School of Humanities

History at Hull

Watch: As History has been taught at Hull since 1928, we have a proud heritage of academic excellence.

Try Creative Writing and English

Watch: Join Dr Anna Fitzer and Dr Michael Farrelly for a virtual a taster session.

Hull History Network

The Hull History Network was founded in 2019 to provide a plethora of in-study vocational opportunities that complement our student's degree journey. Students have had the opportunity to work with the Hull: Yorkshire Maritime City Project, the Blaydes Maritime Centre, Hull Museums and Galleries, the Treatied Spaces project and the Department of History. Other members of the network have embraced opportunities to do paid teaching work, volunteer with dementia charity reminiscence therapy, conduct exhibition research, act as tour guides to cultural sites and get involved with the delivery of world class cultural events like the Freedom Festival.

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"The applicant day was really warm and welcoming"

Watch: Maya Tyrrell on why she chose to study English at Hull

Showcasing Queer voices from the past

Students from the department had an exciting opportunity to help curate content for the Pride in our City exhibition by the Humber Museums Partnership. Their research showcased how Hull is an inclusive space for everyone and drew upon art history modules at the University of Hull. They wrote about the queer identities of art held at the Ferens Art Gallery and this partnership was showcased at a national heritage conference on Queer Voices in Museums featuring the Tate, National Maritime Museum, Queer Britain and our friends at Hull Museums and Art Gallery. Such activity complements our work to embed queer histories and historians throughout our curriculum.

The Fear Talking

Dr Chris Westoby recently published his debut novel The Fear Talking. Chris – Programme Director of the Online MA in Creative Writing – is also a Hull alumnus and credits his experiences as a student here for helping shape his literary career.

Find out more about Chris's debut novel

Inspiring Olympians

Watch: Our research empowers all communities and embraces the individual identities that make us who we are. During the last four years, History staff and students have been working with Team GB to explore the racial, cultural and religious diversity that have underpinned Olympic success since 1896. This short film produced by Team GB features research by our colleagues Dr Jenny Macleod and Dr Catherine Baker, and students Lewis Carter and Grace Hawkins.

Also read up on the Golden History of Paris Olympics by Dr Jenny Macleod and Dr Catherine Baker's ranking of the historic Olympic opening ceremonies. 

Research that makes an impact

Our online lectures, regular podcasts, and appearances in the media ensure our work has an impact around the world. Recently Professor Joy Porter from the Treatied Spaces Research Cluster delivered a keynote lecture 'Who Fights for Canada as the Climate Changes?' at the British Library. Meanwhile, webinars by our historians at the Wilberforce Institute on critical issues including the legacy of slavery, human rights and 2020 Black Lives Matter debates have been attended by people from over 50 countries.

Inspiring postgraduates

Our talented pool of graduate students is at the intellectual heart of our research culture. Their research, which covers topics from ancient Rome to contemporary race relations, has the power to reshape how we engage with the past. Research by Victoria Taylor is reframing our understanding of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War and through her appearance on the History Hit, is inspiring audiences to explore the military past. Former PhD student Dr Ryan Hanley won the 2019 Royal Historical Society Whitfield Prize for his monograph, meanwhile fellow alumnus Dr Michael Reeve won the 2020 Gordon Fraser Essay Prize for a peer-reviewed article in Northern History that drew upon doctoral research at our Blaydes Maritime Centre and collections held at the Hull History Centre.

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Undergraduate multimedia stories

The creativity of our student community is at the core of their success. While we are keen to encourage our students to embrace new ways of learning, we often learn as much from them. Dane Mellows became something of a social media star in the summer of 2020, sharing his digital literacy with his passion for our fantastic campus in a fun way that brought us all some much-needed cheer. Meanwhile, recent Graduate Intern Rebecca Kelly produced #RebeccasGuide, three short films that shared her top tips for bolstering your CV alongside studying for a degree in History. Her advice included making greater use of our wonderful careers service.

Building upon Medieval foundations

The department’s Medieval historians have for decades ensured the spatial breadth of our teaching and research activity remains world class. Building upon pioneering work making the contents of the Domesday Book accessible to global audiences, recent research by Dr Colin Veach is helping to rewrite the history of England’s first overseas colony – medieval Ireland. In this recent recorded lecture he discusses the political role of powerful English magnates in subjugating Irish resistance to early colonisation. His latest work ‘The General Crisis’ will feature in the forthcoming multi-volume New Cambridge History of Britain which trace the causes and consequences of Magna Carta throughout England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.