Britain & Latin America in the 20th Century: Britain's Sporting Relationship with Latin America with David Wood

Canning House in conjunction with the Institute of Latin American Studies is pleased to announce a new series of talks taking a look at Britain’s relationship with Latin America throughout the 20th Century. This is the fifth instalment of the series.

Ever since the British ex-patriate community established the first tennis and cricket clubs in Latin America in the mid-nineteenth century, the sporting relationship has been a strong one.  In the period around the turn of the twentieth century, a range of British sports served as models of modernity as the continent's elites embraced positivism and social Darwinism, while football in particular captured the popular imagination.  Over the course of the last 100 years, various British sports have enjoyed a complex relationship with the countries of Latin America, at once appropriated to construct distinctive local identities while simultaneously serving as reminders of neo-colonial influences.  This talk will explore the historical, social and cultural implications of this enduring relationship in Latin America, as well as considering what it has meant for Britain.

David Wood is a Professor of Latin American Studies and Faculty Director of International Affairs at Sheffield University, and Vice-President of the Society of Latin American Studies.  Sport is a major research interest of his, both in Peru and across Latin America and he has released numerous publications on this topic. These include 'Playing by the Book: Football in Latin American Literature', 'Sporting Cultures: Hispanic Perspectives on Sport, Text and the Body' and 'Reading the Game: The Role of Football in Peruvian Literature'.

This event will take place at the Woburn Suite (Room G26/22) at Senate House. The talk will be followed by a wine reception.