This Friday. 👻 The Spectral Tourism Conference is bringing together researchers, artists and practitioners to explore hauntology, dark tourism and the ways places embrace their ghostly pasts. Grab your free ticket. 👇 www.yorksj.ac.uk/events/upcom...
The Interdisciplinary Witches Research Group
@interdiscwitchysj.bsky.social
We are a group of academic researchers from different disciplines – Art, History, Literature, Religion – brought together by a shared interest in the figure of the Witch
🍄 Where to find us online! Keep up with all the latest Curiositas news across our different social media channels, website, and via email. 📣 Please note that our social media messages are not monitored, and the best way to get in touch with us is via email.
📚️ We are excited to share that Curiositas' first issue 'Origins: Volume 1' and 'Origins: Volume 2' are available at York St John University Library! Both print and online versions will be available at York St John's York and London campuses, as well as online on our website (link in our bio).
Ever thought about Witches and Tourism? On Friday, 31st July, York St John University will host the Spectral Tourism Conference, a one-day event showcasing dark tourism and all things uncanny, wyrd and supernatural. Tickets are free and can be found here www.yorksj.ac.uk/events/upcom...
A recent display showcasing some of the art created by participants of my Converge/Rootstock Environmental Philosophy course. Each session started with an exploration into plant folklore (plant species included oak, lavender, birch, daffodil and yew) before moving onto the creative-based element.
Excellent day on Monday this week at the BSA New Materialisms study group annual conference 'Matter, Rhizomes and More-than-human Sociology, with 13 papers and keynote. Pictured: final panel on 'More-the-human methodologies' with Clare Hughes, Liam Renouf and Kate Bowen Viner, with me chairing.
Lowen has had a paper published in the Media, Cultural Memory and Hauntology issue of the Humanities journal! Click the link below to read it 🎥📼 www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/15...
Happy summer solstice and blessed Litha, sent to you from sunrise at the Thornborough Henges in Yorkshire. How are you marking the solstice this year? Photo by Lowen
Lowen, a Group member, recently spent a week in Cornwall, visiting various archives and specialist libraries for books on Cornish folklore, antiquarianism, stone circles, and Druids. They spent two days at Gwithti an Pystri where, Lowen says, “there was an excellent selection of occult books”.
Clare, one of our members, recently presented at the York St John University ‘Talk About Teaching 2026’ Conference. Her presentation was titled “Teaching New Materialism and Philosophical Animism through Embodied, Arts-based Pedagogy” @yorkstjohn.bsky.social
👁️ 'Unravelling our Anthropocentric Gaze' by Stevie Berneray. In Issue 1 Volume 2 of 'Origins', Stevie shares their reflections on how the language we use perpetuates a human-centred lens. Read more on our website, link in bio!
Lowen has had their beautifully evocative poem entitled ‘A Dream of St Ives’ published in the YSJ ‘Folklore Anthology - Bedtime Stories’. “All that remained to mark their lives -Those seven wives of old St Ives - Were empty frames in empty homes, Their paintings daubed upon the stones.”
🔇 'Smothered Voices and Epistemic Harm: How Wortcunners Navigate Spirituality and Legitemacy in British Academia' by Dr Clare Lesley Hughes. Clare shares their research into the experiences of wortcunners in British academia in Issue 1 Volume 1 'Origins' of Curiositas. Read today over on our website
🖋️ Join the Editorial Team! We're looking for our next Creative Editor to join us at Curiositas. Interested in knowing more? Swipe to find out about the role. ➡️ This role is open to York St John PGRs only.
🌙 'Maiden, Mother Crone: Reflections on the symbol of the Triple Moon within the changing 'feminine'' by Niamh Drain. Niamh explores their current research in Issue 1 Volume 1 'Origins' of Curiositas. Read today over on our website (link in bio)!#
Clare, Lowen, Niamh, and Zoe K from the research group have all had articles published in the inaugural edition of Curiositas, the YSJ, PGR-led journal for the School of Humanities. These, and the other articles can be read by clicking the link below. blog.yorksj.ac.uk/curiositasjo...
1: Origins 2026 - Curiositas
Issue 1: Origins is the first issue of Curiositas, York St John's Postgraduate Journal for the School of Humanities, published in May 2026.
blog.yorksj.ac.uk
All the articles in Issue One of Curiositas are now available online and free to read. As a journal, we were keen to make this publication accessible to all, so please click the link and start exploring the humanities-based research being conducted at YSJ blog.yorksj.ac.uk/curiositasjo...
1: Origins 2026 - Curiositas
Issue 1: Origins is the first issue of Curiositas, York St John's Postgraduate Journal for the School of Humanities, published in May 2026.
blog.yorksj.ac.uk
🎉 'Issue One: Origins' Available Now! Our first issue is now available over on our website. The Editorial Team would like to thank everyone who contributed to 'Origins' at every step of the way; from conception to final publication.
📣 Here it is, my new essay in Open Philosophy (@degruyterbrill.bsky.social), wherein I set out some ideas of my “ambient metaphysics”, drop in some @litvrgy.bsky.social, and even get that long promised @billorcutt.bsky.social epigraph in there! 🫡 Open access: www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
Dr Jamie Stephenson@audioontology.bsky.social · 4mo ago📣 🚨 Receiving proofs is still a novel experience for me as an early career researcher. But I hope the thrill of seeing my work set out in a publication’s house-style never palls. Here’s the abstract for my forthcoming essay in #OpenPhilosophy journal for @degruyterbrill.bsky.social. #Sound
Lowen Frampton-Thorburn & Clare Lesley Hughes recently held a joint event at YSJ for York International Shakespeare Festival. Lowen recited/performed verses from plays containing botanical elements whilst Clare shared folklore stories. Plants discussed were rosemary, apple, cowslip, hawthorn & thyme
We're incredibly excited to announce the next Ebor Lecture. Join us on Wednesday, 20 May, at York Minster or online as Professor Alison Phipps gives a poignant and relevant lecture exploring recent global theological and practical failures. 👇 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/ebor-lectu...?
Ebor Lecture - Professor Alison Phipps
When Every Hope Has Gone: Grief, Rage and Refuge in a Merciless Age
eventbrite.co.uk
📆 One Week Until Publication! Just 7 more days until Issue 1: Origins is published. We can't wait to share our first issue with you at our in-person and online launch events (more details on our previous posts). Keep your eye on our website next Wednesday 6th May for 'Origins'!
💻️ Curiositas' Online Launch Event Join us online on Friday 8th May where members of our Editorial Team will be sharing the journey of the launch of our first issue, and we would love for you to come along. Please email us for the link to join. This event is for Humanities PGRs at York St John only
Many thanks to the participants who turned up to my plant folklore and ecospirituality workshop yesterday. We explored the symbolism of the beech tree before co-creating moments of enchantment and art.
🥂 We are excited to share that we will be celebrating the launch of our first issue 'Origins' at the Humanities PGR Flagship Event! Our Editorial Team will be sharing the journey of Curiositas so far. We look forward to welcoming you! This event of for Humanities PGRs at York St John only
Call For Chapters for an edited volume entitled “The Witch and Activism” is now live ✨ Please click the link below for further details on how to submit your proposal. Deadline for proposals is 22nd May 2026. blog.yorksj.ac.uk/interdiscipl...
Call For Chapters - The Witch and Activism - The Interdisciplinary Witches Research Group
The figure of the witch (both real and imagined) is inherently political and potentially contentious. Each wave of feminism has reflected on shifting considerations of the witch as evocative of issues...
blog.yorksj.ac.uk
Clare, one of members, has written a blog about her attendance at the BSA Annual Conference 2026 where she presented her latest research on new materialism. Click the link to read all about it. @yorkstjohn.bsky.social @britsoci.bsky.social blog.yorksj.ac.uk/interdiscipl...
Ripples and Thing-Power in Manchester - Clare - The Interdisciplinary Witches Research Group
Ripples and Thing Power in Manchester by Dr Clare Lesley Hughes On Friday 10th April, I attended and presented at the Annual Conference of the British Sociological Association in Manchester. I was sp...
blog.yorksj.ac.uk
Despite suffering the after effects of a nasty cold virus, I managed to make the journey across the Pennines to present a small part of my research for the British Sociological Association Annual Conference. Not having the voice to do much networking, I instead spent lunch in Manchester Museum 🙏
Clare, one of our members, writes a regular article for the Pagans Of The North magazine. This is the link to the Spring Equinox article all about daffodils 🌼 www.pagansofthenorth.co.uk/post/plant-l...
pagansofthenorth.co.uk
📅 Save the Date! We are excited to share that 'Issue 1: Origins' will be published in physical print and online, over on our blog. Details of our launch at York St John's Humanities PGR Event will be coming soon.
