SOAS Southeast Asian Studies workshops series: Research on Southeast Asian manuscript and British library collections
Key information
- Date
- Time
-
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
- Venue
- Brunei Gallery
- Room
- B102
About this event
We are pleased to invite you to join the fifth SOAS Southeast Asian Studies Workshop related to 'Research on Southeast Asian manuscript and British library collections'.
Join us for presentations by Alan Darmawan (Leverhulme-Postdoctoral Fellow, SOAS) and Maria Kekki (Curator for Burmese, British Library). The workshop will be conducted in a hybrid format, offering both in-person and virtual participation options to accommodate a diverse range of participants.
We are excited to launch a series of events that delves into the rich tapestry of literatures, cultures and politics in Southeast Asia supported by SOAS Doctoral School. This event is designed to bring together early career scholars, researchers, and enthusiasts to explore the multifaceted narratives, expressions, and identities that define this diverse and vibrant region.
This series will provide a unique platform for interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations. The first and the second workshops have finished in February and March and covered topics of literature, film, folk beliefs and religions in Southeast Asia.
Speakers and audiences will engage in discussions on specific themes related to gender in Myanmar. Participants can connect and collaborate with fellow researchers and audiences. Tea, coffee, and light refreshments will be provided.
Presentations
What is left from the library collection of southern Sumatran kingdom? Ethnographic notes on the Palembang royal manuscripts
In this presentation, I will share my experience in field visit in Sumatra to trace the surviving manuscripts originating from the royal library of Palembang Sultanate. Directed by certain features of the local style of bookbinding and ownership notes in my investigation, I attempt to situate the heritage manuscripts in their relations with sites, landscapes, ritual practices, and collective memory that resonate with colonial history of the region.
Alan Darmawan is Leverhulme-Postdoctoral Fellow at SOAS University of London and is working for the Mapping Sumatra’s Manuscript Cultures project. He publishes research articles, book chapters, documentary films, blogposts, and book reviews on the Indonesian/Malay performing arts, texts, and heritage.
The Burmese Collection at the British Library
The Burmese Collection at the British Library consists of numerous historically important manuscript collections, such as the Mandalay manuscripts, Murray manuscripts, Phayre manuscripts and Burney manuscripts. The printed collection ranges from early printed books and newspapers to recent publications. This talk will introduce the wide variety of material, linguistic diversity and research possibilities of the Burmese Collection. It will also discuss the related topics of cataloguing, conservation, digitisation, exhibitions and public engagement, as well as recent research projects.
Maria Kekki is curator for Burmese at the British Library.
Header image credit: Kittitep Khotchalee via Unsplash.
