New Ways Into History: From Smells to Sonnets - Gower Street

Join us with Will Tullett, author of 'Sniff: A History of Smells', and Catherine Clarke, author of 'A History of England in 25 Poems. Join us with Will Tullett, author of 'Sniff: A History of Smells', and Catherine Clarke, author of 'A History of England in 25 Poems', to discover new ways into history from smells to sonnets. Sniff: A History of Smells is a remarkable account of the weird and wonderful history of smell: Moving through key locations, from libraries to forests, churches to hospitals, Will Tullett explores the peculiar history of smell. We smell witchcraft and murder, fin de siècle Parisian theatres, and cinemas in 1960s New York. What emerges is not just a history of smells, but biographies of the many noses that have sniffed them. A History of England in 25 Poems is a portal to the past; a constant companion, filled with vivid voices and surprising stories alongside familiar landmarks, and language that speaks in new ways on each reading. Catherine Clarke’s knowledge and passion take us inside the words and the moments they capture, with thoughtful insights, humour and new perspectives on how the nation has dreamed itself into existence – and some unexpected new versions of England’s story. Will Tullett is a senior lecturer in early modern history at the University of York. As well as being the author of Sniff: A History of Smells, he has written Smell in Eighteenth-Century England: A Social Sense and Smell and the Past: Noses, Archives, Narratives. Catherine Clarke is a Professor at the Institute of Historical Research, University of London, and Director of the Victoria County History of England. She was previously Professor of English Literature at the University of Southampton, where she remains a Visiting Professor.