In Lewis Carroll’s (1872) famous novel ‘Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There’, the world is reversed. In this fantastical realm, all is not what it seems – walking away from something brings you closer towards it, chessmen are alive and nursery rhyme characters are real. The same could be said of periods of conflict and transition where cultures of denial and silence persist, contested memories dominate the political and public imagination, and victimhood is constructed, reproduced and politicised in ways which do not and cannot offer an expansive understanding of harm or reflect the messy reality of victimhood and victimisation.

Based on her work in Northern Ireland, Ireland, Colombia, Cambodia and the Middle East, Professor Cheryl Lawther's Inaugural Professorial Lecture explores these challenges. Going 'through the looking glass' she argues for the need for a comprehensive examination of the past and the embracing of narrative complexity in the aftermath of conflict and human rights abuses.

Location: Council Room and Canada Chamber, Lanyon Building, Queen's University Belfast.

The lecture will be followed by a wine and cheese reception.