In Conversation with an Editor

We talk to Maria Grever about historiography, key topics and the European Social Science History Conference (ESSCH).

Read on to find out more and discover some free to read articles.

Hi Maria, can you start by telling us a little about yourself and your work?

I am Maria Grever, em. Professor Theory of History and founding director of the Center for Historical Culture, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands. I am also Research Fellow at NL-Lab of the KNAW Humanities Cluster in Amsterdam.

I am on the Editorial Team for Bloomsbury History: Theory & Method, having published on historical culture, historical consciousness, (gender) historiography, canonization, and monuments. My work has been published in Journal of World History, History and Theory, Escritas do Tempo, Journal of Curriculum Studies, History of Education, Paedagogica Historica, amongst others. My books include Onontkoombaar verleden / Inescapable Pasts (Verloren 2020), Palgrave Handbook of Research in Historical Culture and Education (ed. with Mario Carretero and Stefan Berger 2017), Beyond the Canon. History for the Twenty-First Century (ed. with Siep Stuurman 2007), and Transforming the Public Sphere. The Dutch National Exhibition of Women's Labor in 1898 (co-authored with Berteke Waaldijk, Duke University Press, 2004).

What attracted you to Bloomsbury History: Theory & Method?

Stefan Berger, the Editor-In-Chief, invited me to join the team. It seemed a great opportunity to support this field. You can find notes from the Editors on site, where we give our thoughts on key topics.

How has the resource grown over the last few years?

The number of entries - key-thinkers, key-concepts and essays - has increased enormously and covers a wide area of the theory and historiography of history. My Key Concepts article on Historical Culture co-authored with Robbert-Jan Adriaansen, will be free to read for a limited time.

Do you think that being an editor has helped your wider work?

Working as an editor allows you to meet many different people and expand your professional network, which is really wonderful.

How do you think Bloomsbury History: Theory & Method can help instructors and students?

Currently practicing theory lecturers can probably answer this better than me! I would say though that we are working to build up Research & Learning Resources like lesson plans and bibliographic guides. If you have an idea for new ones please use the contact details on the page. The flexible search tools in the resource are also great.

What would you like to share with the community most from Bloomsbury History: Theory and Method?

Regarding content: the number of famous scholars who wrote about key-thinkers and key-concepts, for example: Jonathan Israel on Baruch Spinoza, Siep Stuurman on Equality, Antoinette Burton on Catherine Hall. All free to read for a limited time.

ESSHC is coming up shortly, what topics are you looking forward to discussing?

Historiography is always important. I think that Artificial Intelligence and fake history are topical and of increasing importance too.

Are there any issues you think the community needs to focus on in the future?

We need to pay more attention to Methods and Historiography from different perspectives. I would still like a key-concept article on Antisemitism and hope we get one soon.

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