Very much enjoyed being part of this Little Ice Age workshop last month! Thank you to @hibbertsalex.bsky.social for putting together such a rich and thought-provoking programme! ❄️
Alex Hibberts@hibbertsalex.bsky.social · 2mo agoIn early June, researchers from 15 universities and 6 countries came together @ihr.bsky.social for a workshop to discuss the who, what, where and why of the Little Ice Age. Thank you for all who came, presented, spoke and asked challenging questions! nehnetwork.wordpress.com/2026/07/20/f...
![Call for papers, Northern Environmental History Network in-person workshop. 'Yuck: Historical Approaches to Unwanted Non-Human Life'. Humanities Research Centre, Uni of York 09-10/04/2026
This two day workshop will bring together researchers of all career stages and various disciplines to discuss the historical production and perception of categories of unwanted non-human life, such as weeds, vermin, and germs. Our aim is to facilitate wide ranging, critical discussions through a series of themes and research questions; beginning with an overarching inquiry into how unwanted life is historically produced, followed by considerations of the conceptual problems this research faces, and ending with reflections on the future of this nascent field. Each theme (outlined in more detail below) will be
discussed in break-out groups over the course of the 2 days, and participants would be expected to prepare a reflection (up to five minutes) on each theme in advance. The workshop will also feature two keynote papers. This is an in-person only event. To facilitate
attendance for unfunded PGRs, we hope to provide a limited amount of financial support.
Workshop Themes and Questions:
1 - Producing the Unwanted
What material and discursive practices are involved in the production of unwanted natures? How do they, and their production, differ across historical contexts?
2 - Agency
How can the agency of non-humans be historicised, and related to the production of unwanted life? What issues does an emphasis on agency raise, especially as regards the operation of power in the categorisation of non-human life as unwanted?
3 - Source Material and Archives
What demands do these different sources make on historians? How do archival practices contribute to the construction of unwanted life? How does non-human life relate to the archive?
4 - Future of the Field
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