Events

Creativity Behind Barbed Wire

An Interdisciplinary Conference on the Products of Prisoners of War in the 20th century
Friday 26 - Sunday 28 March 2010

During many conflicts of the twentieth century, civilian and military POWs were interned in their hundreds of thousands across the globe. This enforced incarceration, with all its physical, mental and emotional hardships, traumatised communities and families of all those affected. Despite, and in the face of, these traumas, the years of internment were coupled with unprecedented leisure time for many, which led to a flowering of creativity in many forms and across many media, despite censorship. POWs created art, handicrafts, theatre and music; and wrote diaries, letters, camp magazines and newspapers. They also transformed the material world of the camps through gardening and graffiti. The post-war period, from the day on which POWs gained their freedom onwards, has also spawned a series of memories manifested in writing (such as autobiographies), photography and film, and in commemorative events and physical memorials.

Scholars from many different fields have approached various aspects of this material in a variety of ways, although largely without reference to cognate disciplines and their research questions, interests and perceptions. This conference will bring together active researchers to share their varied theoretical perspectives, case studies and interpretations.

The deadline for titles and abstracts is the 15th December; abstracts up to 400 words. For more details and to offer a paper, contact organisers below. Accommodation at St Catharine's College can be booked through Cambridge Rooms.

Anyone interested in attending the conference should, in the first instance, email Dr Gilly Carr to see if places are still available.

PROVISIONAL CONFERENCE PROGRAMME (.pdf)

Registration form (.doc)
Full list of abstracts of speakers and poster presentations (.pdf)

Email: Dr Harold Mytum (University of Liverpool)

Email: Dr Gilly Carr (University of Cambridge)

Link to the university's Official Maps website. Please click on the 'city centre' map to find St Catharine's College. The conference is at the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, which is on the Downing Street Site. Please click on the 'Downing site' map for directions