Sydney Writers Festival: Philip Dwyer and a History of Violence

This event was held on Friday 20 May 2016

Philip Dwyer photograph Sydney festival
Professor Philip Dwyer

Professor Philip Dwyer, of the School of Humanities and Social Science will speak on "A History of Violence" at this year's Sydney Writers Festival. He will reflect on the difficulties of writing a world history of violence, from ancient times to the present, and ask the following questions: What defines violence in any given society? How can an act of violence in one part of the world be considered an intolerable transgression, while in another that same act may be acceptable? Why is it that we in the West seem obsessed with violence? Professor Dwyer will be joined by Sunil Badami.

Professor Philip Dwyer is the founding Director of the Centre for the History of Violence at the University of Newcastle, Australia. His primary research interest is eighteenth-century Europe with particular emphasis on the Napoleonic Empire. He is the editor of Napoleon and Europe and Theatres of Violence: Massacre, Mass Killing and Atrocity throughout History. His book, Napoleon: The Path to Power, won the Australian National Biography Award in 2008. More recently, Citizen Emperor: Napoleon in Power was shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards. He is currently engaged in a comparative study of colonisation and violence, 1780-1820, and is completing the third volume of his Napoleon biography.

Supported by the University of Sydney.

This a free event - no bookings required. More information here.


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