Talk on the personal papers of John Addington Symonds

Alexander Taylor and Nicky Sugar from the University of Bristol Special Collections will unveil the results of the current project to recatalogue the Symonds archive and increase engagement with his work. They will bring to life new information about Symonds’s life and work, but will also use the Symonds collection as a vehicle for discussing some of the current issues archivists have to balance when working on collections.

• How do we deal with sensitive or contentious topics within the records we look after?
• Who gets to decide which aspects of the collection are highlighted in catalogues, and on what basis?
• How do we ensure that engagement with collections is equitable and authentic?

They will show off some treasures from the archive and seek feedback from the audience about how you’d like to see them develop participation work based on this and other collections which contain LGBTQ+ narratives.

About the speakers:

Nicky Sugar became an archivist because she wanted to help make sure that stories get told. 27 years later, her motivation remains unchanged. After a varied career in higher education and local authority archives she joined the University of Bristol as Head of Special Collections in 2023.

Alexander Taylor has worked as an archivist across a variety of sectors including secondary and higher education and religious institutions. He has project-managed several recataloguing projects, including the personal papers of literary scholar John Addington Symonds. He joined the University of Bristol as Project Archivist in September 2024.

Saturday 4th October 2025, 4pm to 6pmPeel Lecture Theatre, School of Geographical Sciences - South Building,University Road, Bristol, BS8 1SSMap

Staff will be at the main entrance of the building to give you access.The Peel Lecture room is on the 1st floor and is wheelchair accessible via the side of the building. AccessAble

The event is free and open to everyone. Tea and coffee will be provided after the talk. It is also an opportunity to chat with members of OutStories Bristol about their activities.

Please register to attend on Eventbrite - not essential but helps us anticipate numbers for catering.You do not need to print your ticket or show on entry.

The talk is an annual celebration of the life of John Addington Symonds (1840-1893), Bristol-based writer, art historian and pioneer of homosexual rights.

This event is held by OutStories Bristol in collaboration with the University of Bristol Institute of Greece, Rome, and the Classical Tradition (IGRCT). Our thanks to the IGRCT for hosting this event.

Find out more about the IGRCT on their website; you can also find them on Facebook and X (Twitter).