Printing / photocopying system upgrade

If you have been in the library in the last couple of days you may have noticed we're getting new photocopiers and printers.
There may be some interruption to printing and photocopying while engineers install the new equipment.
 
Our printing / photocopying system upgrade should be going live in the next couple of days and will bring new features such as scanning and printing over WiFi.
 
Apologies for any inconvenience caused while the upgrade takes place.

AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award: Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC)

Institute of Commonwealth Studies awarded AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award


The ICwS, jointly with the Commonwealth Secretariat, has been awarded an AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Award to fund a research studentship to undertake a study of the Commonwealth Fund for Technical Cooperation (CFTC) in order to examine questions of the development of knowledge, expertise and cooperation in the context of a decolonizing and post-colonial world. T

he CFTC provides advice, expertise and training for development, through the provision of international experts in fields including agriculture, engineering, education, public service training and mineral extraction negotiations. The history of the CFTC charts an important transition in the post-colonial relations of the Commonwealth and in the development of notions of South-South cooperation. The fund piloted the use and sharing of expertise from developing countries rather than those from the North.

The PhD student who will be working on the study will be jointly supervised by Professor Philip Murphy, Dr Ruth Craggs (University of Hull) and Hilary McEwan, who is the Archivist at the Commonwealth Secretariat.

The AHRC CDA scheme is designed to encourage and develop collaboration and partnerships between universities and non-academic organisations, providing opportunities for doctoral students to gain firsthand experience of work outside an academic environment. The support provided by both an academic and non-academic supervisor enhances the employment-related skills and training a research student gains during the course of their award. The studentships also encourage and establish links that can have long-term benefits for both collaborating partners, providing access to resources and materials, knowledge and expertise that may not otherwise have been available and also provide social, cultural and economic benefits to wider society.

The ICwS is currently actively recruiting to fill the AHRC CDA research studentship. Further details

Maori in statistics - Statistics New Zealand

A new portal for statistics about Maori has been launched on Statistics New Zealand's website. The new section provides a snapshot of Maori in New Zealand and gives an insight into their well-being and development.

The site includes statistics on a broad range of topics, including Maori agricultural participation; life satisfaction; culture and identity; Maori language; education; employment and unemployment; disability; housing; population; internal migration; and time use.


The resource, named Te Ao Marama 2012, is bilingual and available at http://www.stats.govt.nz/maori

Africa Writes

Africa Writes: The Royal African Society’s inaugural Literature and Book festival

Saturday 30 June & Sunday 1 July 2012, 12-8PM

Brunei Gallery Building (SOAS) & Torrington Square

The RAS is pleased to present Africa Writes - a festival celebrating contemporary African literature and writers, scheduled to take place on Saturday 30th June and Sunday 1st July 2012.

Africa Writes aims to enhance coverage and discussion about African literature and writers in London - and the UK, by extension. Every year Africa Writes will showcase established and emerging literary talent from Africa and the Diaspora during a weekend-long series of events, including: a major lecture with a high profile African literary figure; book launches, readings, workshops, panel discussions, talks and other activities; a 2-day international book fair showcasing publishers of African literature; and a 2-day pan-African food market featuring dishes from around the continent.

SATURDAY, 30th June 2012

Welcome and Introduction by Richard Dowden (Director, RAS)
12:00-12:15 / Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre (BGLT)

Opening session: New writing for a ‘new Africa’?
12:15-13:00 / BGLT
Deputy Editor of Granta, Ellah Allfrey, leads Ghanaian author Kojo Laing in conversation, discussing new writing in Africa and setting the scene for the festival.

Book launch: How Shall We Kill the Bishop? by Lily Mabura
13:00-13:30 / Brunei Suite (BS)
Book launch with author Lily Mabura. Chair: Fiammetta Rocco (Literary Editor, The Economist).

Book launch: Sterile Sky by E. E. Sule
14:00-14:30 / BS
Book launch with author EE Sule. Chair: Dr Mpalive Msiska (Reader in English & Humanities, Birkbeck College).

Event: The 2012 Caine Prize authors meet their readers
15:00-16:30 / BGLT
Meet the 2012 Caine Prize Shortlisted writers - Rotimi Babatunde, Billy Kahora, Stanley Kenani, Melissa Tandiwe Myambo, and Constance Myburgh. Event in collaboration with the Black Reading Group and the London Afro-Caribbean Book Club. *Attendance by RSVP only: tricia@paulwombell.demon.co.uk

Book launch: Crossbones by Nuruddin Farah
17:00-17:45 / BS
Book launch with author Nuruddin Farah. Chair: Richard Dowden (Director, RAS)

Africa Writes 2012 Lecture by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
18:00-19:30 / BGLT
Marking the 50th anniversary of the African Writers Series, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will reflect on 50 years of African literature since the series was first established in 1962. Followed by a reception.
*Attendance by RSVP only: http://africawrites2012.eventbrite.co.uk/

SUNDAY, 1st July 2012

Workshop: Story Time
12:00-13:00 / BS
Interactive story-telling for children.

Book launch: Labyrinths by Christopher Okigbo
12:00-12:30 / BGLT
Book launch led by Christopher Okigbo’s daughter, Obiageli Okigbo (Founder, the Christopher Okigbo Foundation).

Panel discussion: Publishing contemporary African Literature - challenges & opportunities
13:00-14:00 / BGLT
With Margaret Busby (writer, editor, critic, consultant and broadcaster), Becky Nana Ayebia Clarke MBE (Founder, Ayebia Clarke Publishing Ltd), and James Currey (Founder, James Currey - an imprint of Boydell & Brewer). Chair: Wangui Wa Goro (translator, editor and writer).

Panel discussion: Writing Away from Home
14:30-15:30 / BGLT
Authors Ellen Banda-Aaku, Noo Saro-Wiwa, Goretti Kyomuhendo and Aminatta Forna (TBC) discuss the implications, challenges, and opportunities of living in the Diaspora and writing about ‘Home’. Chair: Hannah Pool.

Book launch: And Crocodiles Are Hungry At Night by Jack Mapanje
16:00-16:30 / BGLT
Book launch with author Jack Mapanje. Chair: Becky Nana Ayebia Clarke MBE (Founder, Ayebia Clarke Publishing Ltd).

Closing event: Word from Africa – part of Poetry Parnassus
18:00-22:00 / Clore Ballroom, Southbank Centre
Word from Africa 2012 celebrates the exciting culmination of the Poetry Parnassus and Africa Writes festivals. It's a rich jollof of poetry, storytelling and song, sauteed with performance and music! Headlined by the Official poet at London Olympics 2012 and Associate Artist at the Southbank Centre, Lemn Sissay, the event will feature a selection of The Poetry Parnussus African poets, rappers and wordsmiths, including: Modeste Hugues (Madagascar), Oxmo Puccion (Mali), Ketty Nivyabandi Bikura (Birundi) Shailja Patel (Kenya), T.J. Dema (Botswana), Paul Dakeyo (Cameroon), Bewketu Seyoum (Ethiopia), Abdulahi Botaan Hassan 'Kurweyne' (Somalia), Mariama Khan (Gambia) and Togara Muzanenhamo (Zimbabwe).

For more information please visit the Royal African Society website

India at LSE (London School of Economics) blog

India at LSE blog    http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/indiaatlse/multimedia-2/

Launched by University of London college the London School of Economics this blog discusses India-related research, courses and events at the London School of Economics and Political Science. It includes coverage of a wide range of social science topics ranging from economics, development studies, media, gender and politics. The blog will include links to full text papers from the LSE's India observatory as well as multimedia of LSE sponsored events.

New in today - Pacific official publications

One area in which the Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library hasd as a strength is official publications from Commonwealth countries. For the Pacific Island region our collections are perhaps the strongest in the UK, and this material is difficult to obtain. It is always a pleasure to open the latest parcel from our suppliers to see what has arrived. In today's mail we got one such parcel.

Some highlights includes were from Vanuatu: the 2007 Census of Agriculture, and a thematic study from this census on fisheries and forestry; the report from the 2009 National Population and Housing Census (census reports being something we are always keen to have) and from that census a publication entitled Gender monogragh: Women and Men in Vanuatu;  and the Main Report on the Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2006.

From Samoa we received the latest available Annual International Migration Statistics, Statistical Abstract, and report from the 2008 Household Income and Expenditure Study, as well as a report entitled A Report on the Estimation of Basic Needs Poverty Lines, and the Incidence and Characteristics of Hardship and Poverty, based on that report.

From Fiji we received two recent annual reports fropm the Office of the Prime Minister and Government Achievements 2007-2011. Report to the Nation, published by the Ministry of Strategic Planning, National Development & Statistics, documenting reforms in governance and administration, civil service, the economy and living standards.

All these publications and reports should be available soon, once processed and catalogued, adding to our strong collections of the region

Black ephemera: depictions of people of African descent

University of Reading, Centre for Ephemera Studies:
Black ephemera: depictions of people of African descent

 

Wednesday 4 July 2012

 

Nike Theatre, Agriculture Building, University of Reading

10.30 Registration and welcome

Session one - Michael Twyman convenor

 

Introduction to the day, Michael Twyman, Director, Centre for Ephemera Studies

• Patrick Vernon Black Ephemera: consuming stereotypes and identities
• Temi Odumosu The St Giles's "Backbirds": some popular African presences from Georgian and Regency print culture
• Tom Wareham Using and abusing ­ Considering the use of Ephemera in the London, Sugar & Slavery Gallery at the Museum of London Docklands
• Jonathan King Anthropology and ephemera: representing Africa and the Caribbean at the British Museum

Session two - Alison Donnell convenor

• Amoret Tanner Mary Seacole ­ the story behind the iconic carte-de-visite
• Leon Robinson Black Victorian entertainers
• Jeffrey Green Edwardian postcards
• Mary Guyatt Representations of black people in children¹s ephemera 1870-1950

Session three - Patrick Vernon convenor 

• Sandra Shakespeare Caribbean through a lens: Depictions of black people using Photography
• Deborah Sutherland We shall not be silenced: Ephemera as a record of the struggle against apartheid in South Africa
• Stefan Dickers Fighting for Justice: Campaign ephemera in the Bernie Grant Archive
• Zoe Whitley Conspicuous absences: branding and un-branding the black body in Magazine 

Final questions/discussion/thanks and farewell Drinks in the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication and the opportunity to see the display of printed ephemera

 

For more information and to register please contact: Diane Bilbey d.j.bilbey@reading.ac.uk