Borders, Boundaries, Barriers Conference

3 months today, we'll be kicking off proceedings, with the Oxford Medieval Jewish Walking Tour (optional) - and possibly a little trip to the pub! Registration for the conference will 6 March (4pm). Programme (including registration link): docs.google.com/document/d/1...

A week on, the Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers team are still recovering and looking for some much needed time off! We’ll be signing off for a bit of rest but thanks to everybody who supported, attended, and contributed to the conference!

Thanks to everyone who came, presented, and enjoyed their time in Oxford. I should also thank my PhD supervisors, 3 out of 4 of whom I managed to rope into presenting at the event. Thanks of course to my fellow co-organisers. I hope to keep in touch with everyone who I met over the three days!

I’ve spent the past year co-organising the Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers conference, which finally took place this week. I enjoyed delivering the walking tour which opened the conference with Natasha Jenman, and delivering the closing remarks of the conference with @arodsan95.bsky.social

Phwoar! David Thornton treating us to some great records and charters as part of his paper in suffragen bishops!

Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers well under way! Session. 1A is testing us to Susanne Marten-Finnis on middlemen in medieval Poland!

Day 1 of the conference is upon us! Professor Rio will be delivering a nice gentle welcome address, and then it's an action packed programme for the day, culminating in a poster presentation and wine reception this evening. Let's do it!

After nearly a year of planning, today’s the day! Kicking off “Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages” with a walking tour of Oxford and the Jewry, designed by Natasha Jenman and Naomi Reiter.

😍😍😍

“Medieval Rural Settlement and Infrastructure Archaeology Across Europe” (edited by Carenza Lewis, Neil Christie, Gareth Davies, Aidan O’Sullivan: April 2026, published by Archaeopress, Bicester, Medieval Settlement Research Group (MRSRG) available to pre-order www.archaeopress.com/Archaeopress...

Important day for the Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers team! Main job, spotting our own name badges as they go off to the printers...

All of the organisers of Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers will be logged off for the Bank Holiday weekend in the UK. Any e-mails will be responded to on Tuesday. See you all on the other side!

In 3 weeks time, we’ll be getting ready to hear the inimitable Prof Miri Rubin hear about Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers in the Medieval European City! Over 70 have registered to attend in person, with 13 joining virtually. Still time to register for the latter: buytickets.at/bordersbound...

Nobody: how long do we have left to register to come to Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages (20-21 April)? Us:

One week! Just one week left to register for in-person attendance at Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages (20-21 April)! To mark the occasion, we have swanky new advertising posters (courtesy of Callie Jenman). Registration buytickets.at/bordersbound...

We are delighted that "Border, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages" (20-21 April) will run in association with Oxford Medieval Studies (@oxmedstud.bsky.social), sponsored by The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities (TORCH)! Details: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Correct.

In addition to the two days of ‘Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages’, (20-21 April) those who register also have the option to join us on the Oxford Medieval Jewish Walking tour on 19 April. Just two weeks left to register! docs.google.com/document/d/1...

With 'Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages' (20-21 April) just around the corner Tash and @medievaljews.bsky.social are hard at work on the introduction. If you want to know about this 1515 map, do register by 6 March! docs.google.com/document/d/1... TNA MPCC 1/9

Pleased to report that the last draft of the 'Oxford Medieval Jewish Walking Tour', being developed for Borders, divided the city into three main sub-groups. Jews, Christians, and Students... Emphasising the town/gown (/Crown) dimension. Excited to see if that is maintained as it's finalised!

Boundaries 😍😍😍!!!

And you can catch @naominar.bsky.social giving the closing remarks with @arodsan95.bsky.social on 21 April!

Things are moving quickly now! Just one month to go to register for Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages (20-21 April). We're super excited to see everyone there! Registration: buytickets.at/bordersbound... Programme: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

How exciting! You can also catch a shorter version of Emma's paper at "Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages", when she'll be speaking in a panel on internal Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers! Programme and registration: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

With Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers fast approaching, we've set up a starter pack to help you follow those on the programme who have a Bsky account go.bsky.app/3ww68kK Shout if we've missed you, and don't miss your chance to hear all the scholarship on 20-21 April docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Early Medieval Ireland, AD 400-1100. The evidence from Archaeological excavations Only €9.99 as an ebook from @ria.ie shop.ria.ie/products/ear...

Very exciting to see @medievalgeorgie.bsky.social in the programme. She'll be giving a condensed version of the paper at Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers in April. It'll be brilliant, so go to both!

And we are absolutely delighted to confirm that "Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers" will be opened by Professor Alice Rio (Chichele Professor of Medieval History, University of Oxford)! That completes the line up of speakers for our *little* conference...

With 2026 upon us, the countdown is on for "Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages". In just 109 days (20-21 April), we'll gather in Oxford for two packed days! Programme: docs.google.com/document/d/1... Registration: buytickets.at/bordersbound...

Sign up for what will be an excellent conference with lots of papers on Medieval Jewish life with a keynote by Miri Rubin! Organised by @medievaljews.bsky.social Natasha Jenman and Naomi Reiter @qmul.bsky.social @ochjs.bsky.social

ICYMI just 133 days until Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages. The committee are so excited for April and hearing all of the amazing papers. What better gift to get the medievalist in your life this Holiday Season than registration for our *little* conference?!

We are absolutely delighted that 'Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages' will be sponsored by @lincolnmedieval.bsky.social @ochjs.bsky.social Register here: buytickets.at/bordersbound... Programme: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

We are thrilled to launch the provisional programme for "Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages". If the programme excites you as much as us, why not register and join us in Oxford on 20-21 April?! buytickets.at/bordersbound... docs.google.com/document/d/1...

We are thrilled to launch the provisional programme for "Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages". If the programme excites you as much as us, why not register and join us in Oxford on 20-21 April?! buytickets.at/bordersbound... docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Baffling why borders are suddenly getting so much scholarly attention... By my count, there'll be four conferences this academic year exploring some aspect of the topic. Perhaps we should brainstorm it at Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: 'Why borders? Why now?' Inexplicable!

Sneak preview of the programme which will launch in the next week or two! Speakers and poster presenters have this already, but it's going to be... BIG! As things stand: - 37 presentations - 12 Poster presentations - 2 keynote lectures - 1 palaeography workshop - 1 saxophonist

We are pleased to announce that the second keynote at the Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers conference will be given by the inimitable Professor Miri Rubin! Details to follow with the programme. Registration: buytickets.at/bordersbound...

And we're there! We have notified almost everybody who submitted a proposal already (there will be a short delay for the remainder until @medievaljews.bsky.social finishes work). Registration is now open with a limited number of virtual tickets available: buytickets.at/bordersbound...

I don't mean to alarm anybody but we are very nearly there! For those who submitted proposals, keep an eye on your inbox next week. And if anybody wants to chair a session, get in touch!

This is the kind of Border/Boundary/Barrier that we are delighted to leave to the good people @vch-home.bsky.social...

With the CFP now closed, and registration soon to open, we are delighted to announce our first Keynote Speaker. Prof. Pinchas Roth will explore how medieval English Jews were connected to, and influenced by, their continental co-religionists, and the implications of England being an Island.

And that's a wrap! The deadline has now passed for submitting proposal for 'Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers' has now passed. Over the past 3 months, we've received 156 proposals from 38 countries (mapped here). It may take us some time to shortlist these... Talk amongst yourselves...

With just a day to go to get your abstract in to 'Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages', we've just received our 100th(!!!!!!!!) abstract. If you're not one of them, don't worry you still have a day for your chance to be included!

**FINAL ORDERS** Just four days to get your abstracts in the Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages. We've already had an amazing response to the Call for Papers, but don't miss you chance to be included!

10 days! Just 10 days to get your abstracts in for "Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages". We've already had such an amazing response to the CFP, with submissions from 22 countries, but we're excited to what comes in over the next... TEN DAYS!!!

Just 11 (ELEVEN!!!) days to get your abstracts in for "Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages". In honour of the occasion, we feel it only appropriate to deploy the Count: 11... ah... ah... ah!

With the end of Sept in sight (What?! How?! Already?!) there are just two weeks left to get your abstracts in for 'Borders, Boundaries, and Barriers: Real and Imagined in the Middle Ages'. Deadline is 15th Sept and won't be extended so make like Kermit and you're submission will be done in no time!