Tom Turner writes that: Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe used to say that he was educated as a classicist and then struck by the dynamic power of Modern Art. My view, with which he did not disagree, is that his approach was intrinsically Postmodern from the day he enrolled at the AA. His first serpent supports this […]

The MERL Seminars, Autumn 2019: Farm Animals For the majority of us, our image of farming would be incomplete without working animals or livestock. The role of farm animals as part of our future food systems, environmental lives, or global health often plays a part in the headlines. However, our ideas about those animals are […]

Thursday 28 November, 10am-5pm. BOOK NOW The Museum of English Rural Life Friday 29 November, 10am-5pm. BOOK NOW Harper Adams University, TF10 8NB £25 (includes refreshments and lunch). Booking essential (via Eventbrite links above). Deadline for booking is 20 November. The events will explore the revolutionary changes in poultry husbandry from the poultry mania of […]

Letterforms and Layout: Designing factual books for children 17 May, 12-1pm Professor Sue Walker, Professor of Typography at the University of Reading. The middle decades of the twentieth century saw changes in the appearance of factual books for children—a move towards greater flexibility in the integration of text and image, and the use of visually […]

Ladybird Books Landscapes: What to look for in the What to Look For books 24 May, 12-1pm Dr Jeremy Burchardt, Associate Professor in the Department of History, University of Reading Ladybird Books’ What to Look For seasonal natural history series remains iconic, not least due to Charles Tunnicliffe’s distinguished illustrations. As ever with Ladybird Books, […]

Nursery Vision: Reading the Ladybird Book Three Blind Mice 10 May, 12-1pm Dr Neil Cocks, Associate Professor in the Department of English Literature at Reading. At first sight, the colourful illustrations to The Ladybird Book of Nursery Rhymes might seem simplistic and overly literal depictions of the accompanying verse. Taking Three Blind Mice as its starting […]

Reanimating Ladybird Books: A pop-up display of Ladybird Books artwork 26 April, 12-1pm Clare Plascow & Dr Naomi Lebens, University Art Collections and Dr Ollie Douglas, Curator of MERL Collections More a display than a talk, this session offers access to a selection of original artwork drawn from Ladybird Books. Here we invite you to […]

Does a special font help children with dyslexia to read more fluently? Dr Holly Joseph Associate Professor of Language Education and Literacy Development at the Institute of Education, University of Reading 5th April, 12-1pm – Missed it? Watch on Youtube Ladybird Books featured special letterforms to aid comprehension and support learning. In recent years, a […]

We welcome back our popular collaboration with the Department of English Literature for a third exciting series, Writing the Rural. This year’s talks are chaired jointly by Dr Paddy Bullard and by our current Research Fellow, writer Suzy Joinson. Their guests include the usual inspiring mix of writers and literary thinkers, as well as folk […]

How can our much loved, multi-functional, protected and neglected agricultural landscapes – conflict ridden, economically challenging and bureaucraticised – be sustained for the future? FOLAR’s 2018 symposium focuses on British agricultural landscapes since 1945, and considers the post-Brexit future. A day of challenging talks with Q and A sessions from a stellar range of knowledgeable […]