In this post Chakali Chandra Sekhar introduces his new article,  ‘Rediscovering Hitavadi: A Forgotten Pioneer of Telugu Vernacular Print and Missionary Journalism’, recently published in 'Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'. 'Hitavadi' was the first Telugu-language literary journal, founded in 1862 by Rev. John Edmund Sharkey of the Church Missionary Society. Emerging from the turbulence of post-1857 colonial India, 'Hitavadi' was conceived as more than a religious tract. It was a radical endeavour and a transformative force in shaping the vernacular public sphere in Telugu-speaking regions of colonial South Asia.

What are the strengths of and threats to historical research in Australia today? In this post we hear from Michelle Arrow and Kate Fullagar, President and Vice-President respectively of the Australian Historical Association, about the experience of being a historian and the broader landscape in which research is currently undertaken. As in the UK, teaching and researching history and the humanities in Australia are currently at risk, due to political decisions and narratives, and structural changes within higher education. At the same time, AHA members continue to produce world-class research that not only advances but often leads global historical endeavours. This post is the first in an occasional series on the Society's blog — 'Global Histories: Disciplinary Perspectives from International Subject Associations' — in which we'll hear from the leaders of national historical associations, worldwide.

The next Research Excellence Framework takes place in 2029, with work now underway to create the structures that will determine the form and scope of latest next ‘REF’ assessment. Most recently, the REF2029 steering group has issued a call for applications to join one of the 34 subject panels, including History, whose members will assess submissions in four years’ time. In this post, the Society reviews changes to the appointment method for subject panels, and considers how REF2029's bid for more diverse panel membership sits with the realities of growing inequality of opportunity for historians within UK higher education.