International Medieval Congress 2014

This July marks the 21^st annual International Medieval Congress, when two thousand of the world’s most knowledgeable medievalists, including well-known historian and TV broadcaster Michael Wood, will descend on the University of Leeds, for what is Europe’s largest annual gathering in humanities.

Around 2,000 delegates from 57 countries will be attended to by MEETinLEEDS, in an event which runs from July 7 to July 10, with more than half of the delegates staying on the main campus in University accommodation.

MEETinLEEDS’ event manager, Anthony Lowe said: “The Congress is a huge area of focus for our team every year. It continues to go from strength the strength, with new additions to the entertainment and core programme being added all the time. This year the IMC has coincided with the Tour de France visiting Leeds so there have been unusual challenges dealing with the city’s increased need for accommodation during the first weeks of July.”

“We’ll be serving around 3,000 meals a day with the Refectory turned into a dining room. And there’ll also be a Medieval Feast which will be prepared in collaboration between our University Catering team and food historian Caroline Yeldham.”

The extravagant medieval feast is also a focal feature of the Congress, bringing together cuisine from a ‘forgotten empire’ to honour a variety of medieval recipes, such as traditionally roasted meats, chick peas and unusual cheese-stuffed eggs, not to forget Yorkshire’s finest bitter, specially brewed for the Congress. Over 18,000 gallons have been quaffed so far since 1999, and despite careful planning, delegates still manage to stretch the supply to the limits each year.

Focusing on the theme of Empire this year, the Congress will offer delegates 500 academic sessions, as well as a wide range of concerts, performances, readings, round tables, excursions, book fairs and associated events. This means MEETinLEEDS will be not only be busy ensuring that everyone has enough to eat and drink but also making sure that all the different meeting rooms and lecture theatres across campus, as well as the outdoor spaces and large communal areas including the iconic Parkinson Building, are fully resourced so that delegates have a seamless Congress. Many of the delegates attending the conference will stay at the University’s latest facility, Storm Jameson Court, built to an extremely high specification.

“It’s going to be incredibly busy but we’re extremely well-prepared for it and will be working hard to ensure that everyone has a fabulous experience and remembers their medieval experience for many years to come. Leeds is a very attractive campus and we are looking forward to showing it at its very best. ”

In the past 20 years, The International Medieval Congress at University of Leeds has presented over 21,000 papers to over 12,000 visitors, bringing more than £10 million into the city and surrounding areas. This year, the programme has 1,799 actively involved participants from more than 50 countries.

Director of the International Medieval Congress at University of Leeds, Axel Müller said: “The public are encouraged to come along and get involved in this medieval extravaganza. There are numerous events for people to join in and experience medieval culture, craft and cuisine.”

If you would like to attend any of the events information can be found on the IMC website. Advanced booking is recommended, but tickets for most events are also available on the door. For further information, including ticket availability, and how to buy tickets online, please visit the website www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/imc/publicevents.