Mansfield Public Talk with Matt Cook - "Archives of Feeling” revisited: the AIDS crisis in Britain

“Archives of Feeling” revisited: the AIDS crisis in Britain c.1987

With Professor Matt Cook

In this talk to mark World AIDS Day 2023, Matt looks at a key turning point in the history of the AIDS crisis in Britain. Drawing chiefly on the astonishing testimonies of around 600 largely straight men and women, he explores the feelings at stake in the epidemic, how they related to press and politics, how they shaped everyday lives, and how they played out for those dealing most directly with the escalating crisis. He argues that such ‘archives of feeling’ are fundamental to our understanding of social and intimate lives – past and present. And further, that returning to such moments of emotional complexity might allow us to see more clearly the dangers which threaten us now.

Mansfield Public Talks are free and open to all, see the full programme here: https://www.mansfield.ox.ac.uk/mansfi...

Recorded on 01/12/2023