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Can crime narratives truly be told without causing harm or voyeurism? Join us for a compelling discussion as we bring together the insights of Dr. Meg Foster and Dr. Rachel Franks, led by chair, Nerida Campbell. With their extensive expertise in crime-related history and collections, we navigate the ethical tightrope historians must walk when recounting crime stories. Learn how these experts balance the need for intellectual integrity with the empathy and respect owed to those whose stories they tell. What does the selective heroism historically granted to figures like Ned Kelly, and not to Sam Poo ('Australia's Only Chinese Bushranger') tell us about Australian crime history?

What are the ethical implications of the ubiquitous presence of crime in media? And what about the implications of histories that exclude crime? There's much to learn and to think with in crime history, as Meg, Rachel and Nerida will explore.

Nerida Campbell is a curator with over 20 years experience working in collections, sites and stories related to crime, policing and the courts. She has a particular interest in the historical experience of female criminals within the New South Wales justice system. Campbell is currently working with the Harbour Trust on a series of interpretation projects for Cockatoo Island, which, as we know, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has a complex past that includes convict, juvenile justice and prison histories.

Meg Foster is a historian of banditry, settler colonial, and public history. She is a Chancellor's Research Fellow at the University of Technology in Sydney and was recently an ABC Top 5 Media resident for the humanities and previously a Junior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge. Meg has a passion for connecting academia with the contemporary world and has appeared in diverse outlets such as ABC, BBC and SBS, as well as Mianjin, Overland and the Australian Book Review. Her latest book, published by New South, is Boundary Crossers: the Hidden History of Australia's Other Bush Rangers.

Rachel Franks is the coordinator of scholarship at the State Library of New South Wales. She holds PhDs in Australian crime fiction and in true crime texts. A qualified educator and librarian, her extensive work on crime fiction, true crime, popular culture and information science has been presented at numerous conferences, as well as on radio and television. An award-winning writer, her research can be found in a wide variety of books, journals, magazines and online resources. She is the author of An Uncommon Hangman: the Life and Deaths of Robert Nosey Bob Howard, published in 2022.

History Now seminars explore current and compelling issues affecting the practice of contemporary history. It is a long-running series of public talks and discussions, bringing new perspectives to all aspects of historical practice.

This year History Now is a collaboration between the History Council of NSW (HCNSW), the State Library of NSW and the Australian Centre for Public History (ACPH) at UTS.

History Now 2024 is programmed by Jesse Adams Stein (Vice President of HCNSW / Member of ACPH).

History Now is short and sweet. The tone is conversational and the format is two speakers, each talking for 15-20 minutes, followed by a Q&A facilitated by a chairperson.

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