OxByzList: The Byzness, 30th June 2026
Oxford University Byzantine Society
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THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY BYZANTINE SOCIETY
The Byzness, 30th June 2026
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1. NEWS AND EVENTS
2. CALLS FOR PAPERS
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
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1. NEWS AND EVENTS
Dear all,
I hope everyone is having an amazing start to their summer and managing to survive the heat. The 2025/6 and 2026/7 committees have been busy with conferences, digs, and other out of term activities. We’re gradually handing over duties, and we look forward to introducing ourselves properly come the new academic year!
Remember to follow us on all our socials, below:
Instagram: @ox_byz
Bluesky: @oxunibyzantinesoc.bsky.social
X/Twitter: @oxbyz (if you do follow us on X, we are transitioning over to Bluesky, so please do follow us there in the first instance)
Best,
Nidanu
For those wishing to submit an event, call for papers, job or scholarship opportunity to the Byzness please send details to the committee at byzantin...@gmail.com indicating the relevant list for The Byzness our external to Oxford and year-round newsletter or The Byzantine Lists our Oxford-centered events and circulated only in term-time. Please keep the listing brief and include all relevant information in the body of the notice. Outside of exceptional circumstances, we only share events once.
Lecture by Peter Sarris
The Frankfurt-Leuven project “Commentary on John of Ephesus’s Ecclesiastical History”, led by Hartmut Leppin and Philip Forness, is organizing a series of occasional lectures on John of Ephesus. These are open to the public via Zoom.
The next lecture will be given by Peter Sarris (Cambridge, UK) Monday, 6 July, at 2:00 pm CEST. Peter’s talk is entitled “’The Justinianic Plague in the Light of Recent Evidence’”.
The Zoom link is https://uni-frankfurt.zoom-x.de/j/68676519100?pwd=Vlq9nlKsPfnHOb4AlSrocSaSqV4UrW.1
Dumbarton Oaks Reception ICBS Vienna 2026
We invite you to attend a reception for Dumbarton Oaks and Central European University Department of Historical Studies alumni on August 26, 19:30-21:00 in the Arkadenhof, University of Vienna (Universitätsring 1, 1010 Wien).
Enjoy refreshments and view Dumbarton Oaks' recent exhibition, The Stimulant Sea: Sugar, Coffee, & the Acquisition of Taste. RSVP: https://univie.eventsair.com/icbs2026/regsideevents/Site/Register
Poverty Dynamics in the Long Late Antiquity, AD 300-800, School of Classics, St Andrews - 22 and 23 July 2026
Poverty was a defining element in late antique and early medieval societies, shaping economic structures, social relations, cultural values, and political hierarchies. This two-day conference will analyse the dynamics of poverty from an interdisciplinary perspective, examining how poverty drivers and resilience strategies marked the social and economic condition and lived experiences of destitute and vulnerable groups across the Mediterranean during a period of unprecedented historical transformations.
For more information, including the programme, see:
Those interested in attending online should register by 5 pm on Friday, 3 July 2026, by contacting Ian Bonze at if...@st-andrews.ac.uk.
This conference is generously funded by the School of Classics, the Past and Present Society, the EDI committee/CUCD, and the Institute of Classical Studies.
Regional Networks
The Hellenic Society is delighted to launch its Regional Networks scheme, which seeks to support students, scholars, and enthusiasts of Hellenic studies across the United Kingdom and Ireland. By fostering collaboration and community, the scheme aims to create a vibrant network of Hellenists, strengthening local and regional connections in the discipline.
These regional networks aim to bring together Hellenists at all stages of their academic and professional journeys. They provide an informal but professional environment where postgraduate students, early-career researchers, established academics and subject enthusiasts can meet, exchange ideas, and build lasting professional relationships. For many postgraduate and early-career scholars, particularly those working in smaller institutions or less well-connected areas of the UK and Ireland, these networks offer valuable opportunities to connect with colleagues.
Each regional network will operate as a flexible, locally-led community. Participants will be invited to join online mailing lists or messaging groups to share updates, ask questions, and stay informed about Hellenic Society activities relevant to their region. Examples of possible activities include:
Informal social gatherings at the start of the academic year.
Academic presentations or specialist talks.
“Lightning talk” events, where participants briefly present their current work or research interests.
Book exchanges or small discussion groups focused on specific areas of study.
Mini-conferences and workshops.
Informal meetings at restaurants, cafés, or university venues that help maintain a sense of community throughout the year.
These activities are designed not only to strengthen professional relationships but also to promote the benefits of membership of the Hellenic Society.
Upper Thames Network and South West & Wales Network
Two pilot networks have been established: the “Upper Thames Network” organised by Charlie Baker (University of Oxford) and the “South West and Wales Network” led by Frances Pickworth (University of Bristol). The Upper Thames Network was launched at Corpus Christi College, Oxford on 14th October 2025, involving students at the Universities of Oxford and Reading (Images) and a second event at the Ure Museum in Reading is currently being planned. Interested members can join the Upper Thames Whatsapp by visiting: https://tinyurl.com/4b76a833
The launch event for the South West and Wales Network was held at the University of Bristol in October 2025 (Image) and a second workshop, also aimed at PGRs and ECRs, took place at the University of Exeter in March 2026, organised by Emma Nicholson. The PGRs in this Network have also setting up a hybrid work-in-progress seminar based at Exeter. If you live and/or work in the South West and Wales area and would like to get involved in the Network, please do sign up to the mailing list here:
https://gaggle.email/join/hellenic-s...@gaggle.email.
You can address any questions about the Network to Frances at f.pic...@bristol.ac.uk.
Call for Volunteers!
While the regional networks operate largely independently, the Society supports them through publicity, communication, and financial assistance for events, where possible. Each network is co-ordinated by a volunteer “anchor” member who helps organise events and maintains communications. Becoming a regional network anchor is a great opportunity to get involved with the work of the Hellenic Society in promoting Hellenic Studies within your local area. We are looking for volunteers to launch, and act as anchors for, regional networks elsewhere in the UK. Those at any academic career stage are welcome to apply, including postgraduate students, Early Career Academics, and established academics. If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your proposal to Dr Fiona Haarer: secr...@hellenicsociety.org.uk.
A Practical Guide to Classical Arabic Poetry: Tools for Understanding Form and Meaning, Art and Function, 7 July 2026 – St John's College, Oxford
Three-day conference exploring classical Arabic poetry through form, meaning, performance, genres, and interpretation.
Kindly contact Tahera Qutbuddin (tahera.q...@ames.ox.ac.uk) to confirm attendance.
2. CALL FOR PAPERS
CfP: XX. International Conference on Patristic Studies, Oxford, 2–6 August 2027.
Workshop Title: Experiencing and Coping with Trauma, Grief and Death in Late Antiquity (250-800 CE).
We invite individual contributions for a workshop to be held at the XX. International Conference on Patristic Studies in Oxford, 2-6 August 2027 (home | patristics).
The overall theme is, "Experiencing and Coping with Trauma, Grief and Death in Late Antiquity".
In light of recent research on the history of emotions, particularly how individuals and religious communities managed the powerful emotions precipitated by Trauma, Grief and Death, the proposed workshop aims to investigate how people and cultures experienced and coped with physical and mental manifestations of illness-health, grief, and trauma in religious, philosophical and theological discourses.
We encourage the broad conceptualisation of these topics and by way of some examples, the workshop will include papers on trauma arising from medical intervention in Persian literature, and salvific understandings of death in Gnostic and Manichaean traditions.
We are particularly interested in contributions covering this topic in:
· Late antique Philosophy;
· Early Christianity;
· Gnostic and Manichaean traditions;
· Late antique Zoroastrianism;
· Early Islamic culture.
We welcome papers examining the topic through a wide range of historical sources, including legendary narratives, theological literature, philosophical literature, liturgical texts, medical writing, epigraphy and martyrologies.
We invite proposals on topics exploring (but not limited to):
· Trauma and Grief as Religious and Cultural Responses to Suffering and Death;
· Philosophical and/or Religious Discourses on Illness, Death, Trauma and Grief;
· The fate of the Soul and the Body at Death;
· Martyrdom, Torture, and the Experience of Violence and Pain;
· Individual and/or Societal Responses to Loss through ritualised acts of Mourning, Grief, and Commemoration;
· Trauma as a Transformative or Redemptive Experience;
· Soteriological Interpretations of Death.
Individual contributions will last from 30 to 40 minutes, with substantial time allocated for introductory remarks by the convenors and final discussion.
Submission Guidelines:
Those interested in participating are kindly invited to submit
· A title and a short abstract of max. 300 words;
· A short bio (max. 150 words)
to Scili...@cardiff.ac.uk and Asho...@cardiff.ac.uk by 15 July 2026.
The organisers will review submissions, and applicants will be notified of the outcome by 15 August 2026 to allow time for participants to register for the conference.
Please note that, should a proposal not be accepted for this workshop, it may still be submitted through the conference's general submission portal before the submission deadline. For any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the organisers.
Organisers:
Lisa Scilipoti | MSCA Doctoral Fellow | Cardiff University
Sharareh Ashouri | MSCA Doctoral Fellow | Cardiff University
CfP: The Art of the Choir in the Medieval and Early Modern Mediterranean World
The Department of History and Archaeology at the University of Cyprus invites submissions for the hybrid international conference The Art of the Choir in the Medieval and Early Modern Mediterranean World, to be held in Nicosia and online on 4–6 June 2027.
The conference will explore the display, performance, and experience of art in choir spaces, with a particular interest in instances of transconfessional encounter across the Mediterranean, between c. 1000 and 1600. Aiming to bring together scholars of the Latin West and the Byzantine East, it encourages comparative perspectives on the ways the sacred space of the choir and its experience were shaped by liturgy, artistic expression, devotional practice, and cultural exchange.
The programme will feature keynote lectures by Prof. Donal Cooper (University of Cambridge) and Prof. Sharon Gerstel (UCLA). Topics of interest include liturgical and paraliturgical uses of church choirs, choir furnishings and ritual, movement and access within choir precincts, the display of relics and images, pilgrimage, and digital approaches to the study of sacred space.
Abstracts of approximately 300 words for 20-minute papers in English should be submitted by 30 September 2026 to Michalis Olympios (olympios...@ucy.ac.cy ) and Maria Parani (parani...@ucy.ac.cy ).
The conference will be held in a hybrid format. There is no registration fee. For full details, please consult the accompanying Call for Papers.
CfP: VI Byzantine Colloquium of the University of Buenos Aires, Temporality and Characterization in Byzantine Literature, 25–26 March 2027, Buenos Aires
The conference will be held in person at the University of Buenos Aires and will be devoted to narratological approaches to Byzantine literary texts, with a particular, though by no means exclusive, interest in proposals addressing temporality and characterization.
The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 15 September 2026. Applicants can expect to be notified of the outcome around mid-October.
The keynote lecture will be delivered by Prof. Dr. Ingela Nilsson.
The conference is jointly organized by Prof. Dr. Tomás Fernández and Prof. Dr. Reinhart Ceulemans, with the assistance of Dr. Paloma Cortez, Dr. Giulia Gollo, and Dr. Niels De Ridder.
For further information, please see VI Byzantine Colloquium of the University of Buenos Aires_CFP.pdf
CfP: The Cambridge Medieval History Graduate Workshop
We host presentations on the cultures, economies, literature, material cultures, politics, thought, religions, and reception of the medieval world, which we broadly define as the global period between c. 500 and c. 1500. We welcome interdisciplinary scholarship and encourage submissions which stretch our conception of ‘medieval’ in time or space, from late antiquity to modern reception and from Scandinavia to the Middle East and beyond, or which deal with the practice of medieval history.
These short 15–20-minute workshop papers are excellent ways to share your work, gain presentation experience, and receive constructive feedback in a supportive environment run for and by graduate students. In terms of scope, we are looking for focused studies that offer snapshots into ongoing graduate research, and particularly encourage primary source work and case studies, rather than sweeping overviews of large topics or summaries of entire dissertations/theses. We welcome submissions from master’s and PhD students from any discipline or university, but especially encourage graduate students based in or around Cambridge to submit. Accepted speakers will have the opportunity to be featured on our blog, Camedieval. The Workshop meets alternate Thursdays, 4:00pm–5:30pm, with the option of virtual attendance on Microsoft Teams for audience members. In each session we usually have two 15–20-minute papers, followed by in-person socialising and refreshments.
Please send an abstract of not more than 250 words and a short bio by Friday, 25th September 2026 to cambridg...@gmail.com.
The Camedieval blog regularly puts out content and is always open for submissions.
CfP: The Slavonic Metaphrasis of Byzantine Compilation Literature
Chronographic, Doctrinal, Hagiographical and Spiritual Collections, International workshop at KU Leuven, 8–10 September 2027
Conveners: Lara Sels, Evelyne Diels, Reinhart Ceulemans
Rationale
In an ongoing collaborative WEAVE project, scholars in Innsbruck and Leuven study the Slavonic metaphrasis of Byzantine orthodoxy. This research is informed by the
handwritten card-index of Slavonic translation literature, which was composed by the late Francis J. Thomson (1935–2021) and is now part of KU Leuven Libraries Special Collections. The study of florilegia and other forms of compilation literature is of central importance in the project.
The process of translation from Byzantine Greek that decisively shaped medieval Slavonic literature also implied a translatio of literary paradigms. The early formation of the literary culture of the Slavs coincided with the development of the Byzantine cultura della sylloge (or ‘florilegic habit’), which favoured compilations of selected texts from the past as means of knowledge transfer and instruction. This development lent the concept of textual authority another dimension, alongside that of authorship. It also blurred the lines between text production, compilatory reuse, and textual transmission. It is the aim of the WEAVE project to trace the history, the models, and the impact of this anthological attitude in early Slavonic literature, a literature of compilers and epithomizers rather than of individual authors, in which “the very notion of book expressed the idea of a collection, that is, a sylloge or sbornik” (Riccardo Picchio 1981).
The Leuven team focuses on Greek question-and-answer literature that was transformed in Slavonic compendia. To expand this focus, scholars working on other forms of Slavonic reception of Byzantine compilations or on Slavonic compilatory reception of Byzantine literature in a broad sense are invited to share their expertise. After two thematic sessions at the ICBS in Vienna (27–28 August 2026), the Leuven workshop in September 2027 continues this approach.
Confirmed speakers: Staffan Wahlgren (Trondheim, Norwegian University of Science and Technology), Marijana Vuković (Odense, Retracing Connections), Alessandra Bucossi and Nicolò Ghigi (Venice, RAP), Jürgen Fuchsbauer and Ekaterina Dikova (Innsbruck, REGEST), Ottovia Mazzon and Iris Karafillidis (Padova, CoMByN)
We invite papers that look at Slavonic compilatory reception of Byzantine literature in a broad sense. This includes Slavonic translations of Greek compilations, compilations riginally made in Slavonic, as well as Slavonic miscellaneous manuscripts in which various (sorts of) works are combined.
Topics of focus include:
- the place of compendia in the textual tradition of Slavonic translated literature;
- the impact of Greek chronological literature on Slavonic literary culture (e.g. Palaia);
- Slavic traditions of doctrinal and polemical compilation in relation with their Byzantine
models (e.g. anti-Latin collections);
- Slavonic collections of translated hagiography and/or apocrypha;
- Slavonic spiritual florilegia (e.g. Pčela).
We welcome proposals from scholars from Byzantine and Slavic studies and are looking for papers that bridge the gap between both fields. workshop format on-site (Leuven) and in-person paper format 30’ for presentation, followed by 15’ Q&A working language English – proposals in German and French will also be considered. OutputL a selection of papers will be invited for publication in an OA peer- reviewed volume.
Please submit your title and abstract (max. 300 words) together with a biographical note (max. 100 words) to thomso...@kuleuven.be.
Deadline for submissions: 31 December 2026
Notification of acceptance: 15 February 2027
Registration fee: € 50
For any inquiries regarding the call for papers, please contact the organisers through
CfP: International workshop at KU Leuven, On the Fringes of the Catena Format: Catena-Commentaries, Composite Exegesis, and the Posterity of Catenae (9–10 March 2027, Leuven).
The workshop will be held in person at KU Leuven and will be devoted to exegetical works situated at the boundaries of the catena genre, with particular interest in contributions exploring the transformation of Byzantine catenae into new exegetical forms and other manifestations of their literary posterity.
The deadline for the submission of abstracts is 15 October 2026.
Applicants can expect to be notified of the outcome on 6 November 2026.
The keynote lectures will be delivered by Prof. Dr. Luciano Bossina and Dr. Maria-Lucia Goiana.
The workshop is jointly organised by Prof. Dr. Reinhart Ceulemans, Dr. Tiphaine Lorieux, and PhD researcher Sofia D’Urso.
For further information, please see the attached CfP. CFP_On the fringes of the catena format.pdf
We look forward to receiving your proposals!
3. JOBS AND SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
PhD candidate position (f/m/d): RSVP project (Reassembling Scribal Vernacular Practices: Analysing Coptic Correspondence and Epistolographic Culture in Late Antique and Early Islamic Egypt), hosted at Institute for Papyrology (Heidelberg University)
The RSVP project is funded by the European Research Council (Starting Grant) until April 2031. It aims to reassemble the rich world of Coptic epistolography in Egypt between the 4th and 11th centuries CE. By analyzing a corpus of ca. 5,000 vernacular letters, the project employs a multidisciplinary methodology — integrating paleography, digital humanities, and sociolinguistic analysis — to reconstruct the writing habits, social networks, and cultural identities of ancient epistolographers. Further information can be found at cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101219853.
The RSVP project calls for application for a PhD candidate position (f/m/d) 65% available from 1 October 2026 for a fixed term of 4 years until 30 September 2030.
The PhD candidate will work as part of an international team, consisting of the PI, the project manager, and several postdoctoral researchers responsible for their own research within the project.
Tasks within the project:
Cooperation in creating the project dataset of published Coptic letters, and attendance of the regular team meetings and seminars
Development of their own research agenda concluded with a doctoral dissertation within the themes (and in at least one of the following work packages) of the project, e. g.:
Study and emendation of the published Coptic letters
Edition of unpublished Coptic letters
Coptic letters in the Digital Age
Tracing epistolographers’ identity, literacy and handwritings
Dissemination and publication of their research results
Your profile:
Master degree in ancient history, papyrology, egyptology, palaeography, or a related field
Experience in Digital Humanities (a proved record of computational research is an asset)
Scientific curiosity and enthusiasm for both new methods and ancient material
Solid methodological foundations for conducting research on the project’s subject matter
Proficiency in written and spoken English skills. Good commands in other scientific languages (French, German, Italian etc.).
Good command in Coptic language (command in Arabic and/or in Greek would be an asset)
High level of commitment and work ethic, as well as ability to work in a team
We offer:
A job with a high level of responsibility and a varied range of tasks
An open-minded and motivated international team
Offers to support the compatibility of family and career
Support for your personal and professional development through Heidelberg University′s internal educational program
Salary in accordance with the provisions of the Collective Agreement for the Public Service of the Federal States (TV-L 13)
Pension scheme for the public service (VBL)
Funding of research stays abroad (if required by the applicant’s project) and travel funds to project-related academic venues
Subsidized Deutschlandticket
To apply, please submit your application with the following documents:
A motivation letter (max. one page, 11-pt Times New Roman), including an explanation as to how your interests and profile match the project goals and selection criteria
An outline of the proposed research project (max. 5,000 characters including spaces and footnotes, excluding bibliography). Please include information on your research questions and hypotheses, methodology, originality of the proposed project, alignment of the project with one or more of the research areas mentioned above, brief timeline of the project for four years, name of potential co-supervisor.
Name and email address of at least one scholar who has agreed to provide a reference for you
Your CV, including a list of publications
A writing sample, e. g., your Master’s thesis, a seminar paper, a published journal article etc.
Study certificates/diplomas and transcripts of records
We look forward to receiving your application in English, which you should send by 30.06.2026 in a PDF file by email to rsvp-erc...@uni-heidelberg.de . The PI is also available to answer any questions you may have at the address lorelei.va...@uni-heidelberg.de.
Doctoral Position The Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Linnaeus University
Location until further notice: Kalmar or Växjö. Since Linnaeus University is located in both Växjö and Kalmar, travel between the two may be required.
Term and hours: The doctoral studentship is fixed term in accordance with the Higher Education Ordinance (Chapter 5, Section 7) and covers a period corresponding to a maximum of four years of full-time study. The studentship is full-time.
Starting date: 1 February 2027.
Job description
As a doctoral student, you will pursue doctoral studies leading to a doctoral degree, corresponding to a maximum of four years of full-time study. You will follow the general syllabus for your subject and be employed by the department responsible for the subject. Please refer to the subject webpages. Depending on your specialisation, you may also have the opportunity to be part of the Faculty’s interdisciplinary research environments.
The Higher Education Ordinance states that anyone who is employed as a doctoral student shall primarily devote themselves to their own studies, although they may, to a limited extent, also work with education, research, and administration. Before a doctorate has been awarded, such work may not exceed 20% of full-time employment.
The successful candidate is expected to spend most of their working time at Linnaeus University’s campus in Växjö or Kalmar, except during periods when their research requires them to be elsewhere (for example, for archival research, fieldwork or conferences).
Eligibility
According to the Higher Education Ordinance (Chapter 7, Section 39) the general entry requirements are met by applicants who:
have been awarded a degree at the second-cycle level
have at least 240 credits of passed courses, of which at least 60 credits are at the second-cycle level; or
have acquired essentially equivalent knowledge in some other way, in or outside Sweden.
The university may grant an exemption from the general entry requirements for an individual applicant if there are special grounds for doing so.
Specific entry requirements are met by applicants who:
have 120 credits in the relevant subject or a closely related subject, of which 30 credits must be at second-cycle level, including an independent project worth at least 15 credits, or equivalent knowledge
are proficient in Swedish and/or English.
Assessment criteria
Applicants’ ability to successfully complete doctoral studies will be assessed on the basis of an overall evaluation taking the following factors into account:
the relevance, originality and feasibility of the research proposal within four years of full-time study
research ability as demonstrated through scholarly works, with particular emphasis on the quality of the second-cycle degree project.
the breadth and composition of the applicant’s first-cycle studies, together with the overall assessment of the applicant’s potential to successfully undertake doctoral studies
personal suitability.
Application
Your application should be submitted in Swedish or English. Please indicate clearly the subject in which you wish to pursue doctoral studies and include the following documents:
a personal statement explaining why you wish to pursue doctoral studies
your CV (maximum two pages)
certified copies of supporting documents confirming that you meet the eligibility requirements for the doctoral studentship
a research proposal (maximum 12,000 characters excluding references) that includes the following sections: (a) an introductory popular-science summary/abstract of no more than 2,000 characters; (b) aims and objectives; (c) research questions; (d) theoretical framework; and (e) methodology and timeline
a copy of your second-cycle degree project or equivalent
the names and contact details of up to two referees who have agreed to be contacted for a reference.
Contact
Head of Department for the relevant subject: Meet the Faculty of Arts and Humanities | lnu.se
Contact person for the relevant subject: see links to the subject webpages at the top of this advertisement.
HR Partner: emmy.an...@lnu.se or stiina....@lnu.se
Please submit your application no later than 18 August 2026.
British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowships 2026-27
The Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Oxford invites expressions of interest from postdoctoral and completing graduate scholars who wish to apply for the British Academy Postdoctoral Fellowship scheme for entry in 2026-27.
The Fellowships are designed to enable outstanding, recent postdoctoral scholars in the Humanities or Social Sciences to obtain experience of research and teaching in a university environment for a period of three years, to strengthen their research and teaching track record and to improve their prospects of obtaining permanent posts by the end of the fellowship. More information about the scheme is available on the British Academy website. There are strict eligibility requirements and potential candidates are advised to check these carefully.
Candidates who intend to apply for a BA Postdoctoral Fellowship through AMES are asked to submit an application form to amy.ric...@humanities.ox.ac.uk by 17:00 on Wednesday 1 July 2026.
You should also ask your prospective mentor to send an email confirming their willingness to serve as your mentor, along with a brief assessment of the application, to the same address by the same date.
Please note that all applicants should have secured the agreement of a potential mentor within the Faculty, but mentors are not expected to provide any input into applications ahead of this stage.
You are also welcome to include, if appropriate, a separate statement of any circumstances that you feel may have impacted on your research track record (such as illness, parental leave, etc).
There is no guarantee that applications which arrive after the above date will be supported or processed. Candidates selected by the Faculty will be contacted by the Division’s Research Facilitation with further information on the process and timetable for submitting your application via the British Academy application system.
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Nidanu O'Shea
DPhil in Asian & Middle Eastern Studie
President, Oxford University Byzantine Society
http://oxfordbyzantinesociety.wordpress.com