2010 Programme details

The Symposium brings together professionals and amateurs interested in all aspects of food history and culture for a multi-faceted inquiry into our theme. The core of the Symposium remains the presentation of parallel sessions of papers and much discussion.

Featured plenary speakers this year include anthopologist Sidney Mintz, food writer Harold McGee and food historian Ivan Day.

Papers
Anyone may propose to present a paper at the Symposium. Prospective authors should submit a 500—1000 word abstract setting out your ideas and showing your main lines of argument by Monday, 15 February. Please include your contact details and send it via email to: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The ‘Guidelines for Authors’ (PDF) provides further information about our requirements. The ‘Call for Papers’ (PDF) suggests a range of possible interpretations of the theme that is by no means exhaustive.

Owing to the high volume of submissions, it is not possible to include everyone. The selections are made by an editorial committee, which endeavours to represent a broad exploration of the theme in the programme.

We are grateful to Helen Saberi for taking over as Editor of the Proceedings and to Susan Friedland, our outgoing editor, who is currently developing ideas for our enhanced website. We also thank emeritus editor Richard Hosking for kindly finishing the 2009 Proceedings during the transition.

Meals and special events
Themed meals are an integral part of the Symposium.  This year ‘Jellymongers’ Bompas & Parr will inaugurate the weekend with an edible festa della cuccagna sculpture for our opening drinks. Chef Jeremy Lee of the Blueprint Café and Channel 4 fame promises to cook up our own Feast of Cockaigne.

No celebration of Cockaigne would be complete without drink-inspired poetry and song. Gae Pincus is ensuring that we won’t have any shortage. If you have a poem or song that you’d like to perform or a small musical instrument to bring along, please contact Gae at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .


Claudia Roden, Fuchsia Dunlop and many others are hard at work planning special lunches and a grand Saturday evening banquet.

Location
The Oxford Symposium is held at St. Catherine’s College. Opened in 1962, St. Catz is Oxford’s only Modernist college. Danish architect Arne Jacobsen designed its core buildings and their fittings, which are considered modern masterpieces and are protected by a Grade I architectural listing. The College lies just south of the city centre, only a 10—15 minute walk from the Bodleian Library. Details and pictures can be found on the college website.

Accommodation
St. Catz offers a large number of comfortable, en-suite rooms, which are conveniently located in close proximity to our dining and lecture rooms. Symposiasts may book these for extra nights before and after the Symposium at the ‘Bed & Breakfast’ rate listed on the registration form. A limited number of double-rooms are available for couples, which will be allocated on a first come, first serve basis. Attendees may also opt to find accommodation outside the College. We are, however, unable to assist with outside bookings.


Registration and fees
For the first time in five years, the Symposium has been forced to raise its fees to keep pace with increased costs. We have done our utmost to keep these reasonable. A range of attendance options, including whether or not to stay in College, attendance at the Friday and Saturday night banquets, and a student rate for qualified applicants, can be found on the on-line registration form. If you have questions, please contact the Sympsosium’s Registrar, Patsy Iddison: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it


Registration is now open. The system accepts payment by PayPal as well as by all major credit cards for those without PayPal accounts. Should you prefer to pay via cheque, please download and print the PDF registration form and return with your payment.  US-dollar cheques will be accepted at the exchange rate quoted on the date of posting. We recommend, however that those coming from abroad lock in the best rate of exchange using the on-line system. Refunds, less a processing fee of £50.00, will be given until 24 May.


Please note that last year the Symposium was fully subscribed with a long waiting list of people, whom we could not accommodate. Places will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis. Please register early.


Charitable Trust update
Without raising fees in a lean year, the Symposium Trust was last year forced to dip into its reserve funds. We are now applying for a number of potential sponsors to not only rebuild our reserves but also to enhance our website as a year-round resource for food history researchers.  Small, private donations also help significantly. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation via the ‘gift-aid’ box and/or support our auction, raffle and other fundraising activities. For further information contact the Chair, Carolin Young at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .


Assisted places
A limited number of ‘assisted places’ are available to those who might otherwise be unable to attend. In order to offer increase such spots, the Trust encourages those in a position to do so to ‘adopt a Symposiast’ by donating the value of a weekend package (£330.00). Please contact the Registrar to make your donation or include it with your registration. We are grateful that three anonymous donors have already stepped forward.


Those interested in being considered for an assisted spot should contact the Chair, Carolin Young at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it on or before 1 April. No decisions will be made until after this deadline.


Student rates
Registered students are entitled to attend the Symposium at a significantly reduced rate. Students may now register on-line but will be required to furnish the Registrar with proof of full-time enrolment.


The Sophie Coe Prize for Food History
This prize, in memory of the distinguished food historian Sophie Coe, is presented each year at the Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery. The £1500 cash award is given to an essay or article on some aspect of food history embodying new research or providing original insights. Essays (usually between 1,500 and 10,000 words) published in the preceding twelve months are eligible as is newly written, unpublished material. Symposium authors and other food historians are encouraged to apply on or before Tuesday, 25 May.  A small panel of anonymous judges selects the winner. Full requirements are outlined here. Questions should be addressed to Laura Mason, Secretary of the Sophie Coe Memorial Fund at: 4 St. John St., York YO31 7QT, UK email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .


Cherwell Studentship
The American Friends of the Oxford Symposium invite applications for the Cherwell Food History Studentship, which is open to anyone (of any nationality), who is thirty years of age or younger at the time of the Symposium (born on or before 9 July 1980). The grant includes a $1000.00 (USD) cash stipend to underwrite research costs and a second payment, given at the Symposium, which will reimburse travel and attendance costs to present the resulting paper at the Symposium. Formal proposals, including detailed plans for research, of no more than 1200 words, should be submitted to Raymond Sokolov by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it on or before 15 March. Proposals will be accepted for current and future Symposium themes. Proof of age (a scanned copy of a photo id) should be submitted with this. Five anonymous judges will select the winner.


Raymond Blanc Young Chefs' Grant
Raymond Blanc will select three young chefs (age 40 or younger) to receive free attendance at the Symposium, the opportunity to work with Jeremy Lee for the preparation of the Friday banquet, a tour of the kitchens and gardens of the Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons, and a selection of books. Interested applicants should write an essay of no more than two pages explaining why they would like to attend the Symposium, and how they hope that this will enrich their approach to food. Please address applications to Raymond Blanc c/o Paul Levy This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by 1 May 2010.



Advisory Board fundraising tea
Elisabeth Luard and the Advisory Board of the Oxford Symposium are organising a traditional English tea as a fundraising and welcome event on the Friday afternoon of the Symposium. Please ‘save the date’ and stay tuned for details in the spring mailing and on our website.


Future dates and themes
It’s not too soon to start thinking about 2011 and 2012;

Celebrations                        8—10 July 2011

Stuffed & Wrapped Foods       6—8  July  2012