Our research lunches provide a relaxed space for those who already engage with queer studies to discuss their work, and for those who are interested in queer studies to find out how it is being used and how they themselves might engage with it, without any requirement of prior preparation.
This week, Keith Mundangepfupfu (MSc Migration Studies) will be talking about the genealogy of queer words in southern African languages, especially South Africa and Zimbabwe. The language was facilitated by the movement of mostly men who were going to the mines in South Africa and fashioning new forms of queerness that are not often spoken about as they challenge the often accepted rhetoric that queerness is not African by the state.
Stephen Turton (DPhil English) will speak about queer moments glimpsed over the last 250 years of English dictionary-making, exploring what they can teach us about the political power, not of knowledge, but of ignorance—accidental, wilful, or liberatory. (“'Weird Lex but OK: Queer Gaps in the English Dictionary'.”)
Presentations will be followed by time for group discussion.
Lunch will be served from 12:20 and will include vegan and gluten-free options. All are most welcome. The venue is fully accessible. Please do contact us if you have any specific requirements.
Image: JA Nicholls. nice to hold. Oil & acrylic on canvas. Used with permission of the artist.