A summer language programme in Girona and Andorra gave Durham student Akriti Simha an opportunity to put their Catalan skills into practice alongside learners from across the world, with the experience culminating in a radio interview in Andorra.

A recent Durham PhD has quickly developed into a scholarly publication. Vladimir Liparteliani’s research on Russian and Western influence in Georgia has now appeared as a new Routledge monograph, extending his doctoral work into a study of soft power, nation-building and Georgian national identity.

A new special issue of Studies in Spanish and Latin American Cinemas explores the work and legacy of Catalan filmmaker Ventura Pons, bringing together perspectives on his cinema, cultural memory and representation. Edited by Durham’s Santiago Fouz-Hernández, the issue is now available from Intellect.

Professor Catherine Dousteyssier-Khoze will introduce three films by acclaimed French director Claude Chabrol at special screenings in Manchester and London this September. The first event takes place at HOME Cinema in Manchester on 15 September, followed by two BFI Southbank screenings on 20 September.

A medieval Catalan recipe takes centre stage at Terra Madre Salone del Gusto in Turin on 25 September, as Durham University and the RELISH project bring together historical research, food heritage and contemporary gastronomy. Through tasting and discussion, participants will explore how a recipe can travel across cultures and centuries while continuing to evolve.

A new "meet our staff" video introduces Dr Lorenzo Dell’Oso’s research on Dante, medieval intellectual culture and AI, alongside a major new collaboration with the University of Notre Dame and a series of recent distinctions for his scholarship. In 2026, his research has received international recognition through a Notre Dame–Durham Seed Grant and two prizes for his latest book.

A new Routledge Companion brings together global perspectives on literature, ecology and the environmental crises shaping our world. Edited by Durham’s Dr Kerstin Oloff alongside Treasa De Loughry, Sharae Deckard and Claire Westall, the volume was published on 30 July 2026 and includes Oloff’s chapter on food commodities, extraction and the feminist ecogothic.

We’re hosting a new £1.3m (€1.5m) research project, led by Dr Amanda Hsieh, shedding light on the history and impact of the Japanese Empire on the Pacific through music.

The School of Modern Languages and Cultures presents a series on The Creative-Critical beginning in September 2026. Convened and organised by Professor Abir Hamdar, the series features an online symposium on The Creative-Critical and the Global South, an online panel on The Creative-Critical and Pedagogy: Research-Led Teaching, and a two-part, in-person workshop series on the lecture form, open to all Faculty of Arts and Humanities PGR students who have completed their first annual review.

Dr Yael Almog, Associate Professor of German at Durham University, has edited Memory Practice, a new book by Berlin-based artist Hadas Tapouchi. The volume brings together a collection of Tapouchi’s photographs with an essay by the artist and a contribution by Dr Almog, examining the relationship between urban space, memory and the afterlives of historical violence.

The School of Modern Languages and Cultures welcomed more than 140 pupils from local North East schools through two pilot widening access events: Discover Languages at Durham and Across Languages: A Multilingual Poetry Workshop. Through language activities, creative challenges and multilingual performance, pupils explored the opportunities offered by language learning and experienced the excitement of studying languages at university.

Durham students have contributed a translation to Un tast de literatura – De Xarxa Llull al món: Territori, llengua, cuina, a new publication by the Institut Ramon Llull celebrating Catalan literature and culture. The project, supported by Lecturer Elsa Sala Gonzalo, highlights the creativity and expertise of student translators.