The Arts and Humanities Colloquium

Vancouver Island University

Nanaimo, British Columbia

Friday, November 16, 2012

10:00 - 11:30

Malaspina Theatre (Building 310)

There is no admission charge and refreshments are available from 9:30

Dr. Stephen Davies

Department of History, Vancouver Island University

Director, Canadian Letters and Images Project

Voices Through Time: Letters of the Great War

Private letters written during the First World War offer one of the most immediate and effective ways to connect us with the past. Such letters are crucial to understanding the human impact of war, and no other source brings us so close to the experiences of individuals. Thanks to Dr. Stephen Davies’s initiative and dedication, VIU houses The Canadian Letters and Images Project, the largest collection of Canadian war-related personal materials in our country.

Using material from the collection in his presentation, Dr. Davies will let soldiers speak for themselves. Their letters, as well as those of their families, are windows into intimate thoughts and feelings, providing an opportunity for us to see the world as they did.  Their hopes and fears, ambitions and dreams, continue to resonate today. They were as in love or as lost as we are; they wanted to lead fulfilling lives and be with the people they cared about as much as we do. Their letters remind us that war is as much about relationships and shared experiences as battles. War letters are emotionally engaging and illuminate, in ways that surprise us, the intricate connections between battlefront and homefront. Yet, there is considerably more to these private letters than is immediately apparent. While they reconfigure our understanding of the war, as Dr. Davies will show, knowledge of the imperatives of the war, in turn, reveals deeper insights into the letters.

Everyone is welcome to join us for this public presentation sponsored by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

Questions about the Colloquium - Dr. Daniel Burgoyne

(Daniel.Burgoyne@viu.ca); or 250 753-3245, local 2126

Questions about the Canadian Letters and Images Project - Dr. Stephen Davies

(Stephen.Davies@viu.ca)

The Canadian Letters and Images Website: www.canadianletters.ca