Burning Swamps: Peat and the Forgotten Margins of Russia's Fossil Economy

A book talk by Katja Bruisch (TCD) with comments by Diogo de Carvalho Cabral (TCD) and Jennifer Keating (UCD).

Please register here.

What happens if we tell the history of the planetary emergency from the margins? In Burning Swamps: Peat and the Forgotten Margins of Russia’s Fossil Economy (Cambridge University Press 2025), Katja Bruisch traces the forgotten role of peat in Russian industrialisation and electrification and points to the social and ecological legacies of this history. Providing a corrective to more familiar energy history narratives dominated by coal, oil, and gas and with an eye to the intersecting histories of labour and matter, her book moves beyond the socialism/capitalism binary and invites us to recognise the role of seemingly marginal people, resources and places in the broader trajectory of planetary change. The event will feature a book talk by the author and comments by Diogo de Carvalho Cabral (Trinity College Dublin) and Jennifer Keating (University College Dublin).

This event is run in accordance with Trinity’s Dignity and Respect policy, and its commitment to nurturing a respectful and inclusive research culture.
Please indicate if you have any access requirements, such as ISL/English interpreting, so that we can facilitate you in attending this event. Contact: bruischk@tcd.ie