The Cat’s Pyjamas: Cats in Culture and Society
25-26 May 2023
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An interdisciplinary conference about the domestic cat (Felis catus)
The purpose of this two-day interdisciplinary conference is to investigate cats in society, social media, literature, film, TV series, music, language, history, and every-day lives. We invite scholars to analyse what cats signify to us, how they are represented in various discourses, how we interact with and talk to our cats, and how cats influence our health and wellbeing. It is accompanying by an exhibition featuring cat-themed items from Senate House Library’s collections.
Registration
In person registration £25 - deadline 23 May 2023
For in-person attendees the fee covers refreshments and lunch.
Online registration £10 - deadline 24 May 2023
The online fee contributes to event costs. Any surplus will be donated to a cat charity.
Please sign up for two days even if you are attending only some of the conference.
Abstracts
Our abstract booklet can be found here.
Exhibition
To mark Senate House Library’s and University College London’s conference on the significance of cats in culture and society, we present cats from across Senate House Library’s collections from Horace Walpole's tragic Selima to Puss-in-Boots in pantomime. The items show the range and variety of felines that stalk the stacks. For a virtual gallery click here.
A Tribute to Liz James
This event is dedicated to the memory of Liz James who worked at Senate House Library and loved cats. Read the tribute to Liz by Christopher Josiffe here.
Location
Senate House Library, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HU, and online (hybrid). A Zoom link will be shared with registered participants.
For more information
Riitta Valijarvi - r.valijarvi[a]ucl.ac.uk
Charlotte Doesburg - charlotte.doesburg.16[a]ucl.ac.uk
