Issue 1: Origins was launched in print on 6th May 2026, and online on 8th May 2026. As our very first issue, its open theme set out to demonstrate the breadth of research happening in the School of Humanities at York St John, and give an indication of the places from whence our research is derived.
We received more submissions than could be contained in one volume from our printers, and so to ensure all voices were heard, our first issue comes in two volumes. Volume 1 features a letter from the editor, Clare Lesley Hughes, and three peer-reviewed academic papers. Volume two showcases our ‘research in progress’ topics, and a review of a recent PGR conference.
All articles are Open Access, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
The full issues are available to download for use under the terms of the license, or the individual articles can be read online.
- Letter from the EditorClare Lesley Hughes. Welcome everyone to Origins, the inaugural issue of Curiositas. Curiositas is the new Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) Journal for the School of Humanities at York St John University, and our aim is to showcase the breadth and depth of humanities-based research, creativity, and methodological experimentation within this diverse school. When the idea of a PGR-led journal was proposed, we were insistent that it…
- Maiden, Mother, Crone: Reflections on the symbol of the Triple Moon within the changing ‘feminine’ Niamh Drain. Abstract Maiden-Mother-Crone (MMC), reflects the three stages of a woman’s (female from birth) life from birth to death. Whilst contemporary feminist-motivated witchcraft is an emancipating place for some women – mainly white cis women – there are aspects of witchcraft and wider Neopaganism that do not represent modern-day practitioners. The symbol of the MMC has been critiqued for perpetuating a systematic categorisation…
- Smothered Voices and Epistemic Harm: How Wortcunners Navigate Spirituality and Legitimacy in British Academia. Dr Clare Lesley Hughes. Abstract This paper investigates how epistemic injustices and harms are perceived and experienced within the British university system by practitioners of nature-based spiritualities. This study draws on semi-structured interviews alongside an autoethnographic component, in which I also interviewed and analysed my own experiences. Interviews were conducted between March and October 2025 and explored the enchanted yet marginalised experiences…
- Ignorance is Bliss: Confronting Utopian Ideals in Fahrenheit 451 (1953) Zoe Keating. Abstract This paper will explore Bradbury’s definition and exposition of utopia in his novel Fahrenheit 451, his showcase of intention versus practice with regard to the society in this text. I will be conducting an analysis of this through the character of Montag at first. The evolution of his journey of awareness, not only of the true intentions of the…
- The Coffee House Gavin Jones. “Every human being is thus eternal at every second of his or her existence… in infinity, eternity performs – imperturbably – the same routines.”(Blanqui, quoted in Benjamin 2002, 115) In February 2025, I started my research at York St John. I travelled over the Pennines most weeks, from my home on the Lancashire/Yorkshire border. Each time, on…
- Unravelling our anthropocentric gazeStevie Berneray Theoretical landscape On the precipice of ecological collapse, it is our Western worldview, that situates the human as superior to nature that needs to evolve (Tokay 2024, 89). At the core of the philosophical challenge is our perception of agency and who it is awarded to (Tokay 2025, 1). Many schools of thought are advocating to decentre the human,…
- Echoes in the System: The Origins of Hauntological Thinking in My Doctoral Research Samantha Goddard The ideas in this piece were first presented as part of the Haunted Soundscapes Symposium (York St John University, October 2025), hosted by the Hauntology and Spectrality Research Group. This reflective research-in-progress piece is an edited reflection on aspects of that presentation, developed as part of my ongoing doctoral research. The ECT Clinic “They…
- Conference Report: Haunted Soundscapes Symposium, 22nd October 2025, York St John University. Lowen Frampton-Thorburn There’s a reason why most academic conferences happen during the summer. Several reasons. Organising a conference for October, right at the start of term when everyone is busy with teaching, rooms are fully booked by the timetable, and the budget has only just renewed, is a challenge to say the least. But completely worth it. The 22nd October 2025 rolled…