by the Past and Present editorial team Past and Present was delighted to learn that Dr. Gianamar Giovannetti-Singh (University of Amsterdam) has been shortlisted for the Royal Historical Society’s Early Career Article Prize 2026 for his article “Colonial world-making and global knowledges at the early modern Cape of Good Hope” (Open Access) published in Past & Present #268. Dr. Giovannetti-Singh’s work is one of eight articles shortlisted for the prize. Two winners will be announced in July 2026 each of whom will be awarded a prize of £250. The Royal Historical Society states that “the 2026 shortlist recognises the scholarly contribution of the eight articles published in 2025”. Our congradulations and best wishes to Dr. Giovannetti-Singh and all whose work has been recognised by being shortlisted this year.

received from Dr. Yeliz Teber (Wolfson College, University of Oxford) Event: KIZILBASH/ALEVISM-BEKTASHISM SYMPOSIUM: New Corpora, Databases, and Digital Tools in Ottoman and Contemporary Contexts Taking place: Friday 22 May 2026 Location: Wolfson College, University of Oxford Registration: by e-mail to the symposium convener Dr. Yeliz Teber (yeliz.teber@ames.ox.ac.uk). All welcome. Full programme: can be downloaded here Event Overview The Alevis (historically known as Kizilbash) and Bektashis constitute the largest religious minority in Sunni-majority Turkey, drawing from diverse ethnic backgrounds, including Turkish, Kurdish, and Zaza, with diasporas across Europe and North America. Rooted in an esoteric form of Sufi mysticism and the veneration of Caliph Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of Prophet Muhammad, the Kizilbash/Alevis-Bektashis have often been perceived as ‘heretical’ and persecuted during both the Ottoman and Turkish Republican periods. Despite the community’s marginalisation, Kizilbash/Alevi-Bektashi studies have grown rapidly in recent years, challenging some of the dominant narratives in broader Islamic, Ottoman, and Turkish scholarship. In response to this growth, the Kizilbash/Alevism-Bektashism Symposium provides a rare opportunity to bring together established and emerging scholars of Alevi-Bektashi studies from the UK and abroad at the University of Oxford. It is the first of its kind globally to focus on digitally engaged projects on Kizilbash/Alevi-Bektashi […]