Department of History, Latin, & Political Science HLPS Lecture Series
HLPS engages with the local community through organising and participating in public lecture series. Recent series have been held at the Vancouver Public Library, Old Hastings Mill Store Museum, and Brock House, and faculty members have also given various lectures at other venues in the community. We also periodically invite external speakers to give lectures at Langara.
For more details, or if you are interested in partnering with us in future years, please contact current lecture series organiser, Niall Christie: nchristie [at] langara.ca (nchristie[at]langara[dot]ca)
Current Lecture Series
Unprecedented
In the modern media we often hear remarks about the unprecedented nature of many things: political disputes, government actions, violence, social changes, and more. Yet how far are these really new? Join Langara faculty as we explore some fascinating events, personalities and writings from the past, which also allow us to reflect on how far what we see in the world today is truly without precedent.
This lecture series will be running at Brock House in Fall 2026, Old Hastings Mill Store Museum in Spring 2027, and at the Vancouver Public Library in Fall 2026 and Spring 2027.
Schedule
Brock House3875 Point Grey Rd, Vancouver, BC, V6R 1B3, on the specified dates (Friday afternoons), 2:00-3:00 p.m. Entry is free for Langara students. | |
|---|---|
| October 2 | Niall Christie (History) |
| October 9 | David Borys (History) |
| October 16 | Kina Cavicchioli (English) |
| October 23 | Stephen Phillips (Political Science) |
| October 30 | Peter Prontzos (Political Science) |
Old Hastings Mill Store Museum1575 Alma St, Vancouver, BC V6R 3P3, on the specified dates (Friday evenings), at 7:00 p.m. Entry is open to all and by donation. | |
|---|---|
| February 26 | Niall Christie (History) Shajar al-Durr: From Slave to Sultana of Egypt |
| March 12th | Stefan Haag (English) A (Somewhat) Humorous Look at Cheating in the Campus Novel and Today’s Illegitimate Uses of A.I. |
| April 9th | Shannon Page (English) “Heaped with Bloody Slaughter”: Lucan’s Bellum Civile and the Ancient Origins of Horror |
Vancouver Public LibraryAll lectures will take place at 6:00-7:30 pm on the dates listed (Thursday nights), at either VPL Central Branch, 350 W Georgia St, Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1; or VPL Kitsilano, 2425 Macdonald St, Vancouver, BC V6K 2G6, as noted below. Entry is free and open to all. | |
|---|---|
| October 22, Central | Shannon Page (English) “Heaped with Bloody Slaughter”: Lucan’s Bellum Civile and the Ancient Origins of Horror |
| November 12, Kitsilano | Niall Christie (History) Shajar al-Durr: From Slave to Sultana of Egypt |
| December 3, Central | Stephen Phillips (Political Science) The Prime Minister versus the Governor General: the King-Byng Affair at 100 |
| February 4, Central | David Borys (History) Heroes on the Homefront: Canada’s Unprecedented Second World War Shift to Total War |
| March 4, Kitsilano | Kina Cavicchioli (English) Lewd Women: The First Actresses on the English Stage |
| April 15, Central | Stefan Haag (English) A (Somewhat) Humorous Look at Cheating in the Campus Novel and Today’s Illegitimate Uses of A.I. |
Sample Lecture Series
External Lecture Series: Mad Men
There is a fine line between insanity and greatness. Come walk the line with us.
Thursdays at 7pm, starting Jan 11 2018
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Held at the Dunbar Community Centre, 4747 Dunbar St.
$5/lecture or $40/series. Students with valid ID: $2.50/lecture or $20/series
Registration begins online/in-person Dec 5
Register by phone (604 222 6060) starting Dec 6
Students must register in person or by phone
Refreshments served; wine available for purchase
Lecture schedule
All speakers are Langara Faculty
| Jan 11 | Nero: Unhinged and Unapologetic Jennifer Knapp |
| Jan 18 | Merlin: Court Magician or Visionary Madman? Jessica Hemming |
| Jan 25 | Ariosto's Orlando: The Knight Mad with Love Kina Cavicchioli |
| Feb 1 | Henry VIII: Mad, Bad, or Just Dangerous to Marry? Niall Christie |
| Feb 8 | Maximilian Robespierre: Madman or Modern? Craig Keating |
| Feb 15 | Sir Sam Hughes: Canada’s Mad Minister of Militia David Borys |
| Feb 22 | Winston Churchill: Bad Moments in a Mad Time Marjorie Lang |
| Mar 1 | The Uncanny Valley: Where Madness Waits Erin Robb |
| Mar 8 | Trump's Trolls: The Rise of the Empowered Alt-Right Lealle Ruhl |
A Langara partnership with
Invited Speaker Series: Women in History
Although frequently overlooked, criticized, or even condemned, women have been just as much a part of history as men. In this lecture series, three exceptional professors from UVic, SFU, and UBC will speak to us about the lives and accomplishments of three exceptional women.
Refreshments provided (chai and cookies).
All lectures 3:30 to 5pm (includes lecture and reception
Location: Langara Library, Room 224
Thursday, February 1, 2018
Um Kulthum: Music and Politics in the Arab World
Amal Ghazal, Associate Professor, Simon Fraser University
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
The Remarkable Life and Archaeological Achievements of Gertrude Bell, "Queen of the Desert."
Lisa Cooper, Professor, University of British Columbia
