Open Letter on the Detention of Dr Paul Hamilton

Below is a letter that was sent yesterday to The Times voicing the concerns of academics around the world on the arrest and detention of our Kingston Shakespeare colleague Paul Hamilton. Dr Hamilton has been since released but is forced to leave the country, his home for nearly a decade. This case highlights the precarious situation in which many international students find themselves.

Here is the letter in The Times (for those with access) with 186 signatories.

Here is the letter as it was sent out (the third paragraph had to be cut from The Times due to length issues) with 234 signatories, in no particular order (See also the 190 signatories to the original post by Timo Uotinen):

---

We the undersigned wish to protest in the strongest terms against the arrest and detention of the Shakespeare scholar Dr. Paul Hamilton, a citizen of the United States who was taken into custody by the West Midlands Immigration Team at his home in Stratford-upon-Avon on January 17 2016.

We wish to put on record that we consider the reason given for his detention – that he had insufficient ‘family or friends’ to guarantee his whereabouts – amounts to a dangerous and illegal precedent that could have grave consequences for future visiting scholars. We further declare that we regard this given reason as wholly implausible, in view of Dr. Hamilton’s long-term residence in the UK, and his active contributions to Shakespeare Studies in Stratford, Kingston and beyond.

We note that the arrest of Dr. Hamilton followed closely on his organization of an international conference on extra-judicial state procedures, and we view this coincidence with deep concern.

We are alarmed that Dr. Hamilton’s arrest has occurred at the start of a year of Shakespeare celebrations, when the United Kingdom is expecting to benefit from visitors from across the world, and we believe his detention in these circumstances is bound to cast a shadow over the welcome offered to the global Shakespeare community.

Richard Wilson, Sir Peter Hall Professor of Shakespeare Studies, Kingston University

Professor Ewan Fernie, The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham

Dominique Goy-Blanquet, Professor Emeritus of Elizabethan theatre, Université de Picardie, President 2009-2015 of the Société Française Shakespeare

Tobias Döring, Professor and Chair of English Literature, LMU München, Germany, Former President of the Deutsche Shakespeare Gesellschaft

Peter Holland, McMeel Family Professor in Shakespeare Studies, University of Notre Dame, USA. Former President, Shakespeare Association of America

Diane Purkiss, Professor of English Literature, Oxford University, Director of Studies in English, Keble College Oxford

Michael Coveney, Theatre Critic, London, for WhatsOnStage, the The Guardian, the Independent and Prospect magazine

Emeritus Professor Warwick Gould FRSL, FEA, FRSA Senior Research Fellow, Institute of English Studies, University of London

François Laroque, Emeritus Professor, Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris, France

Professor Michael Dobson, Director of the Shakespeare Institute

Jonathan Sawday, Walter J. Ong, S.J., Professor in the Humanities, Saint Louis University, MO, USA

Professor Claudia Olk, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and the Humanities, Chair of English and Comparative Literature, Freie Universität, Berlin

Jean-Michel Déprats, Senior Lecturer at the University of Paris Ouest Nanterre La défense, former Director of the Shakespeare French Society, in charge of the Gallimard bilingual edition of Shakespeare’s Complete Works, la Pléiade

Professor Dr Andreas Höfele, Department für Anglistik und Amerikanistik, LMU München

Professor Dr Christina Wald, English Literature, Department of Literature, University of Konstanz, Germany

Lisa Hopkins, Professor of English and Head of the Graduate School, Sheffield Hallam University

Stuart Hampton-Reeves, Head of the British Shakespeare Association and Professor of Shakespeare Studies and Research-informed Teaching, University of Central Lancashire

Professor Martin McQuillan, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Kingston University

John Drakakis, Emeritus Professor, University of Stirling

Professor Gweno Williams, Norwegian Study Centre, University of York, Past President International Margaret Cavendish Society

Gabriel Egan, Professor of Shakespeare Studies, De Montfort University

Professor Mick Healey BA PhD NTF PFHEA, Higher Education Consultant and Researcher, Emeritus Professor University of Gloucestershire, Visiting Professor University College London, The Humboldt Distinguished Scholar in Research-Based Learning McMaster University

Professor Eric Heinze, School of Law, Queen Mary, University of London

Professor Robert A. Logan, Chair, Department of English,University of Hartford

Professor Anthony Parr, Huntington Library, Los Angeles

William Ingram, Professor Emeritus of English Literature, University of Michigan, USA

Sarah Hatchuel, on behalf of The Société Française Shakespeare board

Professor Christopher Pye, Williams College, Williamstown, MA

Michael Hattaway, FEA, Professor Emeritus of English Literature (University of Sheffield), Professor of English (New York University in London)

Professor Nicholas Royle, School of English, University of Sussex

Christopher Highley, Professor of English, The Ohio State University

Tom Healy, Professor of Renaissance Studies and Head of the School of English, University of Sussex

Professor Susan Bruce, Chair of University English

Karen Britland, Halls-Bascom Professor of English, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

Judith Hawley, Professor of English, Royal Holloway, University of London

Peter Osborne, Professor of Modern European Philosophy, Director, Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy, Kingston University

Andrew McRae, Head of Department and Professor of Renaissance Studies, Department of English, University of Exeter

Duncan Salkeld, Professor of Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature, Department of English and Creative Writing, University of Chichester

Josh Cohen, Professor of Modern Literary Theory, Goldsmiths University of London

Andrew Bowie, Professor of Philosophy and German, Royal Holloway, University of London

Professor Kate Chedgzoy, School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, Newcastle University

Jennifer Bates, Ph.D, Associate Professor, Department of Philosophy, Duquesne University

Alec Ryrie, Professor of the History of Christianity, Department of Theology and Religion, Durham University

Dominic Rainsford, Professor of Literature in English, Aarhus University, Denmark

Howard Caygill, Professor of Modern European Philosophy, Kingston University

Tim Whitmarsh, A.G. Leventis Professor of Greek Culture, University of Cambridge

Dr Ros Barber, Lecturer, English and Comparative Literature, Goldsmiths, University of London

Dr Selene Scarsi, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, Kingston University London

Dr Nigel Mapp, Senior Lecturer, Course Leader BA English Literature, Department of English, Linguistics, and Cultural Studies, University of Westminster

Professor Ken McMullen, Chair in Film, FASS, Kingston University

Dr Paul Prescott, Associate Professor (Reader), Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies, University of Warwick

Edward Chaney, Professor of Fine and Decorative Arts, Southampton Solent University

Jeremy Levesley, Professor of Applied Mathematics, University of Leicester

David Como, Associate Professor, Department of History, Stanford University

Warren Chernaik, Emeritus Professor of English, University of London

Professor Stella Sandford, Head of Department of Philosophy, Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy, Kingston University

Inmaculada N. Sánchez-García, Northumbria University, UK

Christina Sandhaug, Assistant Professor, Hedmark University College, Norway

Svenn-Arve Myklebost, Associate Professor, Department of Language and Literature, Volda University College, Norway

Dr Mary Morrissey FRHistS, Associate Professor in Early Modern Literature, Department of English Literature, University of Reading

Dr Johann Gregory, University Teacher, Cardiff University

Laura Beattie, Doctoral Candidate, University of Edinburgh

Dr Anne Sophie Refskou, PhD from Aarhus University, Denmark

Eduardo Pavez Goye, Playwright and Theatre Director, Former Director at “Shakespeare & Co.” (Chile) and “Shakespeare Theatre” (México)

Gerald Baker, independent scholar and former Chairman (2005-7, 2011-2013) of Richmond Shakespeare Society

Christian Smith, Teaching Fellow, English and Comparative Literary Studies, Warwick University

Dr Corin Depper, Senior Lecturer, Film Studies, Kingston University

David Fanning, Professor of Music, University of Manchester

Professor Willy Maley, University of Glasgow

John Gillies, Professor in Literature, University of Essex

Charles Lock, Professor of English Literature, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Dr Patricia Harris Gillies, Department of Literature Film and Theatre Studies, University of Essex-Wivenhoe Park

Peter E Pormann, Professor of Classics and Graeco-Arabic Studies, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, The University of Manchester

Dr Will McKenzie, Fellow and Tutor, St Hilda’s College, Oxford

Mark Fenton-O’Creevy, NTF SFHEA, Professor of Organisational Behaviour, The Open University

Dr Ina Schabert, Professor Emeritus in English Literature, University of Munich

Kit Heyam, University of Leeds

Professor Nigel Duncan, City Law School, City University London

Dr Richard Wood, Associate Lecturer in English Literature, Faculty of Development & Society, Sheffield Hallam University

Simon Davies, Society for Renaissance Studies

Dr Eva Griffith, Independent Scholar, London

Jakob Wisse, Professor of Latin Language and Literature, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, Newcastle University

Michael Caines, Times Literary Supplement

Dr Andy Higginbottom, Associate Professor, UCU Branch Chair, Kingston University

Philip Schwyzer, Professor of Renaissance Literature, University of Exeter

Professor Christopher Smith, FSAS, FRHistS, FSA, Director, British School at Rome

Richard Hall, Professor of Education and Technology, De Montfort University

Alice Martin, Editor and translator, WSOY – Werner Söderström Publishers, Helsinki

Peter Kirwan, Assistant Professor in Shakespeare and Early Modern Drama, University of Nottingham

Robert Stearn, Birkbeck, University of London

Professor Robert Hampson FEA, FRSA, Royal Holloway, University of London

Dr Sarah Duncan, Independent Historian, PhD Queen Mary, University of London

Dr Andrew Gordon, Senior Lecturer, Renaissance Literature, Co-Director, Centre for Early Modern Studies, English Department, School of Language & Literature, University of Aberdeen

Dr Helen Day, University of Central Lancashire

Martin Power, MA Cantab, PhD McGill, sometime scholar of Pembroke College Cambridge

Patricia MH Bishop

Jon Cook, Professor of Literature, University of East Anglia

Dr Boika Sokolova, University of Notre Dame Global Gateway, London

Dr Rosanna Cox, School of English, University of Kent

Pirkko Koski, Professor Emerita, University of Helsinki

Rupert Nichol, Events Director, Garrick’s Temple to Shakespeare

Michel Plon, Psychoanalyst, Paris

Charles Nicholl, Honorary Professor in the School of English, University of Sussex

Frank Whately. Honorary Fellow, Kingston University

David McGrath, Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London

Anne Jollet, UFR Sciences humaines et arts, Département d’histoire, Poitiers

Dr Callan Davies, Lecturer in Renaissance Studies (E&S), University of Exeter

Karen Edwards, Associate Professor of Renaissance Literature, Department of English, University of Exeter

Jón Viðar Jónsson, Theatre Critic, Theatre Scholar and Researcher, former Head of Radio Drama at the Icelandic Broadcasting Service and Curator of The Theatre Museum of Iceland

John Berkeley Grout, doctoral finalist in Classics at Royal Holloway, University of London

Tommaso Mari, DPhil Candidate, Classical Languages & Literature, Brasenose College, Oxford

Leofranc Holford-Strevens, Independent Scholar, Oxford

Elizabeth Mitchell, PhD candidate Classical Archaeology, Harvard University

Elizabeth Irwin, Associate Professor of Classics, Columbia University

Dr Bernard Sharratt, Honorary Senior Research Fellow, School of English, University of Kent, UK

Dr Judith A. Miller, Department of History, Emory University

James C. Ford, Liverpool University

Dr Diana Burton, Senior Lecturer, Classics, Victoria University of Wellington

Nandini B. Pandey, Assistant Professor of Classics, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Talitha Kearey, PhD student, University of Cambridge

Nicole Mennell, Doctoral Candidate, University of Sussex

Patrick Cook, Christ’s College Cambridge

Dr Erin Sullivan, Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham

Michael Loy, MPhil Candidate, University of Cambridge

Dr. Bram ten Berge, Classics, University of Michigan

Mrs. Margaret Burr (MSt, M.A.), D.Phil. student, University of Oxford

Lavinia Galli Milic, University of Geneva

Dr Julie Ackroyd, Honorary Associate in Classics at the Open University

Dr Arietta Papaconstantinou, Associate Professor in Ancient History, Department of Classics, University of Reading

Dr Sean McEvoy, Varndean College Brighton

Dr Anna Collar, Aarhus University (previously Fellow of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, University of Cambridge)

Paola Ceccarelli, Lecturer in Ancient Greek History, History Department, UCL

Andrea Angius, Research Fellow, Università di Roma Tre

Dr Lucy Grig, Senior Lecturer in Classics, School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh

Dr Gillian Austen, University of Bristol

Professor Elena Isayev, Associate Professor of Ancient History, University of Exeter

Kat Molesworth, PhD Candidate, Classics, University of Manchester

Dr Christa Gray, University of Reading

Maria Pretzler, Associate Professor in Ancient History, Swansea University

Professor Ray Laurence, University of Kent

Lana Harper, PhD student, University of Sussex

Martin Young, doctoral candidate, Queen Mary, University of London

Dr Harry Newman, Lecturer in Shakespeare and Early Modern Literature, Royal Holloway, University of London

Dr John Buckingham

Natasha Sofranac, Belgrade University

William Summers, Musician

John Gerard Murphy

Niels Brunse, Author and Translator, Denmark

Darcy Krasne, Visiting Assistant Professor of Classical Studies, University of Missouri-Columbia

Elton Barker, Reader in Classical Studies, The Open University

Sam Hayes, PhD student in Classics, University of Exeter

Anthony Ellis, Leverhulme Scholar, University of Berne

Vanessa Cazzato (BA TCD, MSt, DPhil Oxon), Radboud Universiteit, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Dr Rachel Wood, Junior Research Fellow, Wolfson College, University of Oxford; and researcher at the British Museum

Dr Ben Raynor, Moses and Mary Finley Fellow, Darwin College, University of Cambridge

Dr Tom Rutter, University of Sheffield

Dr Katharine Craik, Oxford Brookes University

Dr Hugh Adlington, University of Birmingham

Gail E. Mobley, PhD Candidate, University of Birmingham

Dr Andrew Rudd, Lecturer in English, University of Exeter

Emily Kearns, Senior Research Fellow, St Hilda’s College, Oxford

Giulia Zulian, Graduate Student, Department of Classics & Ancient History, University of Exeter

A.M. Drummen, Classics Department, University of Heidelberg, Germany

Filippos Tsitsopoulos, Artist and collaborator with Kingston Shakespeare

Sonia Arias Valtuille, Spanish Journalist

Helen Lowe, Teacher, BA Hons Ancient World, MA Classics, Brighton

Dr Kristine Steenbergh, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Dr Sara Houston, University of Roehampton

Anna Ilona Rajala, PhD Student, University of Brighton

Timo Uotinen, PhD Student, Royal Holloway, University of London

Christopher Lillington -Martin, MSt. (Oxon), PhD candidate (Reading)

Chris Jones, Research Facilitator, University of Roehampton

Ruth Connolly, Senior Lecturer in 17th Century Literature at Newcastle University

Dr Lucy Pearson, Newcastle University

Dr Stacy Gillis, School of English Literature, Language & Linguistics, Newcastle University

Dr Martin Westerholm, Lecturer in Systematic Theology, Durham University

Jennifer Orr, School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, Newcastle University

Annelis Kuhlmann, Associate Professor, PhD, CTLS – Centre for Theatre Laboratory Studies, Department of Culture and Communication – Dramaturgy, Aarhus University

Dr Fionnuala O’Neill Tonning, Department of Foreign Languages, University of Bergen

Dr Lia Genovese, Lecturer, Thammasat University, Bangkok, Thailand

Dr Michelle Lefevre, Senior Lecturer, Social Work and Social Care, University of Sussex

Shanyn Altman, University of Sussex

Fionnghuala Sweeney, Senior Lecturer in American Literature, School of Literature, Language & Linguistics, University of Newcastle

Deac Rossell, Lecturer, Department of English and Comparative Literature, Goldsmith’s College, University of London

Hardy M. Cook, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Bowie State University, Editor of SHAKSPER: The Global Electronic Shakespeare Conference

Ian Gadd, Professor of English Literature, Bath Spa University

Dr Ellen Redling, English Department, University of Heidelberg, Germany

Margaret Williamson, Associate Professor Emerita of Classics and of Comparative Literature, Dartmouth

Dr Kevin De Ornellas, Lecturer in Shakespeare Studies, School of English and History, Ulster University

David Lindley, Professor Emeritus, Leeds University

Alfredo Michel Modenessi, Professor of Comparative Studies in English Drama and Translation, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Hugh Grady, Professor emeritus, Arcadia University

Mark T. Mannette, Associate Professor, Director of Theatre, Newman University

Lea Gudmundsen, teacher at Copenhagen South, Center for Adult Teaching (København Syd HF & VUC) and former student at The Shakespeare Institute, University of Birmingham

Emer McHugh, Doctoral Researcher, NUI Galway

Dr Laurence Publicover, Lecturer in English and Director of Exams, University of Bristol

Nicola Boyle, PhD Student, De Montfort University

Dr José A. Pérez Díez, Research Fellow, University of Leeds, and PhD graduate from the Shakespeare Institute

Herbert Weil, Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba

Lucia Boldrini, Professor of English and Comparative Literature, Goldsmiths, University of London

Elizabeth Hanson, Professor, Department of English, Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada

Jeannette Webber, Professor Emerita, Santa Barbara Community College, Santa Barbara, California

Margot Livesey, Professor, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA

Dr Emma Francis, Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies, University of Warwick

Tom Bishop, Professor of English, University of Auckland

Michael D. Friedman, Professor of English, University of Scranton

Alan Somerset, Professor Emeritus, University of Western Ontario

Dr Joseph Crawford, Lecturer in English Literature, University of Exeter

Kibrina Davey, Early Modern Literature PhD student, Sheffield Hallam University

Kelly Hunter, RSC, Flute Theatre

Richard M. Waugaman, M.D. Training & Supervising Analyst Emeritus, Washington Psychoanalytic Institute; Clinical Professor of Psychiatry and Faculty Expert on Shakespeare for Media Contacts, Georgetown University

F.W. Brownlow, Professor Emeritus, Mount Holyoke College

Richard Teverson, PhD, University of New Haven, USA

Emrys Bell, LMU Munich

Nathalie Motevasselani Choubineh, PhD candidate in Classics, University of Reading

Robert Sing, PhD Candidate at the Department of Classics, Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge

Professor Dr. Werner Brönnimann (emeritus), University of St. Gallen; University of Basel, Switzerland

Jane Heath, Durham University

Professor Karen P. Corrigan, School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics, Newcastle University

Mike Pincombe, Professor of Tudor and Elizabethan Literature, Newcastle University

Professor Jennifer Saul, Department of Philosophy, University of Sheffield

Dr J. Neville, Reader in Anglo-Saxon Literature, Associate Dean of Arts and Social Sciences (Education), Programme Co-Director, MA Medieval Studies, Department of English, Royal Holloway, University of London

Jan Pick MA Shakespeare and Theatre

Dave Joyce, MA Student, NUI Galway

Dr John T. Gilmore, Associate Professor, Department of English and Comparative Literary Studies, University of Warwick

Naomi Standen, Professor of Medieval History, University of Birmingham

Jennifer Clement, President, PEN International

Pat Easterling, Regius Professor Emeritus of Greek, University of Cambridge

Mac Kachere, London Renaissance Socierty and Birkbeck College Early  Modern Society

Lindsay Driediger-Murphy, Assistant Professor in Latin and Roman Social/Religious History, Department of Classics and Religion, University of Calgary

Michael Neill, Emeritus Professor of English, English Department, University of Auckland

Angelo Deidda, Ass. Professor of English Literature, University of Cagliari, Italy

Sean Lawrence Ph.D, Associate Professor and Associate Head of Critical Studies, University of British Columbia, Okanagan