I’m proud — and very surprised! — to have been selected as a winner of one of Edge Hill’s inaugural research awards. I won in the ‘Changemaker’ category, which recognises people whose work contributes to real-world public impact. It’s great that the panel recognised the value of public history work.

The latest History Extra is out, and this month’s Ask The Experts feature is all about inaccurate historical films. Delighted to have a pull-quote from my response on the cover! You’ll have to grab a copy to see what film I’m talking about, but longtime followers might be able to guess.

Friends! Does anybody's library have access to the Dickensian? I need to access an article titled 'Charles Dickens's Desk' from the Spring 1997 issue, and, ideally, a couple of other desk-related articles from the Summer 2025 issue.

I genuinely feel sick. A company reached out to me on IG, linking me to an AI version of myself. You can even ask "me" questions. They are also advertising it using an AI photo of me. They told me if I like it, they will give me free access... to my own fucking content that they stole. /1

I'm giving a public talk in Manchester on 15 June! Tickets available here: www.eventbrite.com/e/what-shoul...

🎉Congratulations to @c19thnewshound.bsky.social, our 2026 Mitchell Prize winner! His work reframes the so-called "failure" of #19thC short-lived periodicals as innovative and intentional. Our judges described the project as "analytically acute and conceptually ambitious." Read more: buff.ly/mix9hRU

Harry Furniss's Punch interior of 'A Well-Known Circulating Library'. Note the two young women trying to help themselves to books, and an elderly one absorbed in the intrigues of Lady Audley's Secret.

On Friday afternoon before the Bank Holiday, colleagues in the Humanities department were called to a meeting on Tuesday. They were informed that the University Portfolio Review had decided that English Language, English Literature, Philosophy, History & Creative Writing UG degrees would close

Owen Davies@odavies9.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Aye. Heard today that my university is closing UG History, Philosophy, English Lit, Linguistics, and Creative Writing in one go.

I was interviewed for this fun article about Victorian eating habits! www.mashed.com/2157791/what...

The Everyday And Unusual Foods People Ate In The Victorian Era - Mashed

The Victorians ate a surprising array of foods, from eel pies and brain cakes to ice creams flavored with cucumber, tea, spinach, and oyster.

mashed.com

Urgh. This has made it to the Guardian. As I said the other day, it sounds dire for lifelong learning and for non-traditional students. A very real risk of homogenising the student body, here. Along with assumptions about the form of universities. www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Vice-chancellor calls for review into student loans for those without A-levels

Adam Tickell, of University of Birmingham, says money is loaned to people who ‘are not really capable of graduating’

theguardian.com

Questionable 1700s treatment for melancholy... rubbing yourself all over with nettles

I've got an op ed in @telegraph.co.uk, ruminating on how the Victorians approached death and funerals, in case you fancy reading something cheerful this morning! In print, or online: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/03...

It's official! I've been 'doctored'. So many folks to thank - for now, fab supervisors @digivictorian.bsky.social, @bethgaskell.bsky.social, @drbeard79.bsky.social, @miaout.bsky.social, great examiners @jimmussell.bsky.social, @sarahfoxhistory.bsky.social and many friends/colleagues @rs4vp.org.

I'm super excited to be chatting to The Byron Society about how volcanoes have shaped the Gothic and why Lord Byron was the ultimate 'Volcanic Gothic' celebrity. Featuring cameos from Jo March, Dracula & the Dark Lord Sauron! 📆 26/02/2026 5:30 pm. Online. 🎟️ www.thebyronsociety.com/events/volca...

More Research Training from the IHR . The term 2 calendar is now live. www.history.ac.uk/study-traini...

Applications are now invited for a new RHS programme for 2026, co-hosted with @ihr.bsky.social and @chalkefestival.bsky.social 'Pitch my Project' is for early career historians to present their research at the Chalke History Festival in June bit.ly/44kfUMM. Closing date: 6 February. #Skystorians

Pitch my Project: an opportunity for early career historians to present their work at the Chalke History Festival 2026 - RHS

Have you ever wanted to share your research with a wide audience? Would you like to gain experience in public speaking, and be supported to develop imaginative ways to communicate your research to the...

bit.ly

Here are 8 successful *proposals* for academic books/monographs. I am hoping that these help someone who is starting out trying to write one and wants to see what worked for me. They are provided as examples, rather than exemplars. A lot of it was just finding my own way eve.gd/2026/01/16/s...

Some example academic book proposal forms in case they help

A pivotal moment in my academic career, or at least one I remember clearly, was when a very senior professor in the US sent me his book proposal for an acade...

eve.gd

📣3 days to go until the deadline - we can't wait to see you for our 50th anniversary in Lancaster!

Social History Society@socialhistsoc.bsky.social · 8mo ago

📣You have just under a month to send in your proposal for our 2026 Social History Society Conference - where we will be celebrating out 50th anniversary! 👉Find out more here: socialhistory.org.uk/conference/s...

We used to do real science

Birkbeck is hiring a Lecturer in Medieval Studies (c.1300-1500), full-time and open-ended. They will be formally based in English but expected to be able to contribute about 0.5FTE to History, including teaching and supervision. Closing date Feb 23rd: cis7.bbk.ac.uk/vacancy/lect...

People of the UK! 🇬🇧 There’s still time to vote for an inspiring history teacher — the entry criteria is on the HRP website. I’m proud to be on the judging panel and look forward to celebrating great history teachers www.hrp.org.uk/schools/insp...

If you missed it, series 11 of YOU’RE DEAD TO ME launched on Saturday with an episode about Roman Emperor Nero. Our guests are the superstar double-act of Professor Mary Beard & Patton Oswalt You can listen now in the UK on BBC SOUNDS, or it’ll be out on January 30th on all global podcast apps

🚨NEW SERIES ALERT‼️ You’re Dead To Me is back for series 11, and to launch us off I’m joined by the brilliant classicist @wmarybeard.bsky.social and the hilarious comedian @pattonoswalt.bsky.social to discuss the controversial life & reputation of Roman Emperor Nero www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Work in progress. I'm slightly obsessed with turn-of-the-(19th)century theatre/pantomime/circus playbills at the moment, so I'm re-creating posters and ads for more recent productions (and products) in that style. #graphics #movies #davidlynch #victorian

Can anyone help me decipher a bit of handwriting from 1852? I'm trying to figure out the cause of death in this record.

This Is Just To Say I have eaten Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, and who you were probably saving for breakfast Forgive me he was delicious so sweet and so cold

Pete Orford@peteorford.bsky.social · 7mo ago

"My name is Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair"

Prove you’re not a Whig.

The latest issue of @historyextra.bsky.social is out! I’m part of a new monthly feature called ‘Ask the Experts’ — each issue, a group of expert historians all answer the same question. This month, we’re asking who is the most ‘overrated’ figure in history? Who do you think I picked?

I made a video for @wired.com answering questions from the internet about Victorian history! youtu.be/10iYlK7bsJw?...

Historian Answers Victorian England Questions | Tech Support | WIRED

YouTube video by WIRED

youtu.be

This week we launch a new programme for early career researchers with @ihr.bsky.social & @chalkefestival.bsky.social 'Pitch my Project' is an opportunity for early career historians to present their research at the 2026 Chalke History Festival bit.ly/44kfUMM Applications now invited #Skystorians

Pitch my Project: an opportunity for early career historians to present their work at the Chalke History Festival 2026 - RHS

Have you ever wanted to share your research with a wide audience? Would you like to gain experience in public speaking, and be supported to develop imaginative ways to communicate your research to the...

bit.ly