Very much looking forward to @imc-leeds.bsky.social next week where @drkrisztinailko.bsky.social and I have organised two panels on the Transformation of Political Culture in the High Middle Ages following on from the conference held in the @dependencybonn.de last year. We hope to see you there!

Happening today! 👇

It is sad to hear that Carlo Ginzburg has passed away. He gave a talk last year in Cambridge, and I feel so lucky to have had the chance to meet him!

I am thrilled to invite you to the book launch of The Sons of St Augustine taking place at 5pm on Wednesday 17th June in Old Hall at Queens', with a fantastic lineup of presenters! Followed by a drinks reception, too. All are welcome, and no registration is needed. Please share widely!

Pour mes amis français! theconversation.com/au-moyen-age...

Au Moyen Âge, les échecs ont créé un espace où la couleur de peau ne comptait pas

Dans l’imaginaire médiéval, la couleur de peau était souvent associée à des hiérarchies sociales ou religieuses. Mais les échecs offraient un cadre singulier : sur l’échiquier, la victoire dépendait d...

theconversation.com

Proofs! My next article, 'Jefferson's Chess Set' will be published in The American Historical Review later this year. Having an article in this journal is a thing now off from my bucket list.

I had fun yesterday giving a paper at the 'Plant Lives: Sacred Interdependencies in the Arts of the Americas' conference at Yale.

It's great to see this article in The Conversation up now! Link in the first comment.

Today's featured title: "The Sons of St Augustine: Art and Memory in the Augustinian Churches of Central Italy, 1256–1370," by Kristztina Ilko, Oxford University Press, 2026 @academic.oup.com @drkrisztinailko.bsky.social global.oup.com/academic/pro...

The medieval world was brutal. Fortunately, it had chess. An award-winning study by @queens.cam.ac.uk Dr Krisztina Ilko reveals that chess promoted racial harmony in remarkable ways, celebrating intellectual prowess, irrespective of skin colour. Explore the full story 👇 https://bit.ly/4bPYU4X

Check mates!

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 7mo ago

Check mates: analysis of medieval chess sets reveal vision of equality and mutual respect

Pretty amazing to see The Guardian reporting on my article winning the Medieval Academy of America's Article Prize in Critical Race Studies and on medieval chess' potential to reveal a vision of equality and mutual respect! Link in the first comment.

I will be giving a paper at the History of Liturgy seminar at the IHR in London at 5.30pm on Monday, 16 Feb. Link for in-person and Zoom registration in the first comment. 👇

The next History of Liturgy Seminar is in London @ihr.bsky.social on Monday 16 Feb 17.30. The award-winning @drkrisztinailko.bsky.social on The Augustinian Friars & their Liturgical Cult of Saint Augustine. In-person (chat! drinks! people!) or online: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/... #medievalsky

Many congratulations to @drkrisztinailko.bsky.social for winning the @medievalacademy.bsky.social prize for best article in critical race studies!

The Medieval Academy of America@medievalacademy.bsky.social · 8mo ago

MAA 2026 Publication Prizes We are very pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 Medieval Academy of America Publication Prizes: The Haskins Medal: Travis Zadeh, Wonders and Rarities: The Marvelous Book That Traveled the World and Mapped the www.themedievalacademyblog.org/maa-2026-pub...

Proofs!

Lent 2026 Term Card for the Cambridge Medieval History Research Seminar. All sessions take place at 4pm in Sidgwick Lecture Block Room 5!

With the first copy of The Sons of St Augustine!

Leo XIV is the 1st Augustinian Pope, but did you know that his order once performed green-fingered, dragon-slaying miracles? @drkrisztinailko.bsky.social from @camhistory.bsky.social @queens.cam.ac.uk reveals the forgotten lives of these wild medieval saints 👇 https://bit.ly/4rP25Qj #skystorians 🗃️

Dragon-slaying saints performed green-fingered medieval miracles, new study reveals

Pope Leo XIV's Augustinian order once performed green-fingered, dragon-slaying miracles. Dr Krisztina Ilko rediscovers their lives and wild power base

bit.ly

Medievalist.net@medievalists.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Forgotten Medieval Miracles of the Augustinians Revealed in New Study www.medievalists.net/2025/12/forg... research (and new book) by @drkrisztinailko.bsky.social #medieval

Queens' JRF (@camhistory.bsky.social) @drkrisztinailko.bsky.social's new book, The Sons of St Augustine, challenges major assumptions about the medieval Catholic Church and early Renaissance. Read more about her publication on our website, and the Cambridge University press release.

👇

Cambridge University History Faculty@camhistory.bsky.social · 10mo ago

Medieval historian Dr Krisztina Ilko (@queens.cam.ac.uk) challenges major assumptions about the medieval Catholic Church and early Renaissance. Forgotten medieval miracles are brought to light in her new book 'The Sons of St Augustine', published today by Oxford University Press ⬇️⬇️

Wild medieval saints! 🔥🔥🔥 Dragons and miraculously sprouting cherry twigs. An evil walnut tree growing above the tomb of Nero. For these and much more in my book, 'The Sons of St Augustine' (OUP), I am delighted to share the wonderful media release that Cambridge published this morning:

Dragon-slaying saints performed green-fingered medieval miracles, new study reveals

Pope Leo XIV's Augustinian order once performed green-fingered, dragon-slaying miracles. Dr Krisztina Ilko rediscovers their lives and wild power base

cam.ac.uk

Artist: what would you like on your coat of arms? Lady: a giant skeleton fish. Artist: say no more.

What is the point of an index if the page numbers "may, on occasion, appear on only one" of the pages listed? Apparently, this is for the benefit of the digital users. But what about the benefit of the readers of the actual physical book? #academicpublishing

Book cover plan, now complete with the blurb on the back! 📕

Book proofs! Very exciting to see this coming together at last. global.oup.com/academic/pro...

Just a quick reminder that we are still eagerly awaiting your paper proposals for the next IMC! ⏰🎓👇 @imc-leeds.bsky.social

Very excited to spread the news that @ryan1992reading.bsky.social and I are organising a session for the Leeds IMC next year on political culture in the High Middle Ages! Please drop us a message if interested and share widely.

The College intends to appoint a Junior Research Fellow (JRF) from 1 October 2026 in each of the following subject areas: Music and Pure Mathematics/Mathematical Statistics. For more information visit our vacancies page on our website: www.queens.cam.ac.uk/about-us/vac...