Janita Van Dyk (Durham University) has published “Hustle Horticulture: Time, Plant-Discipline, and Meaningful Work” in Anthropology News (American Anthropological Association). The article examines food, labour, and temporality and contributes to Professor Rosi Song’s RELISH project on food, ethics, and sustainability.

Marie Darrieussecq celebrates the 30th anniversary of Pig Tales and discusses her new French translation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein in a reading and Q&A at Collected Books (11 March, 7:30pm). Part of International Women’s Day and Francophone Month events, funded by the French Embassy. Student ticket holders receive 25% off Pig Tales.

An agenda-setting volume of essays on the contribution that art can make to our understanding of health and illness has been published, co-edited by Dr Fiona Johnstone from our Institute for Medical Humanities and School of Modern Languages and Cultures.

Durham hosts its first Japanese Film Festival on 25 February 2025 (17:00–21:00), featuring a pre-screening panel, the film The Lines That Define Me, and a reception with Japanese snacks and drinks. Free entry—registration required.

RELISH, a Horizon Europe project led at Durham by Professor Rosi Song, invites students and the wider community to contribute to research on European food cultures through three short online surveys exploring habits, heritage, and future perspectives.

Dr Dušan Radunović, Director of Russian Studies in Durham’s School of Modern Languages and Cultures, and Daniel O’Brien from the University of Essex, mark 100 years of Sergei Eisenstein’s The Battleship Potemkin. They explore why this silent masterpiece continues to resonate, inspiring filmmakers and audiences across shifting historical and cultural landscapes.

Polly Dickson explored her research on doodling and the potential virtues of idleness on BBC Radio 4’s Free Thinking

Dr Lorenzo Dell’Oso has received the first-ever Kleinhenz Prize for Publication from the Dante Society of America for his influential new study on Dante’s early intellectual formation. His award-winning monograph re-examines the poet’s links with Santa Croce and Pietro delle Travi, earning international recognition for its innovative contribution to Dante studies.

Durham University has entered into a partnership with the MarcoPolo700 Foundation to develop a pioneering East-West Institute in Hong Kong and Durham.

MLAC is proud to announce The Films of Bigas Luna by Prof Santiago Fouz Hernández, the first English-language monograph to examine all sixteen feature films by the influential Spanish filmmaker. Combining archival research with in-depth theoretical analysis, the book explores Luna’s treatment of gender, sexuality, identity, and Mediterranean culture. The book launch will take place at the Filmoteca de Catalunya, Barcelona, on 11 December, with subsequent podcast and English-language events plann

Dr Dominique Carlini Versini appears as a guest contributor on the Positionalities podcast, joining Michèle Bacholle and Emma Flynn to discuss feminist approaches to French horror cinema and the groundbreaking work of contemporary women directors.

The quality of teaching and learning that our students enjoy at Durham has been recognised at a global awards ceremony.