FORGOTTEN HISTORY: Ahrc | History Defined

Around 700,000 specimens to be digitised in project to document biodiversity

Insects and plants are among the items that will be digitised.

Evening Standard · Jul 15

A new voting system meant the Welsh election couldn’t have been further from a two-horse race – so why was it portrayed as one?

Even before votes were counted in this year’s Senedd (Welsh parliament) election, speculation among commentators was rife that one campaign narrative had firmly taken hold – that the contest had become a two-horse race between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK.

The Conversation · May 14

Welsh broadcasters target voters with digital election coverage

Voters in Wales will soon go to the polls to elect members of an expanded Senedd (Welsh parliament) under a new proportional voting system. As the campaign has developed, public service broadcasters have sought not only to report events but to educate, inform and engage audiences with an unfamiliar electoral…

The Conversation · May 5

Why isn’t the Greens’ growing success reflected in media coverage?

The victory of the Greens in the Gorton and Denton parliamentary byelection is a landmark for the party. But our new research reveals the Greens have received limited airtime over the last year despite almost doubling their support in the polls and in party membership.

The Conversation · Feb 27

Medieval Londoners’ cheaply imported mass-produced Christmas gifts look surprisingly familiar

We often imagine medieval life as dull, dirty and short, with little in the way of material comfort or decoration. However, medieval Londoners were importing toys, treats and trinkets by the boatload centuries before the modern festive rush.

The Conversation · Dec 19, 2025

We built a database of 290,000 English medieval soldiers – here’s what it reveals

When you picture medieval warfare, you might think of epic battles and famous monarchs. But what about the everyday soldiers who actually filled the ranks? Until recently, their stories were scattered across handwritten manuscripts in Latin or French and difficult to decipher. Now, our online database makes it possible for…

The Conversation · Dec 1, 2025

The Samurai Detectives by Shōtarō Ikenami: a tale of honour, desire and mystery in Edo Japan

An upright young samurai, a cross-dressing sword-wielding maiden, a retired warrior, honour killings, killings not-so-honourable, and lovers of all kinds. Welcome to The Samurai Detectives, the first part of a series of popular historical mystery novels by Shōtarō Ikenami (1923-1990).

The Conversation · Nov 3, 2025

Can Labour’s plan to fund deprived communities see off Reform? What the evidence shows

More than a year after the UK government abandoned the phrase “levelling up”, it has now launched a fresh strategy to distribute funding to disadvantaged communities. The promise to these deprived areas is three-pronged: investment in community facilities, enhancing public spaces like parks, and revitalising town centres and high streets.

The Conversation · Oct 7, 2025

Bob Vylan Glastonbury complaints upheld: here’s what viewers complain to Ofcom and the BBC about most

The BBC’s livestreaming of the Glastonbury performance by punk-rap duo Bob Vylan broke editorial guidelines on preventing harm and offence to viewers, according to the corporation’s complaints unit. More than 5,000 people complained about the broadcast after the duo chanted “death, death to the IDF” and made other derogatory comments.

The Conversation · Oct 7, 2025

Push to end antisemitism is welcome but envoy’s plan raises concerns, Australia’s race commissioner warns

Giridharan Sivaraman says he hopes to meet Jillian Segal to discuss her proposals and their implications for fundamental rights and freedoms

The Guardian - AU · Jul 16, 2025