An International Conference at Selborne, Hampshire, UK, 3-5 June 2025
Keynote Speakers: Stephen Moss, Anne Secord, Jenny Uglow
Gilbert White (1720-93) has long been celebrated both as a keen-eyed naturalist and as a fine nature writer. The Natural History of Selborne (1789) garnered a cult following in the years after its publication in 1789, has never gone out of print, and is often considered as the guiding spirit of English nature writing. White’s insights into the phenology of his Hampshire parish and his speculations about the migration of birds continue to interest and inspire naturalists and he has even been claimed as the first ecologist.
This international conference brings together academics, archivists, independent scholars, naturalists, and heritage providers working in both the sciences and the humanities to reassess White’s life and work in the light of new findings and methodologies, to encourage and develop new networks and collaborations between White scholars, and to explore opportunities for collaborative research and publication.
There will be a wine reception and a conference dinner and transport will be available from nearby hotels in Alton.
Date: Tuesday 3rd-Thursday 5th June
Times: All day
Price: £195 for the full conference, £100 for a day ticket.
Venue: Field Studies Centre
Directions: How to find us