received from Mariana Bodnaruk (Masaryk University, Brno), Stephan Bruhn (German Historical Institute, London) and Michael Eber (University of Oxford) Dates: 22 – 23 May 2025 Venue: German Historical Institute, London/online via the Zoom platform Overview Trans saints – monachoparthenoi, saints who are initially described as female by their hagiographers, but transition to a male (often monastic) identity – are present in every late antique and medieval Christian tradition. The textual and artistic renderings of these figures offer a comparative key to conceptualizing trans bodies and trans souls across geographical and chronological boundaries. Binary cis-heteronormativity has long been portrayed as unchanging and unchangeable, as outside of the scope of history. This is a central plank in the playbook followed by transphobes worldwide, in the ever-escalating “culture war” against trans and queer people. Highlighting both the ubiquity and multivalence of premodern trans monks, and connecting across disciplinary divides to do so, is urgent work, not least because it provides a necessary counterpoint to such historically inaccurate rhetoric. Following the insights of the “performative turn” in queer and trans studies that underscores the enactment and negotiation of gender identity through lived experiences, social practices, and narratives, we welcome explorations of gender and sexuality […]

by the Past & Present editorial team Subscribe to Past and Present’s new e-newsletter –  the Past and Present Society has set-up a free e-newsletter using the Substack platform as a hosting medium. From May 2025 this will be published quarterly in line with the journal’s publishing schedule. The newsletter will include a round-up of recent publications including articles, supplements and virtual issues. As well as news from the Society especially regarding initiatives we fund like scholarships, postdoctoral fellowships and conferences. You may subscribe to the Past and Present e-newsletter here. We would be grateful if you could share news of the newsletter’s launch with potentially interested colleagues, students, and anybody else who may be interested in receiving the quarterly communication, especially those who do not maintain a social media presence. The Society will continue to share articles from the journals, news, opportunities and other updates via its feed on the Bluesky social media platform.

received from Dr. Robin Eagles (The History of Parliament) and Dr. Chris Monaghan (University of Worcester) Dates: 3 – 4 July 2025 Location: University of Worcester School of Law, Jenny Lind Building, Farrier St, Worcester, WR1 3BZ Event Overview A conference jointly hosted by: The Constitutions, Rights and Justice Research Group, University of Worcester and The History of Parliament Trust, Thursday 3rd and Friday 4th July 2025. The trial of Warren Hastings was one of the seminal moments in late 18th-century politics. The former governor general of Bengal, Hastings, was accused of a variety of crimes relating to abuse of the local population and peculation. Attitudes to him varied widely, with him attracting high profile supporters, while the case against him was driven forward by stars of the Whig party, such as Edmund Burke and Charles James Fox. In raw political terms it helped precipitate the collapse of any sense of unity within the former governing Whigs and helped William Pitt the Younger cement his hold on power. Quite as importantly, the trial is vital in understanding how British society viewed the government of colonial India and how Indian society responded to the process of colonization. The trial is crucial […]