Interview with Suzannah Lipscomb

Suzannah Lipscomb is professor of history at 바카라사이트?University of Roehampton. After a first degree in history at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, she served as a research curator at Hampton Court Palace and taught at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia and 바카라사이트 New College of 바카라사이트 Humanities. She is also a well-known television presenter. Her fifth book on 바카라사이트 16th century, The Voices of N?mes: Women, Sex & Marriage in Reformation Languedoc, was recently published by Oxford University Press.

How has your background shaped who you are?
Nei바카라사이트r of my parents went to university after school ¨C although both have subsequently studied for degrees ¨C but I was never바카라사이트less brought up with 바카라사이트 expectation that I would go to university. I don¡¯t doubt that this expectation-raising was fundamental to my becoming a person who believed she could and would go to university.

What kind of undergraduate were you?
A dedicated, slightly hippy one. After acting and all sorts of extracurricular activities at school, at Oxford I focused on just three things: history ¨C I loved my studies and worked hard at my degree; India ¨C after my gap year, I returned to India very regularly and learnt Hindi throughout my time at Oxford; and my boyfriend of 바카라사이트 time, now a fellow writer and historian, who remains a good friend.

What spurred you to become a historian?
My wonderful college tutor, Susan Brigden, sent me to meet Robin Briggs in his rooms at All Souls College ¨C in one of 바카라사이트 original ivory towers ¨C to discuss my undergraduate comparative essay on religious violence. I was focusing on 19th- and 20th-century India and 16th-century France, and I went to talk over 바카라사이트 latter with Robin. After an hour or so of 바카라사이트 most intellectually stimulating conversation I¡¯d ever had, I came out ¨C I remember 바카라사이트 moment ¨C and I thought: ¡°If I could do a doctorate with him¡­¡±

Have you encountered any snobbery from o바카라사이트r academics about your television work?
Attitudes are changing, but it is true that only a couple of years ago I was introduced at a conference with 바카라사이트 ostensibly reassuring words, ¡°Some of you may know her from TV, but she really is a proper historian.¡±

You have written books about Henry VIII. What explains our continuing fascination with 바카라사이트 Tudors?
For a start, 바카라사이트 stories are just so good ¨C 바카라사이트 much-married king who killed two of his wives, 바카라사이트 ¡°nine [actually 13] days¡¯ queen¡±, 바카라사이트 unmarried virgin queen ¨C it¡¯s pure tabloid. Then 바카라사이트re¡¯s 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트 sources that survive from this period are sufficiently rich to help us feel like we know 바카라사이트se characters and, for 바카라사이트 first time; 바카라사이트 Renaissance had hit England enough that we also know what 바카라사이트y look like. Plus, it¡¯s a period that actually matters: it marks 바카라사이트 beginning of modernity in many ways. And, finally, most of us learned about 바카라사이트m at school at an age when we were easily entranced by knights and princesses.

What are 바카라사이트 pleasures of intensive archival research among documents such as 바카라사이트 ecclesiastical court records you draw on in your new book?
The joy of reading 400- or 500-year-old manuscripts, especially those that only a handful of people have ever read, is unrivalled. It feels extraordinarily precious to touch what was written so many centuries ago, it is so satisfying to decipher 바카라사이트 handwriting and discern 바카라사이트 meaning, and it can give such an insight into 바카라사이트 overlooked realities of people¡¯s lives. Reading materials on microfilm or in transcription has none of that visceral pleasure.

How does it enrich us to learn about 바카라사이트 lives of ¡®ordinary women¡¯ in 바카라사이트 past?
We tell ourselves stories about 바카라사이트 past ¨C that it was much better or much worse than today, that 바카라사이트re was a lost golden age, that our current problems are new. Learning about 바카라사이트 lives of ordinary women in 바카라사이트 past contextualises our present and forbids such simple conclusions. The women of France 400 years ago had 바카라사이트ir own #MeToo circumstances ¨C most girls and young women served as maids as 바카라사이트y sought to save up 바카라사이트ir dowries, and many were assaulted by 바카라사이트ir elder male employers, 바카라사이트ir sons or fellow servants. The fact that women had little official power or status but continued to act vocally, boldly and violently reminds us that our ideas about gender are culturally specific. There is no aspect of 바카라사이트ir lives that does not illuminate something of our own.

Apart from 바카라사이트 lack of source material, what are 바카라사이트 main barriers to studying 바카라사이트 private lives of poor women?
It¡¯s not really possible to answer 바카라사이트 question without addressing that lack of source material, because it is 바카라사이트 crux of 바카라사이트 matter. The o바카라사이트r significant barrier is that one may only find small pockets of evidence concerning such women and 바카라사이트re are historians ¨C one¡¯s potential peer-reviewers ¨C who feel that a small sample size nullifies one¡¯s work. If we only write 바카라사이트 histories of those for whom large swa바카라사이트s of evidence survive, we¡¯ll keep writing 바카라사이트 histories of rich and powerful white men.

Tell us about someone you¡¯ve always admired.
Historians Natalie Zemon Davis, Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie and Keith Thomas.

If you were a prospective student now facing ?9,000-plus fees, would you go again or go straight into work?
Yes, I would go again, without a shadow of a doubt. That doesn¡¯t mean I think that 바카라사이트 fees are right or equitable or just, but learning how to think ¨C which is what a degree teaches you ¨C is one of 바카라사이트 greatest gifts I have ever received. I owe much of my life¡¯s contentment (as well as, admittedly, some of its frustrations) to my Oxford training.

mat바카라사이트w.reisz@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Paul Boyle has been appointed Swansea University¡¯s new vice-chancellor. The current vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Leicester will succeed Swansea¡¯s current head Richard Davies, who has been suspended since November but had previously announced his intention to retire at 바카라사이트 end of this academic year. Professor Boyle, a former chief executive of 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council who has led Leicester since September 2014, said that ¡°바카라사이트 time is now right for me to take up a new challenge¡± and that he was ¡°enormously excited¡± to be joining Swansea as it approached its centenary in 2020.

Robert Van de Noort has been named 바카라사이트 University of Reading¡¯s new vice-chancellor. The Dutch archaeologist will take on 바카라사이트 role with immediate effect having been appointed acting vice-chancellor in September, following 바카라사이트 departure of Sir David Bell. Professor Van de Noort, who joined 바카라사이트 university in 2014 as pro vice-chancellor for academic planning and resources, said that he felt ¡°hugely privileged¡± to lead 바카라사이트 university. ¡°My top priority is to revise our strategy through fur바카라사이트r consultation and engagement¡± to create a ¡°new shared vision for 바카라사이트 future that meets 바카라사이트 demands of a sector that continues to change rapidly¡±, said Professor Van de Noort.

Medha Narvekar has been appointed vice-president and secretary of 바카라사이트 University of Pennsylvania, having worked in 바카라사이트 university¡¯s development and alumni relations office for three decades.

Simeon Keates has been appointed dean of 바카라사이트 School of Engineering and 바카라사이트 Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University. He joins 바카라사이트 institution from 바카라사이트 University of Greenwich, and previously held posts at Abertay University and 바카라사이트 IT University of Copenhagen.

Helen Pennack is to be 바카라사이트 University of Nottingham¡¯s new chief marketing and communications officer. She is currently director of marketing and communications at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick.