SPIN SPIN

In this episode, SPIN member Dr. Oliver Kearns presents the findings from his new book, The Covert Colour Line. Oliver argues that postwar Western intelligence represents an emergency response to anti-colonialism. As European empires collapsed, intelligence analysts scrambled to come up with ways of studying new independent governments and populations, while still defending the right of the US and Britain to dictate Middle Eastern affairs. 

During this recording, Oliver presents some key ideas from The Covert Colour Line and hears from Dr. Claudia Hillebrand (University of Cardiff) and Dr. Shuk Ying Chan (UCL), who offer their thoughts on the book and its contributions. 

There is also a brief Q&A with the author at the end of the recording. 

In this episode, Dr Thomas Leahy, lecturer in British and Irish politics and contemporary history at Cardiff University, talks about how his work on Northern Ireland conflict, peace process and post-1998 politics, interacts with secrecy. 

In this episode, Lisa Graves, Curator of World Cultures at the Bristol Museum talks about the ‘Do you believe in magic?’ exhibition that features over 200 objects and stories that reveal how magic has been used to heal, hunt and harm across the world.

In this episode Rosie Nelson, PhD student at Bristol University  talks about the meaning of secrecy for bisexual people.

In this episode, Mike Bourne, reader at Queen's University Belfast talks about sensing secrecy.

In this episode Prof. Brian Rappert from the University of Exeter talks with Elspeth Van Veeren about his latest project about magic.