NEWS

SOAS – A Celebration in Many Voices

30 October 2007

SOAS – A Celebration in Many Voices is a richly-illustrated portrait of the world-renowned School of Oriental and African Studies. The book is a collection of first-hand memories and anecdotes from professors, students and alumni of various generations, reflecting the exceptional nature of the School and its community.

The contributions from the SOAS community are varied and colourful, from accounts of it long history, its vibrant present, and its opinion-shaping future. In ‘Solar Topees and Mortar Boards,’ Hugh Baker recounts the history of SOAS from its inception in 1916, when Britain still had an Empire. Stephen Chan brings the story to date with a challenging piece entitled ‘SOAS of the Turbulent World’; Michael Hutt talks about the importance of language teaching at SOAS, which still offers classes in forty languages. There are also special features, including a piece by Channel 4 foreign correspondent Lindsey Hilsum who studied Mandarin at SOAS before her posting to Beijing.

The stories come alive through images of rare manuscripts, books, maps, letters, diaries, and artefacts and paintings from around the globe, as well as photos of everyday life at SOAS. Some of the items were donations to SOAS that are housed in the University’s archive; others are pieces from The Brunei Gallery and the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, both associated with SOAS.

In her preface, Lady Judge, Chair of the Governing Body, comments: “There are wonderful stories here about the early SOAS and how we came to be. There are memories that illustrate the rich diversity of our community, and there are stories that celebrate who we are and what we can contribute to our world. For me, it is clear that SOAS is the world’s leading specialist in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, having an unsurpassed depth of regional understanding. We have unrivalled knowledge of the languages, cultures and societies of these regions.”

Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws, President of SOAS, added: “Over and over again the stories in this book describe, with joy, the magical experience of studying at SOAS… Like Scheherazade in Arabian Nights, we could have told a thousand and one tales of lives changed by SOAS, each more beguiling than the one before.”

A Celebration in Many Voices also includes a complimentary CD of music from around the globe, assembled, performed and recorded by students, staff and friends of the Department of Music at SOAS.

-ENDS-

NOTES TO EDITORS

Imprint: Third Millennium Publishing

Editor: Catrine Clay / Advisory Editors: Professor Hugh Baker and Dr Charles Tripp

Publication date: 30 October 2007 / RRP: £49.50 / ISBN: 978 1903942 58 1

Specification: Hardback, 192 pages, 280 x 240 mm, over 200 illustrations

For further information contact Michael D Jackson, Marketing Manager, Third Millennium Information Ltd, 2-5 Benjamin St, EC1M 5QL. Tel: +44 (0)207 336 0144. Email: mj@tmiltd.com. Website: www.tmiltd.com