Curating the Health Humanities: Perspectives from Literary Studies

Abstract

This reflective review examines the curatorial possibilities of bringing literary scholars, archivists, makers, and artists into dialogue through an exhibition organized by the Health Humanities Research Group at Loughborough University in 2023. We reflect on how material culture, visual art, historical objects, and archives are part of our practice as literary scholars and the collaborative potential this engenders. The objects on display ranged from historical pieces, such as an early modern birthing stool, to contemporary creative works, including textiles, found poems, and digital collages. Placing these different elements side by side allowed us to think about how material culture, literary criticism, and artistic practice can speak to one another. Together, the exhibition aimed to challenge any simplistic division between health and illness, instead drawing attention to the personal and shared stories that shape our experiences of the various stages of our lives.

Keywords: Health humanities; Literary studies; Material culture; Narrative; Visual art.