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Sea Monsters and Fake News
Events

Sea Monsters and Fake News

Join Professor James Raven FBA, Senior Research Fellow in History, as he introduces new research in the history of books and shares his current historical work in progress - a ‘book biography’ that examines the global travels and influence of a now-forgotten eighteenth-century best-seller.

It is a story of an intellectual Scandinavian bishop, determined to explore, explain, and write about the natural world, but, persuaded by the truth of sightings and myths about sea monsters and mermaids, became embroiled in debates about fakery that consumed readers and influenced writers around the world. Current parallels with social media and knowledge might be entertained...

Sea Monsters and Fake News