We're signing off for the holidays! First, a quick one to share how excited we are to co-host, with the LCC, a multi-disciplinary, one-day symposium, Jan 16th, on the research and practices of visualising secrecy from academic/artistic perspectives. Our first foray into London! wp.me/pb19Tu-1g1

Excited to join Forman Christian College students in Lahore next Monday, the 8th Dec, for my final talk of 2025 (online only sadly). On intertextuality, conspiracy theories, and security narratives - based on some past and future work. Very much looking forward to the discussion that will follow!

✨ SPIN Spotlight ✨ Earlier this year, in collaboration with the Martin Parr Foundation, we showcased Ashutosh Shaktan's exploration of the duality of secrecy through lens and light 🌹📷 If you missed it, now’s your chance to discover Ashutosh's work! 🔗 bit.ly/4omTykL #Secrecy #SPIN #Photography

How did psychological warfare reshape the 20th century? Dr Jeff Whyte’s latest book explores propaganda and military violence from WWII to Vietnam. Join us next Wednesday! 🔗 buff.ly/h7tsjcJ. 📖 19 Nov | 15:00 (GMT) | Online Chair: Prof Brian Rappert #SPINevents #PsychologicalWarfare

Join us tomorrow for @jeffwhyte.bsky.social talk on psychological warfare, propaganda and military violence. See details below to sign up!

Of course it reminded me of Erased by @whitproject.bsky.social who joined us for a book talk @researchspin.bsky.social last month. press.princeton.edu/books/hardco... Both volumes speak to how women’s contributions to our intellectual life have been systematically and deliberately hidden.

Come to my book talk this Wed (Nov 19) at 3pm GMT! I'll be talking about my research on the political history of 'psychological war,' how we came to think about 'wars of ideas,' and how psywar has often justified rather than replaced traditional forms of military violence. Details in link!

🪙 SPIN welcomes Jeff Whyte (Lancaster) to discuss propaganda & military violence from WWII to Vietnam. Join us online this Wednesday! See link for details or message us for an invite: buff.ly/h7tsjcJ 🗓️ 19 Nov | 15:00 (GMT) | Online Chair: Prof Brian Rappert (Exeter)

🪙 SPIN welcomes Jeff Whyte (Lancaster) to discuss propaganda & military violence from WWII to Vietnam. Join us online this Wednesday! See link for details or message us for an invite: buff.ly/h7tsjcJ 🗓️ 19 Nov | 15:00 (GMT) | Online Chair: Prof Brian Rappert (Exeter)

🪙 Missed Dr Vera Zurbrügg’s talk on her Articulated Absences Archive project on the history, myths and ongoing secrecy practices surrounding gold, WWII and Switzerland? You can watch it now on YouTube. Chaired by Dr Elspeth Van Veeren. Watch here youtu.be/nhosgQdqjvE #SPINevents #CounterArchives

Next Wednesday, join us for a talk by @jeffwhyte.bsky.social on his latest book - The Birth of Psychological Warfare (OUP). Of interest to those researching and studying US military conflict and history, propaganda, intelligence operations and post-truth politics. Join us! See link for details.

How did psychological warfare reshape the 20th century? Dr Jeff Whyte’s latest book explores propaganda and military violence from WWII to Vietnam. Join us next Wednesday! 🔗 buff.ly/h7tsjcJ. 📖 19 Nov | 15:00 (GMT) | Online Chair: Prof Brian Rappert #SPINevents #PsychologicalWarfare

📖 Join SPIN to celebrate Dr Jeff Whyte’s most recent book The Birth of Psychological War, exploring propaganda and military violence from WWII to Vietnam. Chaired by Prof Brian Rappert. 19 Nov | 15:00 (GMT) | Online 🔗 buff.ly/h7tsjcJ #SPINevents #PsychologicalWar

How does art reveal hidden complicity? This week, Vera Zurbrügg presents her Articulated Absences Archive on gold, myth, and WWII secrecy. Join us on Wednesday. Details at buff.ly/JtVme6U. 🗓️ 05 Nov | 15:00 (UK time) | Online | Chair: Dr. Elspeth Van Veeren #SPINevents #CounterArchives

We are delighted to share two additions to our A-Z Secrecy and Ignorance series from the brilliant @kindynis.bsky.social 🕵️D is for Deep Politics: bit.ly/42Ua8AI 🕵️P is for Parapolitics: bit.ly/43AGOiR #SPINBlog #DeepPolitics #Parapolitics #Secrecy

🪙 SPIN welcomes Vera Zurbrügg to discuss counter-archival work challenging Switzerland’s WWII neutrality myth. Join us online next Wednesday! See link for details or message us for an invite. 5 Nov | 15:00 (GMT)| Online Chair: Dr. Elspeth Van Veeren 🔗 wp.me/pb19Tu-1aI #SPINtalk #CounterArchives

🪙 SPIN welcomes Vera Zurbrügg to discuss counter-archival work challenging Switzerland’s WWII neutrality myth. Join us online next Wednesday! See link for details or message us for an invite. 5 Nov | 15:00 (GMT)| Online Chair: Dr. Elspeth Van Veeren 🔗 wp.me/pb19Tu-1aI #SPINtalk #CounterArchives

We are delighted to share two additions to our A-Z Secrecy and Ignorance series from the brilliant @kindynis.bsky.social 🕵️D is for Deep Politics: bit.ly/42Ua8AI 🕵️P is for Parapolitics: bit.ly/43AGOiR #SPINBlog #DeepPolitics #Parapolitics #Secrecy

Our next SPIN TALK is coming up! November 5th, 3pm (UK time) join us online for a talk by Basel and London-based artist, Vera Zurbrügg on her latest project, 'Articulated Absences Archive', on gold and Switzerland's wartime neutrality. More info at: wp.me/pb19Tu-1aI Email/DM us for a zoom link.

Very excited to be attending this talk by Patricia Owens about Erased: a history of international thought without men. Thanks so much @researchspin.bsky.social for organising!

SPIN is hoping to head to #BISA2026 in Brighton in June. If you would like to contribute a paper to a panel on secrecy and/or ignorance in international politics, please send a quick expression of interest thsi week followed by abstracts and titles by 27 Oct. conference.bisa.ac.uk

We're very excited to welcome Patricia to SPIN tomorrow, chaired by @zaranosaur.bsky.social All welcome!

Re-upping the link to an online book talk tomorrow at 3pm hosted by SPIN.👇 Please email [email protected] for an invite link.

Our latest SPIN Newsletter is now out! Visit our blog to catch up on all our latest publications, events, and new members including a Call for Papers and our list of upcoming SPIN talks. wp.me/pb19Tu-1d7

Next week! Join us for Prof. Patricia Owens' (Oxford) book talk: Erased: A History of International Thought Without Men, chaired by Dr. Zara Bain (Bristol) @zaranosaur.bsky.social 1 Oct 3pm (UK Time), Zoom (to register to attend please email [email protected] All welcome! wp.me/pb19Tu-1ap

And the linked journal article coauthored with @doccstevens.bsky.social and Amaha Senu that also includes a discussion of mazes: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Delighted to have my chapter on the security politics of mazes included in this forthcoming volume, shepherded with a lot of patience by Faye and Tillman. Links to prepublication version below.

Delighted to be participating in this! One for the diary for sure

Very pleased to appear in this stellar lineup!

More dates for your diaries! Our line-up of talks this term include: 1 Oct, 3pm (UK time) – Erased - Patricia Owens 22 Oct, 3pm – Articulated Absences Archive - Vera Zurbrügg 19 Nov, 3pm – The Birth of Psychological War - Jeff Whyte For news, follow us on BlueSky, LInkedIn or secrecyresearch.com

Save the date! First event of the academic year. Book Talk: Prof Patricia Owens (Oxford) discussing her latest book: Erased: A History of International Thought Without Men, chair @zaranosaur.bsky.social 1 Oct 3pm (UK Time), Zoom All welcome! wp.me/pb19Tu-1ap #SPINEvents #InternationalRelations

🌍 SPIN is delighted to welcome Dr Tim Aistrope to the network! Tim is a Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Kent, exploring how conspiracy theories and popular culture shape understandings of global politics. Read about his latest project: buff.ly/Y676Ll6 #SPINNetwork

📺 Missed our recent FOIA research methods workshop? You can now stream the full recording, including contributions from Aiden Clarkson, Kevin Walby & Hannah Richards. Stream here: buff.ly/aX3VI3r #SPINEvents #FOIA #OpenAccess

🕵️‍♀️ F is for Five Eyes – the latest post in our A–Z of Secrecy series by Dr Lydia Morgan (University of Birmingham). Learn about the historically important intelligence cooperation alliance of the UK, US, AUS, CAN & NZ. Read here: buff.ly/fBLEGOK #SPINBlog #FiveEyes #Secrecy

👋 Please give a warm SPIN welcome to Susannah Lee, a 2025 SPIN Fellow this summer working with SPIN and the Gender Research Centre to explore gender, power, and secrecy in the context of the current challenges in UK and US politics. Meet the network: buff.ly/clcQe2t #SPINNetwork #SecrecyResearch

Stimulating and interesting essay, esp. how secrecy informs the narrative reconstitution and replenishment of American exceptionalism across time; a 20C redux of manifest destiny is (re)produced via secrecy. Well worth reading!

📝 SPIN is delighted to share an essay by Politics & IR student Shae Miles: The Age of Innocence and Ignorance: Exploring the ‘silencing of the past’ in US foreign policy. This was written as part of Shae's excellent work on the University of Bristol's US Foreign Policy unit. Read: buff.ly/lXhvUsp

🎤 SPIN is at BISA this week! Catch our panel on Thursday. Find more details on our papers: buff.ly/bvqdFhE and search for us on the conference programme: buff.ly/cV4581b #SPINatBISA #BISA2025 #AcademicEvents

⏳ Just one week to go until SPIN is at BISA 2025 in Belfast! Please join us for our panel exploring the interconnections of secrecy and international politics. See details of SPIN's panel: buff.ly/bvqdFhE #SPINatBISA #SecrecyResearch #BISA2025

🗂️ Final reminder to register for our FOIA Research Methods Masterclass—this Wednesday, 12 June, 2–4pm BST, online! Register here: buff.ly/eDwsPBB #SPINEvents #FOIA #ResearchMethods

🔍 Missed Dr Shereen Fernandez’s talk on secrecy, redaction and the War on Terror? Now available on YouTube. Chaired by Dr Jeffrey Whyte, this talk explores secrecy and race in policing and surveillance. Watch here: buff.ly/J6BY8gk #SecrecyStudies #SPINEvents #Surveillance

Join our free SPIN Research Methods Masterclass: Navigating the Challenges of FOIA—aimed at PhD and Early Career Researchers but open to all. Wed 11 June | 2–4pm BST | 📍Online Register now: buff.ly/Vt60p2v #FOIA #ResearchMethods #SPINEvents

🎧 Season 2 of the SPIN Podcast is now complete! Catch all episodes including Peter Finn on the 'Official Record', Lewis Bush on his latest project 'Trading Secrets' and @evanveeren.bsky.social‬ on 'secrecy games'. Listen here: buff.ly/tDSEeMP #SPINPodcast #SecrecyResearch

Register now for our free SPIN Methods Masterclass: Navigating the Challenges of Freedom of Information Access (FOIA). Open to all, but especially aimed at PhD and early career researchers. Wed, 11th June, 2-4pm (GMT+1) Online Further details and to register: buff.ly/Vt60p2v

We did a thing. We analyse the ‘red pill’ discourse and its use of The Matrix to help produce and circulate popular anti-feminist manosphere conspiracy theories. Principally annoyed that they’ve messed with one of the greatest sci-fi texts ever.

🧠 New article by SPIN member @evanveeren.bsky.social‬, Elisabeth Moerking & Harvey Dryer explores conspiracy theories, gender and the ‘elusive epistemologies’ of the manosphere. Pre-pub version of Taking the Red Pill is now avail: buff.ly/TvaMZxN #SPINNetwork #FeministPolitics #ConspiracyTheories

🗓️ Less than a month to go! We’re seeking contributions for an edited volume on secrecy in an era of polycrisis. Call for Chapter Proposals for edited volume: Secrecy Studies: Enduring Themes, New Directions Details at: buff.ly/bSnIaw6 Deadline: 1st June

📝 New publication from SPIN-ster @drowendthomas.bsky.social, with @victoriambasham.bsky.social and @rhyscrilley.bsky.social, Death and denial in the city: Making sense of London Bridge and Grenfell, is out now in Politics & Space. Access here:

This is an exciting time for secrecy research and an important time to understand how central it is to our current crises. Do consider contributing a chapter to what we hope will be a new definitive volume.

This should be of interest to several colleagues and followers.