AARHMS (the American Academy of Research Historians of Medieval Spain) is delighted to initiate a new blog series, accessible to fully-paid-up members of our organization, in which guest authors report on their research activities across the globe. Our very first blogger, Tom Devaney (University of Rochester), writes to us from Helsinki, and describes for us the resources and opportunities of the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies (HCAS), where he has been spending a sabbatical year. In addition to the academic and intellectual information he provides, Tom offers some fascinating glimpses into adjusting to life in Finland with a family (“it’s common to see seven-year-olds navigating the city on their own”!) and undercuts the myth of Scandinavian reserve, emphasizing the warm reception he has received in Helskini.  

We welcome volunteers for new blogs from across the globe. AARHMS currently has social media followers from most Latin American countries, and a number in Asia (from Iran to Mongolia and beyond). We would prefer blogs to be written in English, but would consider submissions in Spanish and Portuguese as well. We would be delighted to discuss possibilities with you; Tom Devaney’s model, well-illustrated with photos and replete with hyperlinks, provides an excellent model. To contribute you need not necessarily be an AARHMS member, although would we encourage this. Please write to simon.r.doubleday@hofstra.edu if you are interested.