Programme of Events - University of Stirling

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Saturday 15 September 2012 Members of the public, staff and students are invited to join us for an open day of lectures, workshops and tours. All events will be held in the Pathfoot building, University of Stirling. Dr Katherine Halsey - Sight and Insight in Jane Austen’s Novels (10-11am, Room C1) Different ways of seeing – looking, glancing, gazing, staring, glaring, peeping, observing, peering (and many more) – abound in Jane Austen’s novels. In her work, where the unsaid is often far more important than what is actually said, the language of the eye is particularly powerful. And Austen’s characters understand how to speak this language. In Persuasion, Captain Wentworth, for example, beseeches Anne with “eyes of glowing entreaty” as he pushes his letter towards her in the middle of the crowded parlour of the White Hart. When Mr Darcy meditates on the pleasure bestowed by “a pair of fine eyes” in Pride and Prejudice, he surely does so because eyes are so very expressive. And yet, however well characters may communicate with their eyes, they may also remain blind to what is most important. In this lecture, I will explore the relationship between the physical eye and the eyes of the mind in Jane Austen’s novels, concentrating particularly on Pride and Prejudice (1813) and Persuasion (1818). Isabel Mendes - Africa in Motion (11-12.30pm, LTA96) The Africa in Motion (AiM) Film Festival was created in 2005 with the aim to introduce Scottish audiences to the brilliance of African cinema and to overcome the under-representation and marginalisation of African film in British film-going culture. Our priority is to create opportunities for Scottish audiences to see African films while providing a platform for African filmmakers to exhibit their work in Scotland, but our main reason for screening the films is because we believe they are great films which should be seen the world over. Over the past six years we have screened over 200 African films to audiences totalling around 15,000 people. Throughout the festival's life, the University of Stirling has been a longstanding partner and supporter. We are looking forward for the chance to introduce AiM to Stitling's academic community, share some of the African shorts which has been awarded in our Short Film Competition strand, and talk about the programme of films AiM is bringing to Stirling in November. Dr Rowan Cruft - What are ‘rights’ and why do we need them? (11am-12 noon, Room C2) In this fascinating lecture Dr Cruft, recently called as a witness at the Leveson Inquiry, will examine the nature and justification of rights and duties and take a closer look at the way in which different types of rights e.g. human rights, property rights and contractual rights are viewed within our society. Such rights are often criticised as an indicator of many modern ills however the questions posed in this lecture will ask you to consider what life might be like without the existence of the concept of rights.
Dr Suzanne Gilbert - James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd (12 noon-1pm, Room D1) As a self-educated shepherd from Ettrick Valley, James Hogg (1770-1832) was an improbable candidate for a literary career. From an impoverished family, as a child Hogg had to go into service as a cowherd having completed only a few months of formal education. From these very humble beginnings, Hogg went on to write prolifically, producing poems, songs, essays, tales, and novels, including his acknowledged masterpiece The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner. His most famous book is renowned for the innovative, sophisticated way in which it presents double and multiple narratives; it may be seen as a major influence for many subsequent writers, among them Robert Louis Stevenson, Muriel Spark, Ian Rankin, and James Robertson. The Stirling/South Carolina Research Edition of the Collected Works of James Hogg is engaged in republishing all of Hogg’s works, many of which have not appeared since the early 1800s. Twentyseven of the eventual thirty-nine volumes have been published to date. Hogg is remarkable for the way in which he overcame great odds: aspiring to become a writer, he educated himself to an amazing degree by sheer force of intelligence, will, and audacity, crossing class and cultural boundaries to produce some of Scotland’s most unforgettable literature. Dr Dale Townshend - The Gothic Imagination, 1764-Present (12 noon-1pm, Room D2) This paper will provide an introduction to the dark but exciting world of the Gothic, starting with the political discourses, architectural styles and literary experiments of the eighteenth century, progressing through the monstrous curiosities of the Victorian period, and culminating in an account of the ubiquity of Gothic in contemporary culture. 'Royal Observatory Edinburgh' - ‘Wish you were here? Searching for Exoplanets.’ (1-2pm, LTA96) Scotland-based scientists are helping to further the world’s knowledge about planets orbiting other stars. A sci-art collaboration between The Royal Observatory Edinburgh (key partner for the School of Arts and Humanities' programmes in Translation Studies and Translation with TESOL), Edinburgh College of Art and University of St Andrews, has produced two short documentary films looking at some of this research and technology. Following the screenings there will be a Q & A session with some of the scientists and film-makers.
Page 1: WELCOME TO THE SCHOOL OF ARTS & HUM
Page 5: This workshop offers the chance of

Programme of Events - University of Stirling

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