Amy Stanning, Economic and Social History, Lancaster University ( 2021 Cohort)

I was fortunate to be invited to present my research at the 71st Annual Midwest Conference on British Studies which was held in Toronto, Canada. The NWSSDTP kindly funded my travel expenses for the trip and gave me the opportunity to present my work for the first time to a North American audience.

When I saw the panel line up I was surprised and delighted to see that I was teamed up with a researcher who’s work intersects with mine and who really understood the significance of my work. Dr Robin Ganev is based at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan, and the opportunity to meet, hear her paper and discuss our mutual research interests was incredibly valuable. Without the opportunity supported by the DTP to attend the conference, it is unlikely that I would ever have connected with Dr Ganev.

I flew to Toronto with a few days to spare before the conference as I wanted to recover from any jet lag before giving my paper  and also to have the opportunity to explore the city. As it worked out, my flight was heavily delayed,  and it was not until 3am (UK time) that I got to bed after travelling all day! Toronto is a diverse and vibrant modern city, easy to get around with a rich cultural heritage. I enjoyed visiting the city waterfront, the Art Museum and the Royal Ontario Museum.

The conference was held in the prestigious Fairmont Royal York Hotel in the centre of the city, and I certainly felt a little conspicuous walking into the hotel. Once I registered, I felt quite at ease as the welcome was warm and friendly. Academia is such a small world, and I met colleagues from other conferences and a close friend of a member of faculty staff here at Lancaster. The papers were fascinating covering a range of British history topics from early-modern land enclosure through to the LGBT history of the 1980s.

My panel drew the strongest audience I’ve yet spoken to and there were lots of insightful questions. It was a little daunting to have direct feedback from the panel  commentator who was the head of history at a leading US University. Fortunately, he was very positive about my work and its importance.

On my last day my flight was not until just before midnight, so I had another day to enjoy Toronto before heading home.

I am incredibly grateful to the NWSSDTP for their support and  the opportunity to present my research to a new audience, to engage with North-American colleagues and to meet Dr Ganev.