Simon Kővesi
@kovesi.bsky.social
Professor of English & Scottish Literature, Head of School, Critical Studies, University of Glasgow. Research working-class literature & Romantic-period cultures. Editor, John Clare Society Journal.
Are the "Big Six" still the mainstay of Romanticism? Here's a crude word cloud of the programme of last week's - albeit entirely brilliant, hugely enjoyable - conference of the British Association for Romantic Studies. It does not quite work - though good to see "coffee" pretty prominent.
March 2027: Oxford World's Classics edition of Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (1821) will be published. First modern, annotated edition of a novel that defined the age. In this plate by the Cruikshank brothers, the chums get in a fight & Egan has his notebook nicked. global.oup.com/academic/pro...
So much this. 1) time + practice your talk; you will be unable to extemporise from bringing in your 25,000-word book chapter draft 🙄 2&3) don't be a dick 4) this is not your space to speechify how interesting you think YOU are; it is for your presenting colleagues to shine. Shine light on them 🥰
Simon Kővesi@kovesi.bsky.social · 2d agoFour baselines for academic conference attendance: 1) keep to your allocated speaking time. 2) everyone is clever; stand out by being warm & kind. 3) be interested in everyone equally - from postgrad to Prof to conference administrator to catering & hotel staff. 4) in Q&A, ask an actual question.
Four baselines for academic conference attendance: 1) keep to your allocated speaking time. 2) everyone is clever; stand out by being warm & kind. 3) be interested in everyone equally - from postgrad to Prof to conference administrator to catering & hotel staff. 4) in Q&A, ask an actual question.
on academic publishing. im not the only person to have this thought, right? a few years ago given the choice of open access journal article or paywalled chapter i would *always* opt for OA but LLM scraping now gives me pause (1/3)
Email 2126 style, as imagined in 1826, by Jane Webb, in her novel "The Mummy! A Tale of the Twenty-Second Century". Even though your mail is fired from place to place inside a metal cannonball, it sounds way less dangerous than Grok, Tock Tick, Bookface or LinkedIn.
Lovely to read this tribute to the gifted teaching of @kovesi.bsky.social. Most worthwhile 'esteem indicator' any academic could hope for.
Marianne Doherty@mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 4d agoMy school English teachers taught me to pass exams but I never really understood what we were doing. But @kovesi.bsky.social was my first tutor at uni who talked about his love of The Magus and John Clare and helped me begin to realise it could also be about stuff you enjoyed and found interesting.
I found this fascinating. I don't think I've ever seen a Museum publicly list the costs of an exhibition before. www.artnews.com/art-in-ameri... - It's actually super helpful for people to see what it takes.
A Museum Dares to Reveal What It Really Costs to Make an Exhibition
“Performing Conditions: Artistic Labor and Dependency as Form,” at the MIT List Visual Arts Center, stars Autumn Knight, Dread Scott, Ghislaine Leung.
artnews.com
My school English teachers taught me to pass exams but I never really understood what we were doing. But @kovesi.bsky.social was my first tutor at uni who talked about his love of The Magus and John Clare and helped me begin to realise it could also be about stuff you enjoyed and found interesting.
Fabulous time at @bars.bsky.social BARS conference in Birmingham. Home time. Well done everyone involved.
Pleased to see this piece published in @theconversation.com yesterday. Thoughts I’ve had for a while made timely by our #NationalYearofReading: theconversation.com/from-moral-d... @uofgartshums.bsky.social
From moral decay to pure escapism: how attitudes to reading have changed over three centuries
Getting lost in a book is now regarded as an enriching experience – but a few hundred years ago, reading novels was considered a corrupting force.
theconversation.com
I've wanted to write this @theguardian.com country diary on a special place in #JohnClare and my family's lives for a while now. Many thanks to the Gatekeepers and the Puddocks for helping me... #countrydiary #naturewriting @johnclare.bsky.social @kovesi.bsky.social
Country diary: In poet John Clare’s garden, I contemplate my ancestor who lived here too | Nic Wilson
Helpston, Cambridgeshire: I picture Henry as a young lad, hiding in flowerbeds, chasing butterflies, learning to love nature
theguardian.com
Finally, a politician is going to war with "cosy crime" fiction. Vote BIN.
Count Binface@countbinface.bsky.social · last wk.Here it is. My manifesto for the 2026 Clacton By-Election. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Join me, clean up Clacton and let's make 13th August Bin Day! #VoteBinface #VoteyMcVoteface #YesWeTinCan
Brilliant conversation of English Literature graduates, including UofG's own Harry Cobb, who graduated this summer. Thanks to MMU's Eleanor Beal for chairing & all at @univeng.bsky.social & @englishassociation.bsky.social. @glasgow.ac.uk @uofgartshums.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=z170...
Panel Discussion 3: Studying English Now
YouTube video by English Creates Futures
youtube.com
*** Lectureship in Creative Writing *** School of English, University of Leeds Salary £41,064 to £59,966 p.a. jobs.leeds.ac.uk/Vacancy.aspx...
The anatomy of an AI-supported academic article is becoming more apparent. I desk reviewed ~70 manuscripts this week for our journal. Reckon 20ish had significant AI assistance. On top of hundreds of others recently I'm starting to see patterns. Are other editors are seeing the same or similar? 1/
Off to Darfield Library to change my books; local libraries staffed by trained librarians are the heart of every community. Long may they thrive!
Stop scrolling and post two characters who bring you happiness. www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MWp...
Dinah Roe@preraphsrule.bsky.social · 3w agoStop scrolling and post two characters who bring you happiness.
Furious that Chris Nolan would disregard historical accuracy in adapting The Odyssey by making a "movie" with "cameras" instead of memorizing the entire story and then going on a nationwide tour to sing it to us while tripping on ergotized barley
All fine, but the collapsed funding model should be the focus of @britishacademy.bsky.social's & all academic bodies' attacks. UK universities do not get enough money for each domestic student. At root, before any other issue, that's why they are falling over themselves to cut costs emergency style.
The British Academy@britishacademy.bsky.social · 3w agoOur Chief Executive, Hetan Shah, argues in the Financial Times that now is the moment to embrace the humanities, not retreat from them. Read more: https://bit.ly/4vxfGMQ
A critic wrote in the Times of Goblin Market that ‘Miss Rossetti can point to work which could not easily be mended’ and this was her ensuing rage – as sketched by Dante Gabriel.
🔴 Reform UK Plans To Jail Candidates For Using Irish, Gaelic Or Cornish On Election Leaflets EXCLUSIVE: Nigel Farage’s party propose amendment to the Government’s elections Bill which would mean candidates using Irish and Scottish Gaelic would face up to six months in prison
Reform UK Plans To Jail Candidates For Using Irish, Gaelic Or Cornish On Election Leaflets
EXCLUSIVE: Nigel Farage's party propose amendment to the Government's elections Bill which would mean candidates using Irish and Scottish Gaelic would face up to six months in prison
bylinetimes.com
One of my favourite moments in Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (1821). The poor know better how to have fun.
@ianduhig.bsky.social - what book is that if you don't mind me asking? We'll review it in the John Clare Society Journal for sure.
Ian Duhig@ianduhig.bsky.social · 3w agoHappy Birthday John Clare. A new book on his work and life will be published this year in which I am honoured to have this poem.
Happy Birthday John Clare. A new book on his work and life will be published this year in which I am honoured to have this poem.