St John’s College are delighted to be welcoming Professor Darek Wojcik and Dr Stefanos Ioannou to Oxford on Tuesday 19th November, 4-6pm to speak about their newly published ‘Atlas of Finance’ (Yale University Press, 2024) – the first ever book-size collection of maps and visuals dedicated to the topic of finance and a unique illustrated exploration of the development of finance that combines data from every part of the world and covers five thousand years of history.

From the emergence of money in the ancient world to today’s interconnected landscape of high-frequency trading and cryptocurrency, the story of finance has always taken place on an international stage. Finance is one of the most globalized and networked of human activities, and one of the most important social technologies ever invented. The Atlas uses graphics and maps to bring the complex and abstract world of finance down to earth, showing how geography is fundamental for understanding finance, and vice versa.

It illuminates the people – including Adam Smith, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes – who have shaped our thinking about global finance; brings to life the ways that place-specific histories, laws, regulations, and institutions influence finance; shows how finance relates to innovation, globalization, and environmental change; and details how finance plays a key part in drawing the landscape of uneven development, inequality, and instability. At the same time, it asks questions relevant to everyday lives of people as affected by finance. What are the best financial investments across history? Are you financially literate? How to prepare financially for the effects of climate change?

Liaquat Ahamed, Pulitzer Prize winning author of the book “Lords of Finance”, described the Atlas as ”a stunning visual experience, every page a revelation of the mystery of finance and its often hidden pathways across the globe.” Robert J. Shiller, Nobel laureate in Economic Sciences, wrote that “each page bursts with stunning and illuminating illustrations” and “everyone from students to seasoned professionals to armchair experts will learn something from this unique and fun book”. The Atlas of Finance, with word and image, will change the way you view both your money and your world.

Darek and Stefanos will be delivering an informative and visually engaging presentation, before taking part in a lively Q&A. The event will be held in the college’s Auditorium and will be followed by a drinks reception in the adjacent Reception Room. Please ask the Porters’ Lodge on arrival for details on how to find the Auditorium.

Tickets are free of charge and the event is open to university members and the public.

About the Authors:

Prof Dariusz Wójcik is a Professor of Financial Geography at National University of Singapore and an Honorary Research Associate at Oxford University. While specializing in financial geography, he has published widely in human geography and urban studies, finance and economics, and political economy. He is the Chair the Global Network on Financial Geography, Editor-in-Chief of Finance & Space journal, and a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.

Dr Stefanos Ioannou is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at Oxford Brookes University. He completed his PhD in Economics at the University of Leeds in 2016, under the supervision of Gary Dymski and Malcolm Sawyer. His main research interests are macroeconomics, economic geography, and banking and finance.

Free