Anna May

Student, University of Leeds
Jennifer McIlwrath Hurst

Undergraduate Researcher, University of Leeds

Hello! I'm a Liberal Arts History major student, currently researching the medieval - and medievalism - in Leeds’ tangible and intangible urban landscape. I am investigating the landscape and buildings of medieval Leeds, Victorian Leeds, and present-day Leeds - and considering how all three intersect and inform both each other, and constructions of local identity and place. ​                                                                                      I am also interested in the broader utility of medievalism to nationalism, and the creation of national identities - and the impact of this on the contemporary political landscape of the UK and Ireland. I'm passionate about the utility of heritage studies and the importance of historical contextualization to political decision making - from urban planning to national policymaking.