The SBL/AAR Annual meeting in Chicago was a fantastic experience for all of us from King's who attended, and for King's itself. 10,000 delegates from around the globe flooded the vast McCormick Convention Centre in Chicago. Members of our Department presented throughout the weekend at a wide range of sessions, showcasing our cutting-edge research and demonstrating the diversity of our scholarly interests. On the Sunday evening we hosted our drinks reception at the Palmer House Hilton, and we would like to thank all of those who came to this event. It gave us an excellent opportunity to reconnect with our alumni and also meet promising new students. Baltimore hosts the event next year, and we do hope that we will see many of you there at what is sure to be another memorable event.
From a student's perspective, the SBL/AAR experience was second to none. Several of our PhD students were invited to give papers in their respective sessions of expertise, and met with resounding success on all sides, and even a publication offer! The real SBL/AAR experience, however, took place outside of the sessions, during "social hour": whether it was at the vast book exhibit - offering great books at a discount - or at the various receptions that took place throughout the conference, our students met some of their academic inspirations and made new friends from around the world. Most importantly, they impressed everyone with the easy-going and supportive friendships that have formed within the TRS Department, between students and staff, attracting many potential graduate students. Overall, whilst the idea of presenting at SBL/AAR may appear intimidating, we encourage all our peers to share the experience next year in Baltimore. We can't wait!
Davina Grojnowski
Michelle Fletcher
Steffan Mathias
(PhD candidates, Department of Theology & Religious Studies, King's College London)