In Giving Birth in Eighteenth-Century England, Sarah Fox shrewdly and eloquently argues that in the eighteenth century ‘birthing was a process – a series of linked and flexible stages – rather than an event’ (p.7). This statement directly challenges much of the historiography that has come before it: histories of birth and birthing have traditionally … Continue reading “Giving Birth in Eighteenth-Century England: Amber Vella’s Review”
Giving Birth in Eighteenth-Century England: Elizabeth Hurren’s Review
Giving Birth in Eighteenth-Century England is the first book in a generation to re-examine the birthing process of women in the long-eighteenth century. It fundamentally revises our historical appreciation of the complexities of how to give birth, all those involved, and the physical dimensions that women experienced from the final stages of pregnancy through to … Continue reading “Giving Birth in Eighteenth-Century England: Elizabeth Hurren’s Review”
Giving Birth as a Social Event: Interview with Sarah Fox
Sarah Fox has been part of the BECC community, as a postdoctoral research fellow on the Social Bodies project, since 2021. Her first book, Giving Birth in Eighteenth-Century England, came out this April with the University of London Press. We’ll be sharing a series of reviews over the rest of the week, to celebrate the … Continue reading “Giving Birth as a Social Event: Interview with Sarah Fox”
MECRN Workshop
This year, BECC will host the annual workshop of the Midlands Eighteenth Century Research Network, on campus at the University of Birmingham, on Friday 20th May between around 10am and 5pm (followed by drinks and dinner for those who choose it!). The event will be an opportunity to meet and catch up with fellow scholars of … Continue reading “MECRN Workshop”
Welcome to BECC
The Birmingham Eighteenth Century Centre connects researchers across the University of Birmingham who study the literature, art, and history of the eighteenth century. We nurture a community that includes students, graduate researchers, and scholars from inside and outside formal academia. We hold all sorts of events, from scholarly seminars and workshops to public-facing panels and … Continue reading “Welcome to BECC”