About us.
Diego Velázquez. Kitchen Scene, 1618/20. The Art Institute of Chicago
Centre Director: Hannah Murphy
Steering Committee: Emily Butterworth, Hannah Dawson, Laura Gowing, Anna Linton, Lucy Munro
General Administrator: Jamie Gemmell
Established in 2015, the Centre for Early Modern Studies at King’s College London (CEMS KCL) aims to promote the early modern period as a field of inclusive, forward-looking, interdisciplinary scholarship. We are dedicated to broadening the field of the early modern beyond traditional, Euro-centric definitions and geographies, and embracing new, innovative methodologies. As a Centre, we are committed not only to promoting a historical understanding across a broad range of cultures, but to connecting historical expertise to contemporary social issues.
The Centre runs a regular programme of seminars, workshops, research initiatives, and public-facing events. Since the pandemic, CEMS has had a particular focus on early career scholars, dedicating many of our termly activities to building community between and supporting the careers of early career researchers. We also coordinate a number of highly collaborative, interdisciplinary research projects. Current initiatives include: ‘London’s Records of Slavery’, ‘Multilingual London’, ‘Ways of Knowing’, ‘Feminism and Early Modern History’, and our “Key” postgraduate blog series.
We’re always keen to hear new ideas, so please do get in touch.