Live eventDerby

Dr Paul Whickman: Blasphemy & Politics in Romantic Literature UoD CivicLAB [DBF 2026]

Derby TheatreDerby

12 November 2026 · 11:30

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Dr Paul Whickman will discuss blasphemy and literary censorship in the 18th and early 19th centuries, primarily focusing on Percy Bysshe Shelley, whose poetry was frequently condemned for its apparent blasphemy, obscenity and political subversion. While arguing that literary blasphemy is inextricable from politics, Paul makes the case for ‘irreverence’ as both inspiring and necessitating new poetic creativity. While offering a brief overview of the legal, political and other constraints which authors were subject to in the period, Paul also draws parallels to literary culture in the present day.