I am circulating my CFP for #IMC2027, concerning how early medieval gentes, equatable with ethnic communities, were delineated, defined and redefined in the sources through active discourse and brokerage, to various identificatory ends – distinction, promotion, inclusion, exclusion, specialness...

Normans at #IMC2027! Call for papers sponsored by the Battle Conference. Full details in the alt text and pasted in successive posts. Deadline for abstracts 15 Sept. #medievalsky #archaeology #skystorians @imc-leeds.bsky.social

A CfP for #IMC2027.

These numbers are grim, but really just confirm what precarious academics have known all along. A 30% drop in Classics ECR numbers since 2012/13. At the same time, a 29% increase in professorships. Our discipline is eating its young.

The British Academy@britishacademy.bsky.social · 3w ago

What can we learn from data about the current trends in university staffing in the humanities, social sciences and arts subjects? 🧵 Read on for key insights or see the full analysis: www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/policy-and-r...

The Society will write up a summary for History for next week. Key points at this stage include: > 11% decline (-440 FPE) across all History staff between 2018/19 and 2024/25, compared with a 7% decline across all humanities > loss of 140 FPE History roles 2022/23 to 2024/25 #Skystorians 1/3

Not one question on the HE financial crisis in this 40-min interview with Bridget Phillipson, UK Secretary of State for Education. @lewisgoodall.com could you please press ministers on this? We’re losing social mobility, learning opportunities, economic prosperity, research, arts at an alarming rate

The News Agents@thenewsagents.co.uk · 4w ago

"I seem to be living rent-free in Kemi Badenoch's head," Bridget Phillipson tells Lewis Goodall. With 93% of UK children in state schools, she says she "owns" the 'spiteful class warrior' dig over Labour's 20% private school fees increase www.thenewsagents.co.uk/article/brid...

The whole thread is a great tribute to Walter Goffart, but this bit feels especially important (with things that would maybe benefit not only junior scholars).

Dr. Jeroen W.P. Wijnendaele@drdragases.bsky.social · 4w ago

When during the Q&A someone asked what advice they would give to junior academics, the following nuggets of wisdom were shared (brutally summarized, people present may intervene here if my sleep-deprived brain scrambled this too much):

New tech support team at @imc-leeds.bsky.social seems a little sus. Eager though! 😆

Glasgow is hiring a lecturer in medieval history (c.800-1500) on an open-ended basis. We are a lovely bunch in the medieval area, would be great to have a new colleague! www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DSF052/l...

Lecturer in Medieval History (Research & Teaching Track) at University of Glasgow

Looking for a new job opportunity in academia? Check out this job opening for a Lecturer in Medieval History (Research & Teaching Track) on jobs.ac.uk!

jobs.ac.uk

Have you organized a smashing session at #IMC2026 that fits somewhere in the first millennium and you are thinking about publishing it? Essays in Long Late Antiquity accept proposals for special issues and special sections, just get in touch! liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/toc/ella/cur...

Contents | Essays in Long Late Antiquity 1, 1

This editorial introduction explains the rationale for this journal and its place in the current research landscape of late antique studies. While this field has “exploded”, different specialisms and disciplines continue to approach the period through ...

liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk

With impeccable timing, on the first day of #IMC2026, the latest issue of Early Medieval Europe is out! Featuring articles by, amongst others, @katefalardeau.bsky.social and @medievaljon.bsky.social. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/14680254...

Early Medieval Europe: Vol 34, No 3

Early Medieval Europe is an interdisciplinary medieval studies journal covering European history from the fall of the Roman Empire up until the 11th century.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

This petition needs as many signatories as the Exeter one. Please sign and share — don’t let Hertfordshire managers get away with this just because a Russell Group one took the spotlight. #UKHE

Joanna Bourke@joannabourke.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Shocking news about redundancies in the Humanities at the University of Hertfordshire, despite their exceptional research activities. I have signed the petition against these actions: it would be great if you would as well: c.org/kDQynZV7J4 @bbkhistorical.bsky.social @bisa-bkk.bsky.social

Essays in Long Late Antiquity | Volume 1, Issue 1 We are pleased to share that the first issue of ELLA, the innovative new journal in first millennium studies, is here! ➡️Read it #OpenAccess: bit.ly/ELLA-1-1 @calthalas.bsky.social @sihonglin.bsky.social @barber-samj.bsky.social @emuehlbe.bsky.social

I’m very pleased that the trade press is giving space to the Exeter horror. Next challenge is for them to look a little further down the league tables - Northumbria perhaps, or my own place. We have feelings too.

Andy Brockman@andybrockman.bsky.social · last mo.

"The idea that people will be able to hold it together and deliver a term of teaching before they vanish off into the horizon, is bizarre, spiteful and naive as well.” The Times HE's punchy account of Exeter University's #BonfireOfTheHumanities & what one academic describes as "existential terror".

And behind the accessible *quality* content now available you'll repeatedly find higher education: students who benefit and go on to create content, and academic researchers whose expertise and training make possible such content. It's rightly a dialogue, though one increasingly at risk #Skystorians

Peter Whitewood@pwhitewood.bsky.social · last mo.

This misses the point. Self-education has become more accessible in the last 20 years than at any point in history, though not through ‘amateur reading’. The problem isn’t access to information but learning how to evaluate it critically - and that brings us back to universities (and Humanities)

The first issue of Essays in Long Late Antiquity is out, including a critical English translation of the Latin vita of the trans monk Marinus by yours truly 🎉 doi.org/10.3828/ella...

From Father to Virgin: The Oldest Latin Life of St Marinus (Marina) the Monk: Essays in Long Late Antiquity: Vol 1, No 1

This article examines the earliest vitae of St Marinos (Mary/Marina) the Monk, a late antique saint who was said to have been assigned female at birth but to have lived as a monk in a male monastery. It offers brief comparative analyses of the oldest ...

doi.org

Mateusz Fafinski@calthalas.bsky.social · last mo.

Friends, Romans, fellow late antiquity fans! The first issue of Essays in Long Late Antiquity, a new journal published fully in open access by Liverpool University Press is out! We have a stunning volume for you to read with amazing contributions. 1/ liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/toc/ella/cur...

Wondering how long/late/early is late antiquity? Looking for a journal with a convenient acronym? University VPN playing up? Well, have we got a new open-access journal for you!

Mateusz Fafinski@calthalas.bsky.social · last mo.

Friends, Romans, fellow late antiquity fans! The first issue of Essays in Long Late Antiquity, a new journal published fully in open access by Liverpool University Press is out! We have a stunning volume for you to read with amazing contributions. 1/ liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/toc/ella/cur...

Why are you concerned? Do you not trust your senior management team? Do you not love us? thesphinxblog.com/2026/06/24/t...

This Will Hurt You More Than It Hurts Me

[The Neville Morley of Earth 2 developed a brief stint as Faculty Education Director into a full-blown managerial career, rapidly progressing via Head of School and Dean to Pro-Vice Chancellor for …

thesphinxblog.com

With one month to go until #IMC2026, here's a re-upload of my little non-exhaustive thread of tips and tricks for first-timers (including a link to a great blogpost by @samottewillsoulsby.bsky.social at the end!) #MedievalSky

Rutger K. 🟥@anotheraspirin.bsky.social · last yr.

Hey kids! First time at the #IMC2025 @imc-leeds.bsky.social? Here are some of Old Man Kramer's Hot Tips! #medievalsky

One additional tip: No matter if you're presenting a BA thesis or the latest chapter in your magnum opus, there is a 99% chance that you are the undisputed leading global expert in that particular topic at that particular time in that particular room. Do not let The Olds intimidate you.

- insisting on the centrality of LGBTQ+ histories to Britain's national history - creating classroom spaces that centre the needs & perspectives of queer & trans students - supervising student research in local and national LGBTQ+ histories - supporting community work in LGBTQ+ history

will pooley@willpooley.bsky.social · 3mo ago

what’s something you still enjoy doing in your academic job? ill start: -reading new things -collaborative teaching -using dr but having to clarify “haha not that kind of doctor”

It's been a long year, but beyond chuffed to get this box of goodies from my GTAs. A small win among *waves at everything*

I’m pleased to say that we’re advertising for a permanent lectureship in early modern English Literature (grade 7). I’m happy to answer any questions via email. Please circulate. www.jobs.gla.ac.uk/job/lecturer...

About time we take the Northumbrian metropolitan elite down a peg.

Aidan O'Sullivan@aidanosullivan.bsky.social · 5mo ago

"In honour of the Sunday Telegraph editor's apocalyptically pessimistic worldview, we present the Allister Heath Headline Generator. Choose an issue of the day. Press the button. Get your own tailor-made right-wing existential crisis clickbait." stirring-fox-7e1fab.netlify.app

Coming soon! We are excited to share our first issue in just a few months. We are also accepting submissions for issue 2 onwards! Feel free to send any questions or ideas to @calthalas.bsky.social @sihonglin.bsky.social or me on here, or with the editors via email tinyurl.com/tph5wvmd

Liverpool University Press@livunipress.bsky.social · 8mo ago

NEW FOR 2026 | Essays in Long Late Antiquity A new Open Access journal in first millennium studies, enticing interdisciplinary and superregional approaches to research in the second to the ninth centuries & broader Afro-Eurasian region: bit.ly/4f7BXZC @calthalas.bsky.social @sihonglin.bsky.social

My tasty take (pun intended) on the Bayeux Tapestry—a subject on which I had vowed never to publish. Available Open Access with @ihr.bsky.social. See what you make of it, and bon appetit! academic.oup.com/histres/adva...

Chewing over the Norman Conquest: the Bayeux Tapestry as monastic mealtime reading*

Abstract. This article offers a new contextualization of the Bayeux Tapestry by exploring its use as mealtime reading in a monastic refectory. This concept

academic.oup.com

some news 👇 we're going to find out how to overcome the numerous practical and ethical problems we face when researching the nameless.

Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies@dependencybonn.de · 8mo ago

BCDSS Professors Julia Hillner and Pia Wiegmink, together with former BCDSS Guest Researcher Jamie Wood (University of Lincoln), have been granted funding by the VolkswagenStiftung for their collaborative project "The Nameless in History". @unibonn.bsky.social @dfg.de @volkswagenstiftung.de

The first issue is shaping up nicely already, look out for more news in 2026 and an appearance from the team at the Leeds International Medieval Congress!

Liverpool University Press@livunipress.bsky.social · 8mo ago

NEW FOR 2026 | Essays in Long Late Antiquity A new Open Access journal in first millennium studies, enticing interdisciplinary and superregional approaches to research in the second to the ninth centuries & broader Afro-Eurasian region: bit.ly/4f7BXZC @calthalas.bsky.social @sihonglin.bsky.social

The brilliant Prof. Alex Woolf @standrewshist.bsky.social is back on the podcast to tell us what the Scandinavian diaspora got up to in the Middle Ages & why 'The Vikings' is a problematic concept. @maynoothuniversity.ie @researchireland.ie @tiagoovsilva.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/3ljZ...

This is a late ancient (5-7th c.?) Greek account of the life of a rich woman who was raised Jewish, converted to Christianity when her parents died, lived for 20 years as a male monk named John, was discovered & made head of a woman's monastery, & was later martyred

Andrew Jacobs (he/him)@drewjakeprof.bsky.social · 8mo ago

well, what the heck. it's the tuesday before thanksgiving, and whoever is on here deserves a treat: the first new translation I've posted in a long while: the Life and Martyrdom of Susanna: andrewjacobs.org/translations...