Good News Stories and Events
October 2026
Students Perform Their Poetry at Wirral Poetry Festival 2026
On Saturday 3rd October Liverpool Hope creative writers, read and performed their poetry for the third year running at the Wirral Poetry Festival.
Students from the first year to our new MA English Literature and Creative Writing visited the beautiful Port Sunlight Village for the opportunity to read poetry in public.
The poetry festival partners with the Sugar and Spice Food Festival, meaning large and curious audiences this year alongside poetry enthusiasts and open mic performers. This was an exciting professional opportunity at a well-established local literary event. Audience members also commented after the readings on the quality of the student's poetry.
Students will receive professional photos of their reading to use to build their profile. Thanks to the Wirral Poetry Festival for creating this opportunity for our students and to all the poets who took a creative risk through sharing their words with a public audience. I look forward to offering more professional opportunities for students as the School of Humanities launches the new single honours in Creative Writing in 2027.
Dr Eleanor Rees, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing
November 2026
December 2026
October 2026
Prof. Kelly awarded a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant
Prof. Stephen Kelly was recently awarded a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant SRG for the 2026 (Sept.) Round.
The award totals £7,640.00.
This award will support Stephen's latest research project, which analyses U.K. prime minister John Major's contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process during the 1990s.
The title of the project is: ‘A better future’: John Major and the Northern Ireland peace process, 1990-1997.
This two-year research project represents the third and final phase of Stephen's ongoing research on the Conservative Party and Northern Ireland, 1968-1998. To date, he has completed separate monographs on the contributions of Margaret Thatcher and Edward Heath to the U.K. government’s Northern Ireland policy. This new research project, focusing on John Major, is the final instalment of this trilogy and will form the basis of his final monograph, The Conservative Party leadership and the Northern Ireland Troubles, 1969-1998: 'No textbook solutions' (under contract: Bloomsbury, 2029).
On receiving this award, Prof. Kelly expressed sincere gratitude to the Liverpool Hope community for supporting his research endeavours and, in particular, to Dr Allison Elliott-Shannon, Hope's Research and Innovation Facilitator, and Stephen's colleagues within the School of Humanities.
Funding Success from Royal Institute of Philosophy to Support Public Guest Lecture Series
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Dr Robert Booth has recently won funding from the Royal Institute of Philosophy to support a public-facing guest lecture series focusing on marginal and marginalised philosophies. The lecture series - innovatively called the 'Royal Institute of Philosophy Guest Lecture Series' - will take place on campus at Hope Park, running from December 2026 to April 2027 and will be open to all.
Confirmed contributors and topics include - Danielle Sands (Royal Holloway) on plant philosophy; Komarine Romdenh-Romluc (Sheffield) on Fanon and liberation; Havi Carel (Bristol) on 'philosophy of illness', and our very own Steven Shakespeare who will be speaking about the topic of his forthcoming monograph – ‘black metal theology'.
Keep an eye out for further updates!
Dr Salman Al-Azami’s Article on ‘Gendered Islamophobia in Response to BBC TV Drama ‘Bodyguard’ is Published in Journal of European Popular Culture
Dr Salman Al-Azami's paper, 'Gendered Islamophobia in BBC TV Drama Bodyguard' has recently been published in the 'Journal of European Popular Culture' (JEPC).
The TV series Bodyguard (2018) was one of the most-watched TV dramas in the United Kingdom. The thriller centres around a British army war veteran who gets entangled in a series of terror plots spearheaded by a hijabi woman whose identity as the terrorist ringleader is revealed at the very end of the six-part miniseries.
This article examines the racial securitization of Muslims and gendered Islamophobia in the representation of Muslim characters in Bodyguard through the portrayal of a hijabi Muslim woman, underpinned by the intersectionality of Islamophobia, gendered Islamophobia and critical race theory. This article argues that at a time when hijabi Muslim women face the majority of Islamophobic hate crimes, a popular TV drama’s depiction of this vulnerable group as perpetrators of violence not only distorts the reality but also creates a negative image of Muslim women in hijab, further alienating them from the mainstream British society.
Further information can be found HERE.
November 2026
December 2026
October 2026
On Sunday 25 October Liverpool Hope University hosts 'Nuremberg 80', a civic event marking 80 years since the first verdicts handed down by the International Military Tribunal (the Nuremberg Tribunals) in October 1946.
The prosecution of leading Nazis - for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and waging aggressive war - represents the true beginning of international criminal law and the verdicts continue to hold profound legal and historical significance.
As living memory of the Second World War fades, and as many of the moral assumptions that shaped the postwar order come under increasing strain, there is renewed urgency to reflect on the legacy and principles of Nuremberg. This will also be an opportunity to recall the significant Liverpool political connection to the story, as both lead British prosecutors were MPs representing constituencies within what is now the Liverpool City Region. The event will feature contributions from descendants of the protagonists, as well as leading academics and authors.
On behalf of Mr Robin Makin and the School of Humanities, Professor Bryce Evans invites any interested staff and students to the i3 Building for this event, which will take place between 14:30 and 17:00 on the day. Afternoon tea will be served. Due to the sensitive nature of this commemoration, registration is essential and can be completed via the online store: Events | Liverpool Hope University Online Store
Digital Humanities and Culture Research Group
The Digital Humanities and Culture Research Group are holding their "Launch Workshop: Mapping Our Digital Humanities Community" on Wednesday 14th October at 2pm at Hope Park, Room: AJB 058. You can find more information on the aims and objectives of the group here along with a list of their future events.
Black History Month Film Club
The History department invites you to its Black History Month film club, which this year is dedicated to transatlantic anti-racism in the 1960s.
We will be showing two documentary films, one about the Black Panther Party and one about the emergence of Black Power in the British context, finishing with a showing of Horace Ové's film of James Baldwin speaking to a gathering of students in London. All are welcome.
- Wednesday 7 October AJB058 2pm: The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (2015), 115 mins
- Wednesday 14 October AJB059 2pm: Black Power: A British Story of Resistance (2021), 99 mins
- Wednesday 21 October AJB058 2pm: James Baldwin speaking in London (1969), 44 mins
Content note: The films contain references to racial slurs, violence and abuse.
For further details, please contact Danny Evans: evansd3@hope.ac.uk
Irish Studies Research Group Resumes Seminar Programme
Liverpool Hope University Irish Studies Group (ISRG) resumes its seminar programme on 15th October 2026, with a paper by Professor Stephen Kelly on 'Edward Heath and Northern Ireland'. The interdisciplinary programme for the autumn term can be found here (See "Upcoming Talks" tab).
November 2026
Explore new perspectives through free philosophy guest lectures
Liverpool Hope will host a series of free public lectures exploring overlooked voices and ideas in philosophy, inviting students, staff and the wider community to think beyond traditional perspectives.
The Royal Institute of Philosophy’s Marginal & Marginalized Philosophies series runs from December 2026 to April 2027, bringing together leading academics to explore diverse topics, including plant philosophy, liberation, illness and black metal theology.
The programme features speakers from universities across the UK and Ireland, alongside Liverpool Hope’s own Professor Steven Shakespeare, who will deliver the closing lecture in April.
Open to everyone, the series offers an opportunity to engage with thought-provoking ideas and discover new perspectives on philosophy and its place in contemporary life.
Lectures take place at our Hope Park campus and all events are free to attend.
Find the full programme and booking information on the Royal Institute of Philosophy Guest Lecture Series website.
Download the poster here.
December 2026
Over the years, a number of our academic colleagues in the School have delivered their inaugural lectures which signifies their achievement of reaching University Professor. These lectures showcase their expertise, research achievements, and career journey.
- Professor Steven Shakespeare, "Romancing Nature? Philosophy of Religion in an Age of Ecological Crisis" - recorded event available here.
- Professor Guy Cuthbertson, "A Return to Nature: The Pursuit of 'the simple life', from Edward Thomas to the present day" - recorded event available here.
- Professor Stephen Kelly, "A shared history: A personal reflection on the Northern Ireland conflict and the search for truth and reconciliation" - recorded event available here.
- Professor Bryce Evans, "The Most Important Thing in the World: Absence and Abundance in Modern History" - recorded event available here.
Honorary staff:
- Professor Peter McGrail, "Living under the shadow of 'a lonely and sacramentally-starved old age?' Liturgical realities and opportunities in the Archdiocese of Liverpool - recorded event available here.
- Professor Frank Cottrell-Boyce, "Where do Ideas Come From?" - recorded event available here.
- Reverend Professor Daniel Jeyaraj, "Christian Mission as 'Service to the Soul" and "Service to the Body" - recorded event available here.
- Professor Bill Jones - recorded event available here.