Lecturer publishes new book exploring boundaries of human understanding
A lecturer at Birmingham Newman University has published a thought-provoking book, taking readers on an enlightening journey to explore the boundaries of human understanding, history, and imagination.
‘The Far Edges of the Known World’ written by Owen Rees, Lecturer in Applied Humanities offers readers a new, brilliantly rich lens with which to understand the ancient world.
Published by Bloomsbury, the book takes the reader along the sandy caravan routes of Morocco to the freezing winters of the northern Black Sea, from Co-Loa in the Red River valley of Vietnam to the rain-lashed forts south of Hadrian’s Wall exploring the powerful empires and diverse peoples in Europe, Asia and Africa beyond the reaches of Greece and Rome.
The publication highlights the intersection of meticulous research and storytelling, presenting insights that resonate with scholars and general readers alike.
Owen Rees said: “With Far Edges of the Known World, I wanted to illuminate the fascinating intersections of history and culture that shape our understanding of the world.
“This book is a journey into the unknown – one that I hope readers will find both captivating and thought-provoking.”
Owen Rees is an interdisciplinary researcher with a core specialism in ancient history. He studied at the universities of Reading and Nottingham before completing his PhD at Manchester Metropolitan University in 2018.
Before he moved to Birmingham Newman in 2023, Owen held postdoctoral fellowships at the Institute of Medical Humanities at the University of Durham, and a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at the University of Nottingham.
Owen is also the founder and lead editor of badancient.com, which brings together a growing network of specialists to fact-check common claims made about the ancient world and expose the prevalent pseudohistory in the modern day.
Far Edges of the Known World is now available through Bloomsbury Publishing and major booksellers worldwide from 13 February.
