CfP Teaching Antiquity and Philosophy in Prisons 5-6 March 2026

Proposals are invited for papers on the history, practice and/or future of prison teaching of material related to ancient worlds, including those of Greece and Rome, and especially of ancient philosophy. Selected papers will be delivered at a hybrid international conference to be held at the University of Durham on March 5th-6th 2026, convened by Arlene Holmes-Henderson and Edith Hall. Our own initiative, which has led to several members of the Durham Classics & Ancient History department teaching classical civilisation and Aristotelian ethics in a variety of English prisons over the last academic year, is part of the Advocating Classics Education initiative based at Durham; it is also associated with the Leverhulme-funded research project Aristotle beyond the Academy, the Durham Centre for Classical Reception, the Durham Centre for Ancient and Medieval Philosophy and the Durham Centre for Classics Education Research and Engagements. Proposals are particularly welcome from those with experience of prison teaching, an interest in the 200+-year history of classicists taking their subject into prisons, and early career scholars including PhD students. Professor MM McCabe, Chair of the charity "Philosophy in Prison", will deliver a keynote lecture. Please send abstracts or relevant material or queries to arlene.v.holmes-henderson@durham.ac.uk by December 1st 2025.