Not an endorsement: Matilda: Queen of the Conqueror [Hardcover] Tracy Borman (Author) • Hardcover: 320 pages • Publisher: Jonathan Cape (1 Sep 2011) Book Description: The first English biography of the thrilling, tempestuous life of the 'first' Queen of England Product Description: Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror, was the first woman to be crowned Queen of England and formally recognised as such by her subjects. Beyond this, though, little is known of her life. No contemporary images of her remain, and in a period where all evidence is fragmentary and questionable, the chroniclers of the age left us only the faintest clues as to her life. So who was this spectral queen? In this first major biography, Tracy Borman elegantly sifts through the shards of evidence to uncover an extraordinary story. In a dangerous, brutal world of conquest and rebellion, fragile alliances and bitter familial rivalries, Matilda possessed all the attributes required for a woman to thrive. She was born of impeccable lineage, and possessed of a loving and pious nature, she was a paragon of fidelity and motherhood. But strength, intelligence and ambition were also prerequisites to survive in such an environment. This side of her character, coupled with a fiercely independent nature, made Matilda essential to William's rule, giving her unparalleled influence over the king. While this would provide an inspiring template for future indomitable queens, it led eventually to treachery, revolt and the fracturing of a dynasty. Characterised by Tracy Borman's graceful storytelling, Matilda: Queen of the Conqueror takes us from the courts of Flanders and Normandy to the opulence of royal life in England. Alive with intrigue, rumour and betrayal, it illuminates for the first time the life of an exceptional, brave and complex queen pivotal to the history of England.

codicology

A workshop of team 1 (codicology) of the European Science Foundation Program dedicated to Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies (COMSt, 2009-2014, http://www.esf.org/index.php?id=6247) will take place in Nice, South of France, on the 14th and 15th of October. Participation is free but persons interested are requested to registrate before 20th of September by sending me a message.

The Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies

The Hispanic Seminary of Medieval Studies (HSMS) is still accepting abstracts for its two sessions at the Congress next May. 1. Historia social de las lenguas ibéricas: Acercamientos socio-históricos al cambio lingüístico en la Península Ibérica (Abstracts to Sonia Kania, skania@uta.edu) 2. Digital Advances for the Study of Medieval Iberia (Abstracts to Francisco Gago Jover, fgagojov@holycross.edu) If you are interested in submitting an abstract for either of those two sessions, please include a Participant Information Form (available at http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions/index.html) with your abstract by September 15.

The Eighth Annual ASSC Graduate Student Conference "Philology"

The Anglo Saxon Studies Colloquium announces the CFP for The Eighth Annual ASSC Graduate Student Conference "Philology" University of California, Berkeley Saturday, 25 February 2012 Deadline for Abstracts: 26 September 2011 The University of California, Berkeley, in partnership with the Anglo-Saxon Studies Colloquium, invites submissions for the Eighth Annual Graduate Conference of the Anglo-Saxon Studies Colloquium on “Philology,” to be held on 25 February 2012 at UC Berkeley. More than twenty years ago, in response to tectonic shifts in the academic landscape, Speculum and Comparative Literary Studies almost simultaneously published special issues asking the same question: “What is Philology?” Since that watershed moment, scholars have continued to debate which methodologies deserve the title “Philology” (whether “old” or “new”). Meanwhile, these very methodologies have undergone significant theoretical and practical revisions. Bearing in mind that “Philology” lies at the historical, institutional, and intellectual core of Anglo-Saxon Studies, this conference seeks to consider not only “What is philology now?” but also “How and why does philology matter, particularly to emerging scholars?” We invite proposals for papers that reflect on the idea of “Philology” at a theoretical, methodological, or institutional level, as well as papers that demonstrate philological practices, particularly from an interdisciplinary perspective, or that address the relationship between philology and contemporary critical concerns, such as historicism(s), aesthetics, cognitive studies, manuscript studies, textual criticism, intellectual history, and the digital humanities. Please submit 250-word abstracts for 20-minute papers by September 26, 2011 and kindly include your academic affiliation, e-mail address, street address, phone number, and any audio-visual requirements. Abstracts may be sent to assc2012@gmail.com. We very much look forward to welcoming you to our campus, and we are excited about the rich discussion that will ensue. Organized by: Marcos Garcia, Jacob Hobson, Jennifer Lorden, R. D. Perry, Benjamin A. Saltzman Sponsored by: the UC Berkeley Department of English, UC Berkeley Program in Medieval Studies, Graduate Medievalists at Berkeley, and Anglo-Saxon Studies Colloquium For other ASSC events, please visit the main ASSC website at www.columbia.edu/cu/assc. To join the ASSC mailing list, please e-mail ASSC@columbia.edu. For conference updates and ASSC events at UC Berkeley please visit: http://graduatemedievalists.org/assc.html

Second Call for Papers: First Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Reception of the Ancient World (AMPRAW) Conference, 15-16 December 2011

Second Call for Papers: First Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Reception of the Ancient World (AMPRAW) Conference, 15-16 December 2011 Senate House Malet Place London WC1E 7HU We are now accepting abstracts for the first Annual Meeting of Postgraduates in Reception of the Ancient World, a two-day postgraduate conference which will take place on the 15th and 16th of December 2011. AMPRAW aims to establish an international postgraduate community for those researching the reception of the ancient world, focused around an annual conference dedicated to the discussion of the evolving nature of reception studies and their place within the study of the Ancient World. Reception of the ancient world is concerned with the way it has been interpreted, used, constructed and perceived, both within antiquity itself and since, by various cultures. It includes not only a wide range of different media and modes of reception but also how these different modes and media intersect and impact one another. We welcome submissions on all topics concerning the reception of the ancient world, including 'work-in-progress' papers as well as presentations of completed research. Papers might discuss the reception of the ancient world in art, literature, visual and material culture, theatre, film and popular culture, museology, politics and the discipline of Classics. Possible focuses might include (but are not limited to) the nature and direction of reception studies, reader response, deconstruction, postcolonialism, gender studies, transmission, translation or on specific theorists. Postgraduate students from the UK and abroad are invited to participate in the conference, and to submit proposals for papers 20-30 minutes in length. Please send a title and an abstract of 300-500 words to AMPRAW2011@gmail.com with 'Abstract' as the subject by 15 SEPTEMBER 2011. Please include your name, level of study and academic institution. We welcome postgraduates from departments outside of Classics who work on reception topics. To register for attendance, e-mail AMPRAW2011@gmail.com with 'Registration' in the subject and your name, level of study and academic institution in the body. Registration for this event is free.