A Tribute to the Life & Scholarship of Prof. Mary Cunningham

Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies, University of Birmingham.

12 June 2026 | 10:00–17:30

Free | In-person and online

To register: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/…/a-tribute-to-the-life…

We would like to announce a commemorative conference honouring the life and scholarship of the distinguished Byzantinist, Professor Mary Cunningham (1954–2025). The day will feature a series of papers presented by some of Mary’s friends and colleagues, reflecting on key themes in her research and publications.

This event is open to all with an interest in Byzantine and medieval studies, as well as anyone wishing to pay tribute to Mary’s legacy.

This academic event will feature papers delivered by some of Mary’s colleagues and friends with whom she worked closely throughout her career. The day is organised into three strands reflecting key themes in Mary’s scholarship: the Theotokos, the Hypapante, and her work in the contemporary Orthodox Church.

Programme

Welcome (10:00-10:10), Daniel Reynolds

Mary and the Midlands (1010-1030)- Leslie Brubaker and Monica White

Session I: The Theotokos (10:30–12:00)

Looking Like Mary, Liz James (University of Sussex)
Ivory Icons of the Mother of God: A Strange Case, Maria Cristina Carile (Università di Bologna)
Rejoicing with Mary about Mary: The Annunciation as Performance, Barbara Crostini (Newman Institute, Uppsala)
Questions

Refreshments (12:00-12:15)

Session II: The Hypapante (12:15–13:45)

The Hypapante: A Journey with Mary, Francesca Dell’Acqua (Università degli Studi di Salerno)
Reflections on the Reception of Sermons in Byzantium Henry Maguire (Johns Hopkins University)
Hymning the Presentation of Christ in the Temple Bishop Damaskinos Olkinuora (Bishop of Haapsalu)
Questions

Lunch (13:45-1430)

Session III: Inclusive Orthodoxy (14:30–16:00)

Beyond Masculinity: Patristic Anthropology, Media Narratives, and the Ecclesial Task of the Orthodox Church, Elena Narinskaya (University of Oxford)
Mary Cunningham: An Orthodox Woman Scholar, Elisabeth Theokritoff (University of Cambridge)
Crip Time, Voice, and Byzantine Religion Maroula Perisanidi (University of Leeds)
Questions

Refreshments (16:00-16:30)

A Tribute to Mary, Chris Thornhill (University of Nottingham) (16:30–16:50)

Closing Remarks (16:50-17:00)

Wine Reception (17:00–17:30)

18 April, 202618 April, 2026

The Second Komnenian Restoration and its Legacy Symposium

Ibn Haldun University, Istanbul, 8-9th May 2026

Dr Maximilian Lau & Dr Georgios Theotokis

With special thanks to İbrahim Harun Demirel, Prof Günhan Börekçi and many others at Ibn Haldun University for their help organising and funding this event, in addition to Prof Peter Frankopan and the Oxford Centre for Byzantine Research, the Faculty of History at the University of Oxford and the British Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies for funding this event.

Scholars have used the concept of the ‘Komnenian Restoration’ of Byzantium for many years, and yet the term has never received a critical analysis: what did the Komnenoi believe they were restoring? Did they achieve any of their aims, in what ways, and what was the legacy of their successes and failures?

The first symposium in Oxford last year highlighted a number of further themes that should be investigated, in addition to many other established and emerging scholars whose research is essential to enhancing our understanding of this crucial era of history, especially for Anatolia and the Balkans. Economic, Ecclesiastical, Foreign and Social History take centre stage in the sessions we have organized here. This second symposium, held in the most appropriate location of Istanbul itself, will therefore bring together the research and people in order that the proposed handbook of research on the Komnenian Dynasty can coalesce. Further, a Komnenian research network, co-hosted by Ibn Haldun and the University of Oxford, will be launched following this event.

This is a symposium that welcomes the contributions of all, whether prominent scholar, early career academic, or simply interested party of any other sort – I have long thought that whenever a question is asked prefaced by “this isn’t my field,” but…it can often throw new light on a subject, and so please do contribute your thoughts and questions during the event.

You can find the programme here. 2KomnenianLegacyBooklet

Please register for online attendance or interest in the project.
Sign up here.

9 April, 2026

SPBS-ÖBG Joint Lecture 2026

Fantastic beasts & where to find them: Byzantine hybrids

The Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies (SPBS), in partnership with the Austrian Association for Byzantine Studies (ÖBG), is pleased to announce our 2026 joint hybrid lecture.

This year, we are honoured to host Margaret Mullett (OBE), Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Edinburgh, who will explore the world of Byzantine hybrids, examining the “fantastic beasts” that occupied a unique space in the culture and art of the period. A response from Markéta Kulhánková, Associate Professor at Masaryk University will follow the lecture.

The paper looks at hybrid animals in Byzantium, both from an animal studies viewpoint and from a more general Byzantine literary and cultural angle. It looks at issues of credibility and plausibility, notes which ancient hybrids were or were not popular in Byzantium, and identifies where they may be found on the margins and in liminal places, but also on the body and seals strong identity markers in Byzantium. It asks what the point of hybrids is in Byzantium and explores the answers of Patricia Cox Miller, Henry & Eunice Maguire, and Lara Frentrop. It then offers a further possibility through a treatment of the centrality of hybridity in twelfth-century Byzantine literature and Byzantine society in general.

For more, please see here.

9 April, 2026

♱ Averil Cameron ♱

It is with great sorrow that we share the news that Averil Cameron has passed away. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her and her work. Further information will be shared in due course.