’s Great Tombs, Saturday 8 June, 3pm to 4pm (In-person)
Art historian Jessica Rawson, one of the most eminent Western scholars of China, will explore what China’s great tombs and the artefacts within them reveal about wider political, dynastic and cultural developments. Discover how tombs, including that of the First Emperor Qin Shihuang with its army of terracotta warriors, provide a route to the past and to China today.
Other events include:
A Woman’s Will, Thursday 6 June, 1pm to 2pm (Online)
From great houses to pots and pans, writer Viki Holton explores the changing lives of British Women told through the things they left behind in their will.
Lovers in Auschwitz, Friday 7 June, 6pm to 7pm (Online)
Hear a true story of romance, sacrifice, loss and resilience, as journalist Keren Blankfeld chronicles the lives of two people held in the most infamous death camp.
Fall of Civilizations, Sunday 2 June, 2pm to 3pm (in-person)
Paul Cooper, host of the hit podcast Fall of Civilizations, explores how a range of ancient societies rose to power and sophistication, and how they tipped over into collapse. Across the centuries, he evokes the majesty and jeopardy of these civilizations, and asks what it might have felt like for a person alive at the time as they witnessed the end of their world. Journey with him from Mesopotamia to Roman Britain to Rapa Nui.
Travellers in the Apennines, Sunday 2 June, 2pm to 3pm (Online)
Discover the literary, historical and cultural richness of the Apennine region of Italy as author Nick Havely explores the power of mountains on the imaginations of writers.
Who Really Wrote the Bible: The story of the scribes, Monday 3 June, 8pm to 9pm (Online)
Who wrote the Bible? Join William Scniedewind of the University of California, Los Angeles, for a groundbreaking new account that tells the story of the scribes who wrote the Hebrew Bible.
The End of Empires and a World Remade, Tuesday 4 June, 12pm to 1pm (Online)
Join historian Martin Thomas as he tells the story of decolonisation and its intrinsic link to globalisation.
Why Men? A human history of violence and inequality, Tuesday 4 June, 6pm to 7pm (Online)
Are war and inequality inevitable, because evolution made men competitive and dominant? Writers Nancy Lindisfarne and Jonathan Neale challenge you to think again about ‘true’ human nature.
An African History of Africa, Wednesday 5 June, 6pm to 7pm (Online)
For too long, Africa’s history has been dominated by western narratives of slavery and colonialism or simply ignored. Writer Zeinab Badawi sets the record straight.
Birthing Romans, Friday 7 June, 8pm to 9pm (Online)
How did Romans cope with the anxieties and risks of childbirth? Anna Bonnell Freidin of the University of Michigan, examines childbearing and its risks in Imperial Rome.