Happy New Year to all. In our first SPIN newsletter of 2025, we’re pleased to share new publications, latest events and welcome new SPIN members.
Announcements
SPIN is excited to announce our participation at the British International Studies Association (BISA) 50th Anniversary Conference, taking place from 18–20 June 2025 in Belfast. Papers presented by SPIN-sters are listed below and for further details of papers, read the full blog post here.
The Paranoid Style in Liberal Politics: Conspiracy Theories and the Crisis of Liberal International Order – Jamie M. Johnson, University of Leicester; Owen D. Thomas, University of Exeter; Victoria M. Basham, Cardiff University
Aliens exist: exploring secrecy and revelations through UFOs/UAPs, National Intelligence, and Blink 182 – Louise Pears, University of Leeds; Anna Miller
Cybersecurity, trust, and subterfuge at the interfaces of secrecy (infra)structures – Clare Stevens, Cardiff University
Scheming Like a State: The Political Logic of Cunning Intelligence – Sam Forsythe, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt / Goethe University Frankfurt
Femininum Suspectum: Suspicion, secrecy, and insecurity and the reproduction of global gender order – Elspeth Van Veeren, University of Bristol
Season 2 of the SPIN Podcast series is now out. Stream the latest episodes, with more coming out across this term:
Talk: “O is for Omertà” with Kate Thornton. Listen here.
In Conversation: Luca Trenta on secrecy and state-sponsored assassinations. Listen here.
In Conversation: Brian Rappert on revelations and secrecy. Listen here.
The Powerful Perpetrators project has published evidence summaries and an interactive literature tool examining sexual misconduct by high-status professionals. The team is now entering the data collection phase and seeks support in circulating their Get Involved page. This invites professionals in regulation/disciplinary processes to participate in interviews and allows individuals who have experienced or witnessed sexual misconduct to share their experiences anonymously. The project team comprises Dr. Natasha Mulvihill, Dr. Nate Birdsall, Dr. Emma Yapp, and Dr. Hannah K. Richards at the University of Bristol. More information on the project is available here.
SPIN’s main social media platform has now transitioned from ‘X’ (Twitter) to LinkedIn. New events, publications, members, blogs, projects, and podcasts are currently being publicised there as a trial over the next year. Please follow us and help us share our news and test the platform: linkedin.com/company/secrecyresearch/about
We continue to welcome new 500 to 1000-word contributions to our developing A-Z of Secrecy and Ignorance. Beginning online, we aim to see this published as an edited volume in due course. If you have a core concept and associated research project you would like to draw attention to, please get in touch with Elspeth. You can see examples of existing contributions on the SPIN Blog, such as ‘Assassination‘, ‘Born Secret‘, ‘Curiosity’, ‘Official Record’, ‘Omerta,’ and ‘Conspiracy Theory’.
Please do consider becoming a patron of SPIN Labs. SPIN Labs is the creative and public engagement hub for SPIN work, facilitating collaborations between academics, artists, creative producers, and organisations and collectives beyond higher education. Become a Patreon here.
Events
Panel: Online Conspiracism and Theorising Conspiracies with Professor Clare Birchall (King’s College) and Dr. Theo Kindynis (City University). Join us on Wednesday, 19th March 2025, at 15:00 (GMT) for a talk where Professor Birchall will discuss her research on online conspiracism and Dr. Kindynis will explore the need for a more critical approach to conspiracy theories. Email secrecyresearch@gmail.com for the Zoom link.
Watch Dr. Lydia Morgan‘s talk on ‘State Secrecy in Liberal Democracy‘. Explore why state secrecy exists in a liberal democracy, its impact on transparency, and how it might be reformed. Watch the full talk here.
Watch Professor Linsey McGoey‘s talk on ‘Oracles and Power‘. Professor McGoey challenges the traditional marginalization of oracles in social science, proposing them as “judgement machines” and offering fresh insights into expertise, secrecy, and the monopolization of the future. Stream the full talk here.
The book launch for Revelations: A Sociology of Uncovering by Professor Brian Rappert was a success, exploring how revelations are crafted and their profound social and political implications. A recording of the event will follow. For more details about the book and to purchase it, visit Revelations: A Sociology of Uncovering.
New Members
Welcome to SPIN, Vera Zurbrügg. Vera is a visual artist and PhD researcher exploring Switzerland’s complicity in the trading of Nazi gold through her project, Articulated Absences and Silenced Souvenirs.Learn more about Vera’s work here.
Huge congratulations to Professor Brian Rappert on the release of his latest book, Revelations: A Sociology of Uncovering. The book explores the practice of revealing what was previously hidden and the profound societal implications of such revelations. For more details and to purchase the book, visit Revelations: A Sociology of Uncovering.
A-Z of Secrecy and Ignorance Series latest entries:
M is for Magic: Brian Rappert explores the world of Entertainment Magic, where revelation and concealment combine to create awe. Discover how misdirection and the “Magician’s Code” preserve the allure of magic. Read the full entry here.
N is for Nuclear Secrecy: Susan Maret outlines the intricate world of nuclear secrecy. From the Manhattan Project to Cold War-era experiments, this piece examines how secrecy has shaped public understanding. Read more here and don’t miss her earlier entry, B is for Born Secret, available here.
G is for Secrecy Games: Elspeth Van Veeren explores how secrecy games reveal the strategic interplay of hiding and seeking information, shaping power dynamics in various contexts. Read the full entry here.
M is for Maze: Elspeth Van Veeren examines how mazes serve as an alternative metaphors for secrecy (as opposed to covering and enclosure), illustrating the twists, turns, and dead ends encountered when navigating hidden knowledge. Read the full entry here.
New Essay: Local Authorities, CCTV, Secrecy, and Privacy
We’re pleased to share an essay by Jim Gillman, SPIN Fellow (2024), exploring how UK Local Authorities use CCTV. Drawing on nearly 20 years of experience in civil protection and city management, Gillman provides insights into the balance between security, privacy, and secrecy. Read the full essay here.
SPIN Labs Artist Project: Oskar McCarthy
We are pleased to share Oskar McCarthy’s recent SPIN Labs Artist Project, an original piece of music exploring how disinformation disrupts our sense of truth. This vocal work charts a mind’s journey from reality to doubt, highlighting the dangers of misinformation. More details here.