Past events
Scandinavian Studies seminars and selected conferences, lectures, film screenings, exhibitions, and workshops (2015 -).
The Northern Scholars series
Departmental seminars and public lectures by visiting speakers from the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries and Scotland.
Please note that speaker titles and universities, as listed, date from the time of the event and may have changed.
| Date | Title | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 26 May 2021 | Odysseus’ Tears and the Psychology of Weeping |
Dr Eric Cullhed (Uppsala University) |
| 24 March 2021 | Facts and Feelings: A Cross-Channel Typology of Affective Content |
Dr Maria Esipova (University of Oslo) |
| 10 February 2021 | C.B. Wadström, S.T. Coleridge and the importance of radical Swedish-British networks in the 1790s |
Anders Mortensen (Lund University) |
Browse the Northern Scholars archives for all events in the series
An occasional series of talks - sometimes known as the Nordic Research Seminar Series - by colleagues, PhD students and visiting speakers.
Please note that speaker titles and universities, as listed, date from the time of the event and may have changed.
| Date | Title | Speaker(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 30 April 2018 |
Natural Disasters as Triggers: The Danish Assault on Frisia in AD 810 |
Dan Haycraft (University of Edinburgh) |
| 23 April 2018 |
Swords from the Pagan Norse Graves of Scotland |
Dr Caroline Paterson (University of Stirling) |
|
14 February 2018 |
Prickly Puffins: Translating (pseudo-)profanities and other emotive language in Norwegian children’s literature |
Dr Guy Puzey (University of Edinburgh) |
| 7 February 2018 |
Dalastugor: Creating Images of Belonging through Diasporic Touch in Nordic Art |
Dr Sara Davies (University of Manchester) |
| 30 January 2018 |
Screening Privilege: Global Injustice and Responsibility in 21st Century Scandinavian Film and Media |
Julianne Yang (University of Oslo) |
|
23 January 2018 |
Migrants in Scandinavian literature |
Anja Tröger (University of Edinburgh) |
| 25 January 2017 | The Finnish Workplace - How Finnish Employees Are Led | Saku Tihveräinen (University of Helsinki / University of Edinburgh) |
| 7 December 2016 | The Topography of Salvation and Damnation - Heaven and Hell - in Old Norse Literature | Dr Haki Antonsson (University College London) |
| 30 November 2016 | Playing Devil's Advocate? Ruben Östlund's "Play" (2011) and the Politics of Multiculturalism in Contemporary Sweden | Kate Moffat (University of Stirling) |
| 23 November 2016 | At the Crossroads: The Eastern Baltic in Viking-Age Long-Distance Communication | Dr Marika Mägi (Tallinn University) |
| 16 November 2016 |
The Forbes Family in Swedish Service during the First Half of the Seventeenth Century |
Dr Kathrin Zickermann (University of the Highlands and Islands) |
| 9 November 2016 | Nordic Italies: Representations of Italy in Nordic Literatures between the 1830s and the 1910s | Dr Elettra Carbone (University College London) |
| 2 November 2016 | Decadence and the North: Symbolist Art in the Nordic Countries | Dr Marja Lahelma (University of Helsinki) |
| 19 October 2016 |
Analogical Place-names in Western Iceland and Eastern Lewis; Connection or Coincidence? |
Geir Eysteinsson |
| 28 September 2016 |
The Cinema of Ruben Östlund |
Dr Mathias Korsgaard (Aarhus University) |
| 20 April 2016 |
Viking Seminar |
Chris Cooijmans (University of Edinburgh) |
| 30 March 2016 | Nordic Noir, Landscape & Mindscape In Finno-Swedish Children’s Literature | Dr Mia Österlund (Åbo Akademi University) |
| 29 March 2016 | What’s Up On The Glitter Scene? Recent Trends In Contemporary Finno-Swedish Literature | Dr Mia Österlund (Åbo Akademi University) |
| 22 March 2016 | Modern Literature | Barbara Tesio and Anja Tröger (University of Edinburgh) |
| 16 March 2016 | Naming, Society and Power: Critical Approaches in Onomastics | Dr Guy Puzey (University of Edinburgh) |
| 9 March 2016 | Comparative Literature | Ida Hummel Gabrielsen and Laura Chapot (University of Edinburgh) |
| 2 March 2016 | Linguistics | Jade Jørgen Sanstead and Ruairidh Tarvet (University of Edinburgh) |
| 24 February 2016 |
Nordic Cinema? – Industrial Practice and Marketplace Realities |
Dr Pietari Kääpä (University of Stirling) |
| 11 February 2016 |
The Significance of Erik Werenskiold’s Painting ‘A Peasant Burial’ |
Dr Jan Cox |
| 2 February 2016 | Vikings Beyond Boundaries: Migration and Diaspora In The Viking Age and After | Professor Judith Jesch (University of Nottingham) |
| 15 January 2016 | ‘Historical Truth’ or Mythical Construction? | Lin Marte Heggem (University of Edinburgh) |
Conferences and symposia
Thinking About Mythology in the 21st Century
An annual conference jointly organised by the departments of Celtic and Scottish Studies and Scandinavian Studies at the University of Edinburgh.
Each year, the conference has a different theme related to Celtic and Old Norse mythology - previous themes include Myth and History, Boundaries, and Similarities and Differences.
Typically, the conference runs over two or three days and comprises a mix of panel sessions, keynote plenaries, workshops and networking opportunities.
Please note that speaker titles and universities, as listed, date from the time of the event and may have changed.
| Dates | Theme | Venue | Keynote speakers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 and 20 October 2019 | Myth and History | 50 George Square | Professor Joseph Nagy (Harvard University); Dr Emily Lyle (University of Edinburgh); Professor John Carey (University College Cork); Professor Jonas Wellendorf (University of California at Berkeley) |
| 10 and 11 November 2018 | Boundaries | 50 George Square | Professor Ruairi Ó hUiginn (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies); Professor Jens Peter Schjodt (Aarhus University); Dr Kevin Murray (University College Cork) |
| 10 and 11 November 2017 | Similarities and differences | 50 George Square; David Hume Tower | Professor Stephen A. Mitchell (Harvard University); Professor Gregory Toner (Queen’s University, Belfast); Professor Jonathan Wooding (University of Sydney); Professor Jonas Wellendorf (University of California at Berkeley) |
More conferences and symposia
Dates: 23 and 24 October 2019
Venue: St Leonard's Hall, University of Edinburgh (Day 1); 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh (Day 2)
Keynote speakers: Alasdair Allan (Member of the Scottish Parliament); Bertel Haarder (Member of the Folketing - Danish Parliament); Professor Daniel Chartier (University of Québec in Montréal); Professor Ulla Börestam (University of Uppsala)
Chairs: Dr Arne Kruse; Dr Alan Macniven; Dr Daniel Clegg; Dr Ruairidh Tarvet
In brief: A two-day conference on perceptions and views of the Nordic model and Nordic region in non-Nordic (especially near-Nordic) European countries. Made possible with the support of the Co-ordinating Committee for Nordic Studies Abroad (SNU) and the University of Oslo, the event comprised keynote lectures, chaired panel sessions, and a public talk by visiting Northern Scholar, the Icelandic author Hallgrímur Helgason.
Dates: 3 and 4 December 2018
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Keynote speakers: Professor Sir Tom Devine (University of Edinburgh); Vilborg Davíðsdóttir; Professor Moritz Schramm (University of Southern Denmark); Professor Anne Ring Petersen (University of Copenhagen); Dr Cristine Sarrimo (Lund University)
Chairs: Robert Fell; Dr Frauke Matthes; Dr Ruairidh Tarvet; Dr Bjarne Thomsen; Kari Dickson; Valerie Goodman; Anja Tröjer
In brief: A two-day interdisciplinary symposium, co-organised in collaboration with the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH), exploring the themes of migration and mobility from a range of different cultural and temporal perspectives. Made possible with the support of the Co-ordinating Committee for Nordic Studies Abroad (SNU), the event comprised keynote lectures, chaired panel sessions, and public talks by visiting Northern Scholars.
Date: 15 June 2018
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Organisers: Dr María Alonso Alonso, Dr Charlotte Bosseaux, Dr Véronique Desnain and Dr Fiona Mackintosh
In brief: A one-day symposium on the evolution of narrative techniques towards noir aesthetics in world literatures. Combining panel sessions involving nine selected researchers, and a facilitated conversation with author Christopher Brookmyre, the event looked at texts which favour the adoption of a new consciousness towards cultural politics, as they reinforce the connection between literature and public affairs.
Related research: Language and Violence
Date: 4 December 2017
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Speakers: Professor Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila (University of Edinburgh); Dr Susanna Niskanen (University of Dundee); Rachel Rankin (University of Edinburgh); Jenni Brodie (Scottish-Finnish Society); Sanni Suhonen (University of Edinburgh)
In brief: A special event to mark the centenary of Finnish independence showcasing Finnish-Scottish relations, readings and research on topics including literature, education, and the refugee experience.
Date: 7 October 2016
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Speakers: Dr Anna Bohlin (Stockholm University); Dr Caroline Haux (Stockholm University); Helena Jäderblom (European Court of Human Rights); Dr Jonas Nordin (National Library of Sweden); Dr David Goldberg (Project Forsskål); Peter Graves (University of Edinburgh); Ian Giles (University of Edinburgh)
In brief: A one-day conference comprising two public sessions by visiting speakers:
- Enchanting Nations: Commodity Market, Folklore and Nationalism in Scandinavian Literature 1830-1850
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250 Years of Press Freedom: Sweden's Contribution to Open Communications
Date: 21 May 2015
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Speakers: Sofia Evemalm (University of Glasgow); Christian Cooijmans; Patrick Jolicoeur (University of Glasgow); Ryan Foster (University of Edinburgh); Dr Shane McLeod (University of Stirling); Dr Caroline Paterson
In brief: A one-day conference providing a friendly forum for academics of all career stages to showcase and discuss their current research. Co-hosted with the Scottish Society for Northern Studies, the event focused on pre-modern interactions between Scandinavians and native communities in the British Isles, the North Atlantic, and Continental Europe through a variety of historical media.
Lectures, talks, discussions and readings
Date: 18 May 2022
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Speaker: Dr Ruairidh Tarvet (University of Edinburgh)
In brief: A talk on Scotland and its relationship with the Nordic Model given to a visiting delegation of staff and students from Danish Folk High School, Annas Højskole.
Date: 12 November 2019
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
In brief: Student readings of Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren, Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder and Babette’s Feast by Karen Blixen. Part of Nordic Literature Week's simultaneous read aloud event, where themed stories are read out loud at the same time across the Nordic and Baltic countries, and in other Nordic institutions around the world.
Date: 25 September 2019
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Speaker: Professor Terry Gunnell (University of Iceland)
In brief: A free public talk hosted jointly with Celtic and Scottish Studies.
Date: 20 November 2018
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
In brief: A traditional Nordic singalong, ABBA karaoke, and a glass of wine. Part of the DELC Festive Showcase, bringing staff and students together to celebrate languages and cultures from around Europe.
Date: 25 November 2015
Venue: 50 George Square, University of Edinburgh
Speaker: Dr Alan Macniven (University of Edinburgh)
In brief: A public lecture, drinks reception and book signing to celebrate the launch of The Vikings in Islay, a systematic review of around 300 of Islay's farm and nature names, turning traditional assumptions about the history of the Scottish island on their head.
Related research: Islay Life Explorer (ÌLE)