Shakespeare and the Public Humanities

11 November 2026

Lukas Erne

Prof. Lukas Erne, UNIGE

Dr. Devani Singh, UNIGE

Prof. Emma Smith, University of Oxford

This event centres on the subject of 'Shakespeare and the Public Humanities'. It will begin with a one-hour introductory exchange between Professor Smith and the workshop participants in which participants will have the opportunity to introduce the group to their research topic and to reflect on its relationship to 'the Public Humanities' (1 hour). The event will further consist of a one-hour lecture by Professor Smith, followed by a lengthy question time, in the course of which the PhD students will be asked to engage with issues addressed during the lecture (2 hours); and an interactive workshop, led by Professor Smith (3 hours). It seems there is a constant appetite for think pieces about Shakespeare and our modern world. Wars, tyrants, dysfunctional families – all seem to have been anatomised by Shakespeare – but so too climate change, race-making, and non-binary gender. This workshop offers the opportunity to 1) engage critically with this material and discuss the ideological and cultural work this version of a 'relatable' or topical Shakespeare is doing, both in the public realm and within the academy, 2) experiment with forms of writing within the genre. Participants will be asked to sketch out an intervention in the public sphere where an element of their research or teaching on Shakespeare (or in other literary or future topics) might speak to contemporary concerns. The workshop thus combines critical perspectives on the practice and content of the public humanities, with a practical, reflective component on how to engage without compromising academic rigour. A lecture by Professor Emma Smith will set the wider issue of Shakespeare's crossover between public and academic realms in a longer cultural history, from the English Civil War to the Trump presidency. All of us thinking about the future role of the humanities need to engage with the questions of audience and relevance as part of our research. Professor Smith's focus will be on Shakespeare, but those working on other authors and periods are encouraged to attend and to reflect on and share their insights into the public humanities relevant to

UNIGE

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