Community News & Press Releases

Vernon Press invites you to the interview of Ana Isabel Simón Alegre, the author of our book Concepción Gimeno de Flaquer (1850-1919): Her Personal Letters, Short Stories, and Journalism, on the podcast New Books Network en español. The interview will be published on 27th March on the platform of New Books Network en español.

Congratulations to Blaž Bajič and Ana Svetel on receiving the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ljubljana award for outstanding research achievements for their volume "Sensory Environmental Relationships: Between Memories of the Past and Imaginings of the Future." Find out more about the book here: Sensory Environmental Relationships: Between Memories of the Past and Imaginings of the Future Sensory environmental relationships – understood as dynamic, embodied, and emplaced affective sensory perceptions in (and of) the environment – invite us to remember the past, infuse our experiences of the present, and entice us to imagine the future. Ethnographically specific, socially and culturally nuanced approaches to environmental relationships require considerable conceptual and practical flexibility and inventiveness. Reflecting this commitment, 'Sensory Environmental Relationships' aims to offer a new anthropological understanding of how, in our individual and collective lives, senses, places, and temporalities intersect. While anthropologists have been studying the sensory environmental relationships in connection to people’s pasts and presents, futures remain conspicuously absent. By bringing different timeframes into the foreground of the analysis, this volume contributes to filling in the gap in our understanding of the human experience. The volume’s ethnographically based contributions address the questions of how embodied and emplaced practices of sensing, while moving or staying in place in diverse environments, engender, inform, and affect the processes of remembering (and forgetting) the past, experiencing the present, and imagining the future. Drawing on the fields of environmental anthropology, sensory studies, studies of movement and mobility, memory studies, and other related (sub)disciplines, as well as diverse, epistemologically and methodologically experimental approaches, the volume explores the ways in which sensory environmental relationships “touch” upon our pasts, presents, and futures.

Congratulations to Roberto Echavarren, the author of the book "Russian Nights Autocracy and Testimony: Life in Russia during the Soviet Period as Told by Those Who Lived it" for receiving a review by Alejandro Varderi (The City University of New York) appearing in 'A Contracorriente: una revista de estudios latinoamericanos.' Vol. 21, N. 2 (Winter 2024): 328-336. 2024-02-17: [...] Russian Nights brings to the forefront the voices that have long been silenced, shedding light on the experiences of the powerless while examining one of the most traumatic chapters in Russian history, which is a part of that vaster present, as indicated by Echavarren in his conclusion. This continuum is characterized by a global division, echoing the concept presented by Étienne Balibar, who describes it as a division into “life zones and death zones” (Balibar) due to extreme violence. I would add that this division is exacerbated by extreme polarization, leading to an unyielding an intolerant perspective on global issues with little room for negotiation and compromise. [...] [Extract from book review appearing on 'A Contracorriente: una revista de estudios latinoamericanos.' Vol. 21, N. 2 (Winter 2024): 328-336. 2024-02-17. Reviewer: Alejandro Varderi (The City University of New York.) https://acontracorriente.chass.ncsu.edu/index.php/acontracorriente/article/view/2452 ] Find out more about the book here: "Russian Nights Autocracy and Testimony: Life in Russia during the Soviet Period as Told by Those Who Lived it" The details of the Jewish Holocaust have become part of our history through the testimony of those who survived the death camps. The details of Lenin’s and Stalin’s reigns of terror are far less known because they took place behind a wall of secrecy, and survivors have been reluctant to speak about them for fear of retribution. This is an encompassing volume presenting an intense display, as complete as can be, of testimonies, gathered between 2001 and 2005 of actors implicated in different aspects of Russian life roughly through the period 1917-1956. They were people who had lived under the Soviet regime in times of peace and in times of war, from the Red Terror through the Great Terror. One must bear in mind the political and economic conditions in which those lives developed: the one-Party rule placed above both the government and the citizens, the abashment of the division of powers, the suppression of private property and private economic initiative, the political police, and the GULAG. Russian Nights offers a wide and detailed perspective of what we call “the Russian Century”: Lenin’s takeover, the all-powerful Party, the GULAG, and the Second World War.

We are very sad to hear about Edward Bond's passing this Sunday, March 3rd. Edward Bond was a visionary and an important figure in British Theatre. An English playwright, theatre director, poet, dramatic theorist, and screenwriter, his work is highly controversial yet critically acclaimed. The passing of Edward Bond has left the theatrical community in mourning, yet it also serves as a catalyst for contemplation on the lasting influence of drama on confronting, stimulating, and shedding light on the deepest and most intricate elements of human life. Bond's enduring legacy, marked by its significant influence on both theatre and societal norms, is sure to motivate and provoke thought in future generations. In his memory, we want to share a book we recently published, "Edward Bond: Bondian Drama and Young Audience," edited by Ugur Ada. Edward Bond himself wrote the foreword to it, which may have been one of his last contributions before his passing. Edward Bond: Bondian Drama and Young Audience 'Edward Bond: Bondian Drama and Young Audience' focuses on one of the most influential playwrights of Britain, Edward Bond, and his plays for young audiences. The chapters examine the theatrical and pedagogical prospects of the plays on young people which have been mostly staged since 1990s, throughout the globe. The issues covered in this book involve interdisciplinary studies such as theatre, pedagogy, ethics, children, culture, politics, among others. These topics have crucial importance for the production of plays for young audiences. Apart from this, the book focuses on Bondian Drama and its relation with the dramatic child, involving most of his plays for young audiences. The authors in this volume examine theatrical and pedagogical backgrounds of the plays, discussing critical issues, by questioning the specialities of Bondian drama and present future implications of this for young audiences. This volume presents substantial and elaborate information on crucial issues, and enable detailed discussions from various perspectives on theatre. Uğur ADA is working as Assistant Professor Doctor at Tokat Gaziosmanpasa University in Türkiye. He is currently the head of the Foreign Languages Teaching Department. His research areas are Contemporary British Theatre, Applied Theatre/Drama, In-Yer-Face Theatre, Theatre in Education, and Theatre about/for/by/with Young People. Recent publications include 'Eğitimde Tiyatro/Theatre in Education (TiE)' (2021, PegemAkademi), 'Publications in the Field of Theatre: Bibliometric Analysis of International Theatre Studies' (2022), '“What Will It Be Next?”: The Process of ‘Dramatic Child’ in Edward Bond’s Eleven Vest' (2022), 'The Representation of Time through Female Characters in Edward Bond’s Play, At The Inland Sea' (2020).

Congratulations to Dylan Motin (Kangwon National University, Korea), the author of the book "Bandwagoning in International Relations: China, Russia, and Their Neighbors" for receiving a review appearing on 'E-International Relations' - Feb 29 2024. Reviewer: Alexandre Haym: Overall, the book presents the first full-fledged neorealist attempt to explain bandwagoning. The argument is logical, clearly stated, and consistent with prior neorealist scholarship. The demonstration is suitable, but the book will mostly preach to the realist choir. Nonetheless, non-realist readers will also find insightful information, as it will likely provide a yardstick to discuss bandwagoning for the coming years. [Extract from book review appearing on 'E-International Relations' - Feb 29 2024. Reviewer: Alexandre Haym] Find out more about the book here: "Bandwagoning in International Relations: China, Russia, and Their Neighbors" Whether states balance against or bandwagon with threatening great powers remains an unsolved problem for international relations theory. One school argues that military power compels minor powers to accommodate threats, while another defends that it elicits balancing instead. With the emergence of potential hegemons in both Asia and Europe — namely China and Russia — understanding state alignment is more urgent than ever. This book shows that bandwagoning has been a rare choice in contemporary Asia and Europe. The only states that chose bandwagoning with China or Russia faced both conflicts with third rivals and low levels of U.S. assistance. Going further, I divide bandwagoning between full alignment, survival accommodation, and profit accommodation. Bandwagoners choose among these three options based on the severity of the threat posed by the potential hegemon, the intensity of third conflicts, and the level of U.S. assistance. I test this novel theory against three European (Armenia, Belarus, and Serbia) and four Asian (Cambodia, Myanmar, North Korea, and Pakistan) cases. This study is the first to provide an exhaustive and compelling explanation of bandwagoning fully compatible with neorealism and adds to the balancing-bandwagoning debate. Beyond scholarly implications, this research’s findings offer advice for policymakers concerned with the changing balance of power in Asia and Europe and how to counter China and Russia’s influence.

Vernon Press invites you to The Martha Swain Speaker Series for "Ida B. Wells-Barnett: Mother of our Human Rights Struggle in America!": a conversation with Dr. Cassie Turnipseed, the author of Field Hollers And Freedom Songs: The Anthology. The event will take place on Thursday, March 7, 6-7 pm in Nissan Auditorium, Parkinson Hall. If you want to attend virtually, please scan the QR code from the image and register for free. More about the book: Field Hollers And Freedom Songs: The Anthology The Sweat Equity Investment in the Cotton Kingdom Symposium is an annual event held in the Mississippi Delta, also known as "the most southern place on earth" and the "Cotton Kingdom." Its primary goal is to honor, celebrate, and recognize the legacy of African Americans who worked in the cotton fields of the area, aiming to foster discussions and learning opportunities about their histories and contributions. The symposium addresses the painful history of the antebellum south, where the "soul of America" was forged through the laborious tasks of planting, chopping, picking, and ginning cotton within a system characterized by enslavement, sharecropping, and international trade, which significantly contributed to America's development. The anthology compiled from the symposium's presentations seeks to reveal the deep-seated "cotton-pickin’ spirit" in America's soul, expressed through music, chants, spoken word, and field hollers. It features a diverse collection of articles, lyric poetry, proverbs, speeches, slave narratives, and workshop proposals that highlight the unique culture of the Mississippi Delta and the stories of its inhabitants.

We are pleased to invite you to watch Angela Pashayan, the author of the book "Development in Africa's Informal Settlements: Below the Proletariat", who is going to talk about her writing, with emphasis on Black Authors in honor of Black History Month in MSNBC's "The Reid-Out" with host Joy-Ann Reid. The book talk will be held on Feb.28th at 7pm. Read more about her book here: Development in Africa's Informal Settlements: Below the Proletariat

Congratulations to Jessica Lowell Mason and Nicole Crevar, the editors of the book "Madwomen in Social Justice Movements, Literatures, and Art" for receiving a review appearing in 'New Books Network': [...] The collection is an interdisciplinary scholarly resource that will appeal to multiple academic fields, including literary studies, disability studies, feminist studies, and Mad studies. Additionally, the work contributes to the countermovement against colonial, sanist, patriarchal, and institutional social practices that continue to silence women and confine them to the metaphorical attic. Appealing to a broad audience of readers, 'Madwomen in Social Justice Movements, Literatures, and Art' is a cutting-edge inquiry into the implications of Madness as a theoretical tool in which dissenting, deviant, and abnormal women and gender non-conforming writers, artists, and activists open the door to Mad futurities. [Extract from book review at 'New Books Network', Sep 26, 2023 https://newbooksnetwork.com/madwomen-in-social-justice-movements-literatures-and-art ] Find out more about the book here: "Madwomen in Social Justice Movements, Literatures, and Art" 'Madwomen in Social Justice Movements, Literatures, and Art' boldly reasserts the importance of the Madwoman more than four decades after the publication of Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar’s seminal work in feminist literary criticism, 'The Madwoman in the Attic'. Since Gilbert and Gubar’s work was published, the Madwoman has reemerged to do important work, rock the academic boat, and ignite social justice agency inside and outside of academic spaces, moving beyond the literary context that defined the Madwoman in the late 20th century. In this dynamic collection of essays, scholars, creative writers, and Mad activists come together to (re)define the Madwoman in pluralistic and expansive ways and to realize new potential in Mad agency. This collection blazes new directions of thinking through Madness as a gendered category, comprised of a combination of creative works that (re)imagine the figure of the Madwoman, speeches in which Mad-identifying artists and writers reclaim the label of “Madwoman,” and scholarly essays that articulate ambitious theories of the Madwoman. The collection is an interdisciplinary scholarly resource that will appeal to multiple academic fields, including literary studies, disability studies, feminist studies, and Mad studies. Additionally, the work contributes to the countermovement against colonial, sanist, patriarchal, and institutional social practices that continue to silence women and confine them to the metaphorical attic. Appealing to a broad audience of readers, 'Madwomen in Social Justice Movements, Literatures, and Art' is a cutting-edge inquiry into the implications of Madness as a theoretical tool in which dissenting, deviant, and abnormal women and gender non-conforming writers, artists, and activists open the door to Mad futurities.

Congratulations to Alfonso J. Garcia-Osuna, the author of the book "The Atlantic as Mythical Space: An Essay on Medieval Ethea" for receiving a review from John B. Roney (Sacred Heart University) appearing in 'Irish Historical Studies', Volume 47 Issue 172, pp. 337-354: Ever since Johan Huizinga‘s reassessment of the medieval mind (‘Herfstij der Middeleeuwen’, 1919) as a passionate intensity, scholars have sought to understand pre-scientific perceptions of nature. Garcia-Osuna’s medieval Ethea captures this point; the hero's moral fiamework and perception strategies reflected their assimilation of society’s communal codes for perceiving, judging, and acting: ‘Those codes are the source of the hero’s supply of implicit knowledge’ (p. 222). At the centre of this study is a reconsideration of the rote of myth in the medieval view of the Atlantic Ocean. Garcia-Osuna proposes that an explanation of reality offered by myth ‘is just as valid as that offered by science in the sense that, as a human social construct, “reality” is effectively intertwined with human experience. ...The legitimacy of myth, then, flows from its ability to supply human beings with a coherent, qualitative method of interpreting reality through metaphorical patterns and symbolic archetypes’ […] [Extract from book review at 'Irish Historical Studies', Volume 47 Issue 172, pp. 337-354. Reviewer: John B. Roney (Sacred Heart University) https://doi.org/10.1017/ihs.2023.28] Find out more about the book here: "The Atlantic as Mythical Space: An Essay on Medieval Ethea" 'The Atlantic as Mythical Space' is a study of medieval culture and its concomitant myths, legends and fantastic narratives as it developed along the European Atlantic seaboard. It is an inclusive study that touches upon early medieval Ireland, the pre-Hispanic Canary Islands, the Iberian Peninsula, courtly-love France and the pagan and early-Christian British Isles. The obvious and consequential ligature that runs throughout the different sections of this text is the Atlantic Ocean, a bewildering expanse of mythical substance that for centuries fueled the imagination of ocean-side peoples. It analyzes how and why myths with the Atlantic as preferential stage are especially relevant in pagan and early-Christian western Europe. It further examines how prescientific societies fashioned an alternate cosmos in the Atlantic where events, beings and places existed in harmony with communal mental structures. It explores why in that contrived geography these societies’ angels and monsters were able to materialize with wonderful profusion; it further analyzes how the ocean became a place where human beings ventured forth searching for explanations for what is essentially unknowable: the origins of the universe and the reason for our existence in it.

Congratulations to Phindile Zifikile Shangase, Daniela Gachago and Eunice Ndeto Ivala, the editors of the book "Co-teaching and co-research in contexts of inequality," for receiving a review appearing in the 'South African Journal of Science', VOL. 120 NO. 1/2 (2024): The subject of co-teaching and co-research in contexts of inequality is timely and useful for transforming teaching and learning in higher education and vocational education. As we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, co-teaching and co-research have become very important. [...] The book focuses on how networked learning can be used to connect Africa and the world when co-teaching and co-research are undertaken. This is especially useful in addressing the contexts of inequality that characterise the higher education landscape of Africa.[...] There are very few books, if any, that deal with co-teaching and co-research in contexts of inequality in the way that this book does. [...] I would recommend "Co-Teaching and Co-Research in Contexts of Inequality" as a handy reference guide to which one can refer again and again in their co-teaching and co-research journey. [Extract from book review appearing on the 'South African Journal of Science', VOL. 120 NO. 1/2 (2024): The missing link in modern teaching? A review of Co-Teaching and Co-Research in Contexts of Inequality. 30 January 2024. Reviewer: Gabriel Konayuma. https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2024/16216] Find more about the book here: "Co-teaching and co-research in contexts of inequality" There has been a recent surge of interest in the concept of co-teaching and co-research across institutions of HE locally and globally, as a response to limited international mobility due to COVID-19. We see co-teaching and co-research as teaching and research that connects educators and learners across different institutions and different contexts, be it across South Africa, Africa or the world. Co-teaching and co-research is linked in this book to the term ‘networked learning’, following the Networked Learning Editorial Collective’s emphasis on relationships and collaboration rather than technology and foregrounding our strong commitment to social justice. Our collective experiences have shown that co-teaching and co-research are not easy endeavours, especially when they involve differently positioned and differently resourced contexts, students and academics. While these collaborations are enriching and exciting, they need careful support, preparation and time for sustained relationship building – topics that we find are not necessarily discussed in the literature around co-teaching and co-research. This book is an attempt towards closing this gap in knowledge by providing a range of chapters documenting personal experiences of academics and practitioners engaging in co-teaching and co-research across the African continent and beyond, facilitated by various networked learning tools and technologies. Framed by a spirit of sharing and connection, the book provides insights into the benefits and challenges of such collaborations, affordances of technologies to bridge unequal divides, emerging practices of continental collaboration and beyond. Additionally, the book provides an unusually honest and nuanced view on co-teaching and co-research across contexts of inequalities, foregrounding relationship- and community-building rather than technology and emphasising the importance of sustained connection and reflection in these collaborations. Applying a wide range of critical theoretical frameworks, these evidence-based but also reflective and reflexive contributions are a unique and important reminder that behind and through our screens, we connect as humans who yearn to learn from each other, but also need to learn how to learn from each other, when we do not share the same world views.

Congratulations to Marin Muzhani (CDI College, Canada), the author of the book "Economics of Economy Pricing," for receiving a review appearing in the 'Journal of Economic Literature' (Volume 61, no. 4), December 2023, and in the American Economic Association's electronic publications: 'e-JEL,' 'JEL' on CD, and EconLit: Provides a detailed analysis of the economic implications of economy pricing, examining how micro- and macroeconomic events are connected in a globalized system. Discusses pricing strategies in economy pricing, as well as competition, mass production, and economies of scale. Explores the theory of the firm in economy pricing, including the concept of production and costs. Explains how pricing works in a competitive market and how the pricing strategy is influenced by factors that may be beyond the firm’s control. Describes how inflation, interest rates, and unemployment rates work at the macro level in an economy pricing system dominated by competition and characterized by different categories of non-premium products in almost all sectors of the economy. Considers how monetary policy works when inflation, interest rates, and unemployment rates are kept low in an economy pricing system characterized by a high level of competition between firms in different sectors. Covers public debt and fiscal policy, including aggregate demand and curve supply. [Book's annotation appearing in the 'Journal of Economic Literature' (Volume 61, no. 4), December 2023, and in the American Economic Association's electronic publications: 'e-JEL', 'JEL' on CD, and EconLit] Find more about the book here: "Economics of Economy Pricing" The economy of the industrialized countries in the 21st century has already moved to a new level of mass production and technology never seen before, thanks in part to globalization, advanced technologies, new organization management methods, and innovative supply chain. A relatively large number of mass-produced commodities (characterized as non-premium) and services in Western economies are somehow sold at discounts rather than regular prices at a much higher frequency that was never seen before. This phenomenon has completely changed how we look at the theory of the firm in microeconomics. This book is indented to introduce new ideas and theories by challenging the current modern micro-and-macro economic theories. In a globalized world, the economies of advanced countries have entered a new phase called “economy pricing,” where most of the mass commodities are sold at a low price during certain periods of the year, called ‘sales events’. In addition to low prices, most industrialized countries have had record low inflation, low-interest rates, low growth, and low unemployment rates. This book will contend how the “Economy Pricing System” is about to revolutionize how people look at a real economy’s micro and macro effects.

Vernon Press invites you to the book presentation of "Development in Africa's Informal Settlements: Below the Proletariat" by Angela R. Pashayan. Join SIS Research, the Africa Research Cluster, and the AU Center for Environment, Community & Equity (CECE) next Thursday, February 1 at 4pm in Founders Room for the launch of Angela Pashayan's new book, Development in Africa's Informal Settlements: Below the Proletariat. Based on a sample of 500 residents from Nairobi, Kenya, and 100 international development professionals, the book discusses the effectiveness of international development programs in these settlements (slums) and also represents the voices of slum dwellers and how they view the programs offered. Refreshments will be provided and books will be available for purchase. For more information and to RSVP, please click here.