Research Grants 2012/13
End of Project Report / SOCIAL SCIENCES ARTS & HUMANITIES
RESEARCH INSTITUTE
NAME: Dr Craig Bourne
Project Title:Macbeth: The Philosophical Perspective
Progress as at31July 2013(up to 200 words):
At the beginning of the academic year (Sep/Oct 2012), I gave (with my co-author, Emily Caddick Bourne) a series of invited lectures in Tokyo (delivered at Meiji University and at the British Council) on some of the research for the project. These were scheduled to run alongside a Cambridge-based theatre production of Macbeth, which toured various Japanese venues. In November 2013, I gave (with my co-author) another series of lectures in Cambridge, refining some of the lectures given in Japan, as well as presenting new material. (I also invited Prof Colin McGinn (Miami) to give a guest lecture in this series.) These lectures have formed the basis of a monograph, which my co-author and I have been writing since. We initially thought we could write the book within a year but the real extent of the philosophical issues raised by Macbeth became apparent as we wrote.As of 31 July 2013, we have six chapters of the first draft completed and we have generated many more ideas for further chapters. We have approached Routledge about publishing aspects of this research (see details below) and have plans to submit bids for external funding for a larger project (see details below).
Research outputs (please give an indication of the current status of each – i.e. in draft, submitted, accepted, etc.):
(1) Output in the form of lectures is listed above.
(2) Some of the material on the status of the future in Macbeth is to be published as ‘The Fictional Future’, which is Chapter 4 of my book Time in Fiction (under contract with Oxford University Press, due out 2014), co-authored with Emily Caddick Bourne.
(3) As of 31 July, the draft manuscript of Macbeth: The Philosophical Perspective includes six complete chapters. The structure of the book takes chapters in pairs. Each pair of chapters focusses on a specific philosophical theme. One chapter of the pair discusses features at the level of the representation which are relevant to that theme (i.e.it focusses onhow the fictional representation works), whereas the other chapter discusses features at the level of what is represented with respect to that theme. We have done this for themes of: (1) Fate, Freedom and the Future; (2) Perception and Illusion; (3) Truth and Interpretation. (Future plans for the book are discussed below.)
(4) Routledge (i.e. Tony Bruce, the senior publisher for philosophy) has asked us to submit a proposal for an edited collection of original contributions(50-60 chapters from as many philosophers) to fit into their existing Routledge Companions series. This is their most successful series.(Our volume is provisionally titled The Routledge Companion to Shakespeare and Philosophy.)
Problems encountered:
Although not a problem as such, we originally approached Routledge with a proposal to edit a new book series – Shakespeare: The Philosophical Perspective – into which our book – Macbeth: The Philosophical Perspective – would fit. Because Shakespeare is a largely uncharted area of research for philosophers, Routledge could not commit to a full series of books in the area. Nevertheless, Tony Bruce (the senior publisher) is excited by the idea and it is he who has suggested we put together the Routledge Companion to lay the groundwork for future philosophical work in the area and to establish how big the market is for it. If successful, he says he will revisit the idea of a full book series with Routledge.
Future plans (e.g. please specify intended grant applications to external bodies):
(1)The first stage in the plan is to put the Routledge Companion together. This will involve (a) more extensive research on Shakespeare’s plays as a whole, beyond the case of Macbeth, and (b) identifying individuals to write on specific topics. In addition to conducting our own research, we intend to achieve this by hosting workshopsat UH in 2014 and inviting potential contributors to attend.
(2) To fund these initial workshops we are applying (in November 2013) to the British Society of Aesthetics’ small grants scheme for £5000.
(3) This more extensive research will feed into our own monograph on Macbeth. It will inform the chapters we have already written, as well as those we are writing on themes from epistemology, mind, ethics, politics and aesthetics. It should also lead to publishers being more confident about launching a book series along the lines of Shakespeare: The Philosophical Perspective.
(4) In conjunction with these activities, we shall approach various bodies for grants to help create a Centre for the Philosophical Study of Shakespeare. The projects we have planned within the Centre, both in terms of professional research networks and public engagement,should subsequently leave us well-placed to bid for substantial funding from the major research councils.
Comments from past winners, showing what grants have enabled them to do, have proven very valuable in advertising future rounds of the scheme. If possible, please provide such a comment below:
The SSAHRI award enabled me to develop a research project in an uncharted area of philosophical research. I was able to write six chapters of a monograph, to secure the interest of a major publisher in an edited collection of original papers, and to lay the foundations for the future of the research project by preparing a series of funding applications to establish professional research networks and to pursue public engagement activities. None of this would have been possible within such a short time-frame had I not been supported by such an invaluable source of internal funding.
Any suggestions for improving the SSAHRI Research Grants scheme?
Please return your completed report by 31st July 2013as an e-mail attachment to:
. Reports will be considered by the SSAHRI Management Group.