This conference honours the memory of Patrick McCarthy—Pembroke alumnus, Johns Hopkins SAIS Bologna professor, and a penetrating scholar of European politics, culture, and political economy. McCarthy's work cut across disciplines and genres, moving from literature to economics with a keen eye for liminal figures, the politics of sexuality and language, and the intersections of sport, culture, and power.

The contradictions of Italian politics, McCarthy demonstrated, repeatedly foreshadowed Europe’s future. Today, under Giorgia Meloni, Italy again stands at the centre of continental and transatlantic debates. By highlighting Italy in this bellwether role, the conference seeks to carry Patrick McCarthy’s insights into the present, asking what Italy’s trajectory reveals about the future of European democracy and its place in the Atlantic order.

This conference is organised by Guido Bonsaver (Oxford), Aida Hozić (Florida), and Erik Jones (EUI) and supported by Italian Studies at Oxford, Pembroke College, and the University of Florida.

This event is hybrid, offering both in-person and online attendance. To join online, please contact Kate McKee, ISO events coordinator, at italianstudies@area.ox.ac.uk.

Conference Schedule