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Another academic year draws to a close: welcome, finally, to Week 8. The full Medieval Studies booklet is available here. Next Thursday, 19 June, 4:30-6pm, is the official launch date for the “The Oxford Medieval Mystery Plays – the Film”. This is a wonderful chance to come together to celebrate the end of the year, and watch… Read more: Medieval Matters, TT25 Wk 8

Welcome to Week 7: the full Medieval Studies booklet is available here. First, a number of important reminders. The Centre for Early Medieval Britain and Ireland is hosting an online exhibition of artefacts and manuscripts that explore the lives of early medieval women. To submit an item, or to attend the even, follow this link. The Medieval… Read more: Medieval Matters TT25 Week 7

When: Tuesday 10th, 3:30-5. Where: Massey Room, Balliol College Interested in exploring the lives of medieval women? Recently stumbled upon a text or a bit of material culture that piqued your interest?  The Centre for Early Medieval Britain and Ireland will be launching an online exhibition later this spring, designed to complement the British Library’s recent… Read more: EMBI ‘Early Medieval Women’ Online Exhibition

Friday 13 June 2025, 12 noon–5PMLecture Room 4, New College, Oxford New College Library is pleased to announce our exhibition for Trinity Term! In ‘Art of the Book’, we explore the beauty of all things bibliographical through our wonderful special collections—from the medieval period to the present day. Expect fabulous illumination, exquisite illustrations, beautiful bindings,… Read more: ‘Art of the Book’ Exhibition at New College, Oxford

Welcome to Week 6: the full Medieval Studies booklet is available here. Big News! Join us on Thursday 19th June from 4:30 – 6 at the Farmingdon Institute (Harris Manchester College) for the Film Launch of the Medieval Mystery Plays! We are promised ‘liberal quantities of drinks (including the famous Tiddly Pommes apple juice) and nibbles’; full… Read more: Medieval Matters TT25, Week 6

When? Thursday, 19 June 2025, 4.30-6pm Where? Farmingdon Institute, Harris Manchester College

Welcome to Week 5: the full Medieval Studies booklet is available here. Thank you to those who have submitted their publications for the OMS impact booklet – please continue to send short blurbs to the Oxford Medieval Studies email address ASAP. Pictures also welcome! Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Opportunities (new additions in bold)

Welcome to Week 4: the full Medieval Studies booklet is available here. OMS are working towards producing an ‘Impact Booklet’, emphasising all of the wonderful things that go on throughout the year. At the moment we are searching for publications – if you have published a relevant monograph/ edited volume/ edition during the past year, please drop… Read more: Medieval Matters TT25, Week 4

Welcome to Week 3: the full Medieval Studies booklet is available here Deadline for Social Media Officer expanded! Calling Graduate Students. We are looking for a successor for Ashley Castelino; check out Ashley’s report (and the report of his predecessor Llewelyn Hopwood) on what the role entails. Please do send in your application to Lesley Smith and… Read more: Medieval Matters TT25, Week 3

Medieval Historians in the Anthropocene Thursday 15 May 2025, 12 midday – 1.30pm  Colin Matthew Room, Radcliffe Humanities, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter Woodstock Road, Oxford, OX2 6GG Register via Eventbrite.  Registration is required only for those who would like lunch. In order to prevent food waste, PLEASE cancel your registration at least 72 hours in advance if you… Read more: Geotrauma, Emergency Histories, and Sacrifice Zones

We are delighted to announce that we are now accepting submissions for our next round of Taube Prizes for Student Writing in Hebrew & Jewish Studies, generously funded by Taube Philanthropies! Current Master’s and DPhil students at the University of Oxford across Faculties working on any topic in Hebrew and/or Jewish Studies may each submit… Read more: Call for Submissions: Taube Prizes for Student Writing in Hebrew & Jewish Studies

Practical Archival Skills Training (PAST) at The National Archives The PAST programme offers researchers a unique opportunity to obtain the skills and knowledge needed to undertake academic research using original records at The National Archives. We have a range of sessions particularly suited to scholars of medieval and early modern material. 13th May – Hidden Medieval Voices [ONLINE]… Read more: National Archives Skills Courses

Concert: ‘The Oxford Troubadors Return to the Maison Française’ 9 May, 7:00pm, Maison Française d’Oxford We are delighted to welcome back The Oxford Troubadors for an evening of medieval and modern songs in Occitan. The ensemble will perform iconic medieval troubadour pieces, including La Sestina by Arnaut Daniel and Lo riu de la Fontana by… Read more: Medieval Offerings at the Maison Française

Welcome to week 2! Please find below all of the medieval events across Oxford in the coming week. The wonderful team behind the medieval mystery plays that took place at the beginning of this term have put together a full report of the event, which includes a number of amazing photos. A video of last… Read more: Medieval Matter TT25, Week 2

The Oxford Medieval Mystery Plays 2025 are over – thank you to everyone who made this day possible! Read on for some pictures and impressions of a wonderful day.

Let us begin by toasting the great success that was the Medieval Mystery Plays! I’m sure you will all join me in thanking the great host of people that made the day possible, not least of all the many actors, musicians, directors, and props-people who put on such a spectacle. Particular thanks must go to… Read more: Medieval Matters TT25, Week 1

Ashley Castelino reflects on his time as Social Media Officer for Oxford Medieval Studies After two and half years with OMS, my tenure as Social Media Officer is finally coming to an end and it’s time for me to pass on the passwords. As I look back over this weird and wonderful time, here are… Read more: Oxford Medieval Social Media: A Retrospective

With full term about to begin, I have three exciting developments for you all. First, a final reminder that the Oxford Medieval Mystery Plays take place on the 26 April (this Saturday) from 12 noon at St Edmund Hall. The incredible booklet can be found at the end of this post, which illustrates just how many of our community are… Read more: Medieval Matters Week 0 Update

Are you curious about what manuscripts can tell us beyond their texts? Join Digital Scholarship @ Oxford and the Bodleian Libraries for a hands-on workshop using data from manuscript catalogues to explore trends and patterns in medieval manuscript production. You’ll learn: You’ll have the opportunity to work directly with manuscripts from the Bodleian’s collections, learning… Read more: ‘Big Data’ and Medieval Manuscripts

Shaw Worth (MSt. Medieval Studies 2024) Scripture suggests that the Christian apocalypse will only happen once. OMS, however, has so far seen two in Hilary Term, both in preparation for the Medieval Mystery Plays 2025 on 26 April 2026 (programme here, and more below), with one now available to stream in perpetuity for HistoryHit’s new documentary The… Read more: Apocalypse – the Trailer

On 24 April, 8pm, Antiquum Documentum are pleased to present a concert to celebrate the launch of the new book ‘Light on Darkness: The Untold Story of the Liturgy’ (Cosima Clara Gillhammer, Reaktion Publishers). The programme features music connected to the book’s main themes, by composers such as Palestrina, Byrd, Weelkes, Amner, Judith Weir, and… Read more: Light on Darkness – Book launch in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford

The Oxford Medieval Commentary Network is pleased to present a plainchant workshop on 24 April 2025, 3-4.30pm in Christ Church. All are welcome; no prior experience necessary. Please sign up here or email cosima.gillhammer@lmh.ox.ac.uk

When? 26 April 2025, from 12 noon. Where? St Edmund Hall, Queen’s Lane, OX1 4AR Come One, Come All! Free entry, no booking required. On Saturday, 26 April 2025, a cycle of medieval mystery plays will be performed by various troupes around St Edmund Hall’s grounds. Medieval mystery plays were performed throughout the Middle Ages… Read more: The Oxford Medieval Mystery Plays 2025: Programme

Medieval Epic. Special Issue of The Explicator From the Editor-in-Chief: We invite contributions to The Explicator on any work of medieval literature that is conventionally considered (or should be considered) an epic. Eligible works include Beowulf, Waltharius, the Song of Roland, the Nibelungenlied, and other works traditionally associated with them. Less prominent works, such as bridal-quest… Read more: Call for Submissions: Medieval Epic

When? 28 March, 18:30–20:15 Where? Research Centre, Thatched Barn, Christ Church Meadow The anonymous English Enterlude of Godly Queene Hester (c. 1529) is a fascinating play, unperformed since the 16th century. Ostensibly in praise of Esther, heroine of Jewish history, the play is actually a political satire about the demise of Cardinal Wolsey. The fall of Wolsey,… Read more: Play: The Enterlude of the Godly Queen Hester

When? 2 May 2025, 6-8pmWhere? Old Library (drinks) and Crypt of St-Peter-in-the-East (performance) Come one, come all! Prepare to worship the power of a good shit and marvel at the agonies and ecstasies of excrement! The year is 1320 in the stinking town of Netherhole. A young nun feels the hand of God clutch her… Read more: The Netherhole Martyr – Dramatic Reading

We have made it to 8th week, and the sun has come out in celebration. The full booklet of weekly events, as always, can be found here. A few brief notes to begin: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Opportunities Until next term, Tristan