CMCI’s Dr Richard Howells has a chapter in a new book which has just been launched at London’s Tate Modern gallery. Speakers at the launch event included Universities Minister David Willetts, Lord Robert Winston, Baroness O’Neill and Arts and Humanities Research Council Chairman Sir Alan Wilson.
In this book, “a group of distinguished humanities scholars” argue for the public value of the humanities in an atmosphere of cuts to the universities in general and to the humanities in particular.
Howells’ chapter, “Sorting the sheep form the sheep: Value, worth and the creative industries” is featured in the Informing Policy section of the book: The Public Value of the Humanities, edited by Jonathon Bate (London: and New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2011). Here, Howells argues for the public value, as opposed to the economic impact, of arts and humanities research. He admits that his article may be seen as controversial by some.
The book is published by Bloomsbury Academic, who are using a new business model for academic publishing. In addition to printing regular hard and soft-back copies for public sale, individuals may also download the book free of charge under a creative commons license. Further details are available at: http://www.bloomsburyacademic.com/view/PublicValueHumanities_9781849662451/book-ba-9781849662451.xml