Tom Hull: Heritage and Memory - Dr James Barry and Critical Fabulation

In our first episode on the theme of Heritage and Memory, PhD researcher Tom Hull from the University of Brighton talks to us about his research project.  Tom's project uses a combination of archival research, literary criticism and creative writing to deepening our understanding of Dr James Barry. Dr James Barry was many things. He was a pioneering surgeon, performing the first successful caesarean section within the British Empire where the mother and daughter both survived. He was an army doctor in various occupied territories, and was complicit in the racialised violence of the British Empire. And he also happened to be a trans man. In this episode, Tom explores how we can both recognise a person from the past as a queer pioneer, and acknowledge that history has privileged them and silenced others - for example, Barry's Jamaican manservant and companion of 35 years, John, about whom so little is known. Using techniques and theories such as Saidiya Hartman's 'critical fabulation', Tom's project seeks to address these gaps in the archive both creatively and critically.    Technecast is a podcast series showcasing research from across the arts and humanities. It is produced by Felix Clutson, Isabel Sykes, Morag Thomas, Olivia Aarons, Eva Dieteren and Pragya Sharma. Fancy turning your research into a podcast episode? We'd love to hear from you at [email protected], or on Instagram @technepodcast.