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The concept of immersion has intrigued humanity since antiquity. In the 2024 Trendall Lecture, classicist and a theatre and performance studies scholar Dr Emma Cole examines the power of immersion as a form of enjoyment and influence from antiquity to the modern day.
Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi novel, Dune, fictionalised the moral and environmental issues we’re grappling with sixty years later. Professor Bronwen Neil FAHA explores why Dune‘s dystopian vision of planetary death is resonating with so many people.
Over a distinguished career, retired librarian and booklover Colin Steele AM FAHA has seen libraries grow and change. Now, almost fifty years since he joined the Australian National University, he reflects on the ambitions of libraries of the past and present, and what our institutions might look like in the future.
For many, reading poetry may evoke memories of tedious high school essays and lessons on literary analysis. This World Poetry Day (Thursday 21 March), Emeritus Professor Will Christie FAHA encourages us to rediscover the joy of poetry and with it, a sense of rebellion, discovery and curiosity.
UN French Language Day (20 March) celebrates French language and culture around the world. Professor Véronique Duché FAHA, Chair of French at the University of Melbourne, reflects on the close ties that bind French and English.
The recent tragic deaths of Luke Davies and Jesse Baird resulted in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras’ decision to uninvite the NSW Police from marching in uniform in the parade for the first time in twenty years. Now that the 2024 Mardi Gras parade has been and gone, Professor Kane Race FAHA from the University of Sydney unpacks the traumatic and complex history between police and the queer community since Mardi Gras began in 1978.
This International Women’s Day (8 March), we highlight ten women in archaeology who have made significant contributions to their field, as recognised by our archaeological Fellows.
Associate Professor Alice Gorman FAHA FSA went from feeling lost in the Australian outback to having an asteroid named after her. She shares how her humanities background brings a valuable perspective to Australia’s space community.
Many scholars would be familiar with the term “plain language” when faced with a grant application, but does this “well-meaning” intent trivialise our most essential skills? Axel Fliethmann FAHA investigates what he deems an unsettling relationship between politics and language.
Six Fellows were recognised on the 2024 Australia Day Honours List, with two fellows recognised as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) and four awarded a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).
There is little written about queer Australian art before 1930. Peter McNeil FAHA shares his contribution to the groundbreaking global art exhibition, The First Homosexuals, and discusses the fragmented, solitary and quiet history of queer Australian artists pre-1930.
Since her death in 1815, Sara Baartman’s life continues to be studied. Marguerite Johnson FAHA explores the lasting legacy of Sara Baartman following the translation of her post-mortem report in English, shedding light on how European society’s fixation on her body shaped concepts of race, sex, and gender.
The Australian Academy of the Humanities recognises Australia’s First Nations Peoples as the traditional owners and custodians of this land, and their continuous connection to country, community and culture.