The Cat’s Pyjamas: Cats in Culture and Society two-day conference will be held at Senate House Library May 25-26, concentrating on the historical function of cats in our literature and society.
The conference will check out the impact of cats in literature, movie, social networks, and music with keynote talks taking a look at the function of cats in history, cat-human interaction, and cats in literature. Talks consist of:
- Kathleen Walker-Meikle (Science Museum Group) on The Paradoxical Medieval Cat
- Charlotte Lindgren (Uppsala University) on The Swedish Cat Findus on Book Covers
- Lily Kahn (University College London) on The Representation of Cats in the Jewish Textual Tradition
- Timothy Bourns (University College London) on Cats in Medieval Icelandic Life and Literature
According to the organisers: “The relationship in between cats and libraries is centuries old – monastic records from the Middle Ages show cats were kept in middle ages abbeys to manage rats that may otherwise consume important manuscripts. Although rodent control is now less of an issue, there is still a strong cooperative relationship in between cats and libraries, with some cats even holding down consistent jobs as curators, a subject Dr Richard Espley, Chief Librarian and Keeper, V&A National Art Library, will check out throughout the conference.”
The conference, available both face to face and online, is devoted to cat fan Liz James who operated at the Senate House Library till her death in 2022.
As well as talks and panel sessions, the conference will consist of an exhibit from Senate House Library’s collections which is likewise available in an online gallery, highlighting the abundant and long-lasting bond in between cats and the composed word consisting of Horace Walpole’s Selima and Puss-in-Boots in pantomime.
