This exciting interdisciplinary conference is hosted by the Department of Humanities at the University of Central Lancashire. 1848 is frequently referred to as the ‘springtime of the peoples’ or ‘the year of revolutions’; yet despite the widespread challenge to the status quo in Europe, the historian A. J. P. Taylor believed that ‘history failed to turn’. An aim of this conference will be to show that 1848 was a pivotal year in the political development of modern Europe and that its repercussions spread much further a field. The repercussions of the political upheavals in Europe spread beyond the countries immediately involved, with repercussions as far apart as South America and Australia. At the same time, revolutions in Europe that have previously received little attention from historians (for example, in Spain and Ireland) will be examined. Also groups who previously had possessed little political power (including convicts, women, slaves and serfs) found a voice in the optimism that the revolutions engendered.

A further aim of the conference will be to demonstrate that while the political upheaval was important, significant (and enduring) changes were taking place in other spheres. The intellectual ferment and social and economic discontent that triggered the various uprisings also found an outlet in literature, music and other forms of expression including the popular press. The interdisciplinary approach will allow the various strands and themes to be discussed through the intersections of culture, history, literature and politics during a pivotal year in modern history. This conference combines a broad approach to the period in question in terms of disciplines, methodologies and new approaches and a central question will be, did the world ‘turn’ as a result of the revolutions in 1848?

We hope that the conference will include a civic reception at the imposing Harris Library, Art Gallery and Museum in the centre of Preston. There will also be an optional walking tour through Preston and a conference dinner. For delegates with extra time, surrounding areas such as the Lake District, Liverpool, Manchester and Haworth can be easily reached. We look forward to welcoming you to the City of Preston.

Who should attend?
Academics with an interest in culture, history, literature and politics during the year of revolutions.

Plenary Speakers: Professor Brian Maidment, Professor Ernst Wangermann, Professor John Walton and Professor Terry Eagleton