Skip to main content Skip to navigation

Dr Simon Peplow

I am a researcher of modern British race, ethnicity, and migration histories, having a particular interest in Black British political participation and engagement through official mechanisms and collective violence. My research combines aspects of social, political, and cultural history, and I have broader research interests in these fields – particularly within modern Britain.

My first monograph Race and Riots in Thatcher's BritainLink opens in a new window (Manchester University Press, 2019) is the first study to use newly released records regarding the 1980-81 Uprisings in England. Case studies of Bristol, Brixton, and Manchester demonstrate the importance of the public inquiry in public and political culture, as well as arguing that these anti-police Uprisings should be viewed within a much longer anti-racist movement. My current research extends my analysis of Black political activism, as well as investigating the changing nature of protest in Britain during the 1980s. Other projects explore the policing of marginalised communities, and the impact/limitations of the Macpherson Report following the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence.

I am committed to enhancing the student experience through teaching and student engagement, and I am a Senior Fellow of Advance HE. I strongly believe in research-led teaching, pedagogic innovation, and anti-racist pedagogies. I am a Fellow of the Warwick International Higher Education Academy, currently co-leading the Teaching Recognition and Reward (TR&R) Learning Circle. I am Deputy Chair of the Arts Faculty Education Committee, and am member of the Learning and Teaching Subcommittee and Student Success Subcommittee. I have undertaken various administrative roles for the History Department, including Deputy Head of Department (Teaching and Learning), Director of Second Year Studies, Director of Final Year Studies, Student Voice and NSS Lead, and Employability and Placements Lead.

I am Education Officer for History UKLink opens in a new window, and co-convenor of History UK's Pedagogy Forum, leading critical conversations about teaching across British universities. I have also been co-convenor of the Black British History Seminar at the Institute of Historical ResearchLink opens in a new window.

I have made numerous media contributions for BBC News, BBC Radio Bristol, BBC Somerset, BBC Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Wiltshire, and written pieces for The Conversation, Bristol Post, Western Morning News, History Workshop Online, The History of Parliament, Politics Home, and other media outlets related to my research and its contemporary significance - with requests for interviews or contributions coming from both within the UK and worldwide (including Australia, Japan, and India). I have been involved with the GW4 Modern British Politics and Political History research group, and have worked multiple times with History & Policy to present my research to civil servants both at the Home Office and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

I collaborated with the Modern Records Centre to create GCSE teaching resourcesLink opens in a new window, including on 'People PowerLink opens in a new window' and 'Migration and IdentityLink opens in a new window'. I also created the ‘History Head StartLink opens in a new window’ course for the Warwick History department. This 12 week course introduces the skills of academic reading and primary source analysis, utilising freely available academic journal articles and primary sources from the Modern Records Centre’s vast collections. The course is particularly aimed at people aged 16-18 thinking about undertaking a History undergraduate degree, as well as anyone who wants to learn more about how historical research is done, published, and used. You can find more information (and the course itself!) here: History Head Start (warwick.ac.uk).

Academic Profile

  • 2021 onwards: Associate Professor in Modern British History, University of Warwick
  • 2018-2021: Senior Teaching Fellow in Modern British History, University of Warwick
  • 2016-2018: Lecturer in History, University of Exeter
  • 2011-2016: Postgraduate Teaching Assistant, University of Exeter
  • 2011-2015: PhD History, University of Exeter
  • 2010-2011: MA Political Culture in Modern Britain, Aberystwyth University
  • 2007-2010: BA History, Aberystwyth University

Teaching

For 2024/25, you can find me convening or teaching on these modules:

Past modules taught:

Research Supervision

I am happy to discuss supervision of postgraduate projects on any aspect of my research interests. Current or recently completed postgraduate students who I have supervised include:

William Noble (2020-24), 'Popular Declinism and Racial Politics in the Age of Consensus: The Midlands, c. 1958-81'. AHRC-funded M4C studentship.Link opens in a new window

Sue Lemos (2020-), '"Pioneers of Our Own Future": The Lives and Politics of queer Black people and people of colour in Britain, c. 1950-2000'.Link opens in a new window

Alfie Hancox (2018-19), MRes (Distinction), 'Black radicals and Euromarxists: intersectional socialism and its limits in England during the 1960s-1980s'.Link opens in a new window

Recent Publications

Books:

Articles:

Edited Special Issues:

Book Reviews:

Other Publications: