University celebrates launch of new publications in Culture and Society

Associate Professor Alex Fenton (Science, Business and Enterprise) and Associate Professor Si Poole (Education) have each edited major new volumes in their respective fields, while Dr Morn Capper (Archaeology) and Dr Jonathan Worton (History) contributed two chapters to a groundbreaking study of Shropshire’s historic past called Floreat Salopia A Celebration of Shropshire’s History and Archaeology edited by Roger H. White. 

The event highlighted the diverse scope of the Culture and Society RKEI. While Dr Morn Capper has produced the first interdisciplinary analysis of persistent places in the archaeology of Dark Age Shropshire informed by portable metalwork discoveries and Dr Jonathan Worton explored the rich Civil War history of Cheshire’s neighbouring county, Associate Professors Alex Fenton and Si Poole took their research in a more international direction.  

Si’s volume, Adventures in the Play-Ritual Continuum edited by Audun Kjus, Jakob Löfgren, Clíona O’Carroll, Simon Poole and Ida Tolgensbakk was developed in collaboration with academics from Ireland, Norway and Sweden and examines the complex boundaries between play and ritual.  

Alex’s work, Strategic Digital Transformation: A Results-Driven Approach edited by Alex Fenton, Gordon Fletcher, Marie Griffiths, Aleksej Heinze, focuses on the transformative potential of digital innovations for international business, exploring how organisations can harness technological change to create value and enhance employee wellbeing. 

The launch underscored the Institute’s commitment to advancing knowledge across disciplines, fostering international partnerships, and contributing to both local and global understanding of culture and society. 

Speaking at the celebration, Tim Grady, Director of the Culture & Society RKEI, said: “It is always wonderful to celebrate colleagues’ brilliant research – congratulations to Alex, Si, Morn and Jonathan. Their publications reflect the quality of ongoing work at Chester, the depth of our international collaborations and the breadth of research interests.” 

Caption: Left to right: Associate Professor Alex Fenton; Associate Professor Si Poole; Dr Morn Capper and Dr Jonathan Worton.