Family historians, teachers, crime writers and academics can follow the lives of people convicted and transported to Australia or imprisoned in Britain using a vast, new, free online resource. The Digital Panopticon website draws on over four million records to allow users to uncover how punishment affected the lives of...

In 1947 Germany and the UK were both still reeling after World War Two. But in Reading that did not stop the mayor, in the face of fierce criticism, inviting impoverished children from the city of Dusseldorf to her town. The twinning still thrives, and resulted in a life-long friendship...

Each summer the HA holds an awards evening. The awards cover a number of important areas of the Association’s outreach work, its values and the roles of its members and supporters. Mary Beard awarded Medlicott Medal Newly-appointed HA President Professor Tony Badger introduced one of the high points of the HA...

The act of writing is a potentially daunting process. It is the source of so much angst during our primary years as we struggle to master the complicated mechanics that will allow us to commit our ideas to paper. The purpose of writing is, of course, communication and this one...

We are delighted to announce that the Medlicott Medal for 2017 has been awarded to Professor Mary Beard OBE FSA FBA. Mary Beard is known to many through her television and radio work and her highly acclaimed books. She is Professor of Classics at the University of Cambridge and editor...

The Historical Association Annual Conference is always an exciting time – an opportunity to listen to expert speakers, share ideas, discuss different approaches, learn something new, meet with  old friends, make new ones and generally embrace history geekdom. This year in Manchester was no exception. Over 350 people descended on...

The year 2017 has ushered in a period of turbulence, both at home and abroad, where the one constant seems to be change. According to figures published by the United Nations, the number of refugees in the world has reached the highest level ever recorded, with a record 65 million...

2017 marks the 70th anniversary of the independence of British India, with territory ‘partitioned’ to create two separate states, India and Pakistan, ostensibly along religious lines. Some welcomed this ‘Partition’, others were dismayed at the outcome. But the passions that Partition unleashed produced deadly inter-communal riots, huge numbers of casualties, and...

The British Government has pardoned thousands of gay and bisexual men found guilty of sexual offenses that are no longer crimes. The Alan Turing Law recognises that these men approximately 49,000 of them had done nothing wrong.  In the last couple of decades civil rights for the LGBT community in...