I’m honoured that my book, MULTICULTURAL BRITAIN: A PEOPLE’S HISTORY has been shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize. Hugely grateful to the judges and the many people who have supported this work along the way @wolfsonhistory.bsky.social www.wolfsonhistoryprize.org.uk/2025-wolfson...

There is a reason why history is at the heart of the culture wars. History is central to public consciousness and people care. History seems to be thriving everywhere apart from in the spaces where historians are trained… #QMCBS

@robertsaunders.bsky.social rallying for the humane case for history: not reducing people to contributors to GDP, but the role of the informed citizens, seeing the world through other eyes, making the present strange. We need to be confident in that to change the narrative about history&UKHE #QMCBS

@riakapoor.bsky.social answering the prompt on to what extent academic history should be shaped by present concerns: notices that the issues that are discussed without nuance and with binary ideas in the public discourse were discussed brilliantly & with nuance at #QMCBS.

Michelle Tusan: What happens to national histories when a country turns inwards? As someone flying in from the US, and recognising the value of continuing to collaborate and talk in person (even in ridiculously hot rooms…) #QMCBS

Thanks for this wonderful thread on our panel at @qmcbs.bsky.social’s British History Today conference, @onslies.bsky.social. #qmcbs

Great 2nd day of @qmcbs.bsky.social British History Now conference. Starting with awesome panel inc Jean Smith, @freddyfoks.bsky.social and @historianhelen.bsky.social on emigration, race and Empire post 1945 - loved these pics from Helen of expat retirees in Europe #QMCBS 🗃️

Delighted to speak on Vote100 2018 celebrations and plans for equal franchise 2028 on panel on political history today - with @jhdavey.bsky.social @martinspychal.bsky.social William Pettigrew and brilliant presentation by Matthew Smith & Ayshah Johnston on Inclusive Histories project #QMCBS 🗃️

Final plenary discussing purpose of British history today @clairelanghamer.bsky.social @robertsaunders.bsky.social @lottelydia.bsky.social @riakapoor.bsky.social and Michelle Tusan @thenacbs.bsky.social All v thought-provoking! #QMCBS 🗃️

The *excitement*!! The fabulous @julialaite.bsky.social for the @rshc.bsky.social lecture on “British History from the Middle of Nowhere” 🤩 #QMCBS

V interesting and thought-provoking 1st day of @qmcbs.bsky.social conference on British History Today. Great panel in packed room here on everyday and experience histories inc @caitbeaumont.bsky.social @ruthdav.bsky.social @lauratisdall.bsky.social @lauracking.bsky.social #QMCBS 🗃️

Fantastic to round off an enriching first day of the @qmcbs.bsky.social conference with the Raphael Samuel Memorial Lecture by Julia Laite. "British history from the middle of nowhere" - great title!

Amazing keynote by @julialaite.bsky.social on 'British history from the middle of nowhere', exploring how Britain has 'off-shored' its complicity in colonial violence in Newfoundland and Canada. A barnstorming lecture, rooted in the precarity of the field and the academy. @qmcbs.bsky.social

I've found the Europeans @qmcbs.bsky.social... I'm in panel 1.2 ‘‘Sites of Fracture – Doing Environmental History at the Margins of Capitalism’. Speakers are focusing on Ireland with intriguing papers on rain, dairy & community campaigns

Taking Over Enthusiastic Social Media Person privilege: hashtag #QMCBS? Yes, @qmcbs.bsky.social?

At @qmcbs.bsky.social conference talking about the rash of British history edited collections being developed at the moment. @sarahcrook.bsky.social making the important point that what might look like 'vitality' in a field can perhaps better be understood as 'resilience'.

I'm always interested in contemporary history as that within 'living memory' -- the way that it foregrounds the historian as a actor in the creation of that historical narrative, since 'living memory' is definitionally a subjective period, and what that means for a field @qmcbs.bsky.social

At the @qmcbs.bsky.social conference today feeling a tad guilty because apparently few early modernists put in and here I am not doing early modern stuff at all. Letting the side down.

Super excited that the @qmcbs.bsky.social conference, British History Today, is Happening Tomorrow! (and Friday). Here are the details of my panel:

There are a few places left for registration: projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/britis...

Jst one week to go until British History Today: projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/britis...

Look! LOOK! The purple has made its way over to our side! Possibly peaking a smidge too early, but still ready to be all pretty for the @qmcbs.bsky.social conference. Sign & make sure you sign up separately for the @rshc.bsky.social lecture projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/britis... #SkyStoriansn

I have a very personal essay in today’s Irish Times about the grandfather I never met, the historian KH Connell www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

Places for British History Today are filling up. Please do register - especially if you are on the programme! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/british-hi...

Really enjoyed the @qmcbs.bsky.social reading group discussion of @samwetherell.bsky.social's striking new book. This is a bold, elegant, and well-researched argument about modern Britain (past and future) - with spiky ideas. Views on its claims varied (ofc!) but we all hugely enjoyed reading it.

I mean, look at it! That was 4 May 2023. So we've got this. We're on #BluebellWatch for all of April, willing them persist to show off to all the #SkyStorians joining @qmcbs.bsky.social : projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/britis...

Registration pages for Modern British History conference, 1-2 May, now at: projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/britis.... Thanks to support from @rshc.bsky.social @mileendinstitute.bsky.social @pastpresentsoc.bsky.social

Just putting finishing touches to British History Today programme at Queen Mary, 1-2 May. Thanks to all who submitted. And apologies to all those we couldn’t fit in. Details should appear soon at: projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/

Thanks to all who submitted proposals for British History Today: projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/. We have been overwhelmed with panel and paper suggestions. You should hear back from us in the next day or two

Just two days until the deadline for submissions. Lots coming through. We hope to accommodate as many papers and panels as possible: projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/

A quick reminder that the deadline for panel and paper proposals for our conference, British History Today, is in 10 days time! Please send to [email protected].

Hi everyone! Our spring term programme is now up on the IHR website: www.history.ac.uk/seminars/bri... Thanks to the help of the IHR, all of these sessions are offered hybrid: so you can sign up to attend online, or come along in person.

I have a piece in today’s Guardian based on my book in which I argue for an expanded, more inclusive definition of multiculturalism as a way out of the culture wars www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Closing plenary on 2 May on the future of British History is sponsored by Mile End Institute. Line up includes: Charlotte Riley; Rob Saunders; Ria Kapoor; Kennetta Hammond Perry @lottelydia.bsky.social @robertsaunders.bsky.social @riakapoor.bsky.social @kennettaperry.bsky.social

Plenary on the evening of 1 May is Julia Laite, ‘British History from the Middle of Nowhere’ and hosted jointly with Raphael Samuel History Centre @julialaite.bsky.social @rshc.bsky.social

More detail will appear at projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/. Opening plenary is on ‘Writing the history of Britain today’. Thrilled to have Alana Harris, Sarah Crook, Miles Taylor and Mike Braddick participating. @dralanagharris.bsky.social @sarahcrook.bsky.social

Another reminder that the deadline for panel and paper proposals for our conference, British History Today, 1-2 May 2025 is 24 Jan. Send to [email protected]

@fortrenn.bsky.social Looks ideal for some Cornish/Scottish/Welsh papers:

Looks like a really interesting CfP from my colleagues in QM's Centre for Governance and Democracy (including the fab @sajuria.com) www.qmul.ac.uk/politics/res...

"The historian scoffs when I ask if such insight is well paid. “Are you mad?! I’m not a lawyer, none of this is lucrative,” she says." My wonderful colleague Amanda Vickery on the work of the historical consultant. www.theguardian.com/film/2024/no...

Delighted that we can announce that the marvellous Julia Laite @julialaite.bsky.social will give one of the keynotes on 1 May, doubling up as lecture for Raphael Samuel History Centre @rshc.bsky.social

More details will appear over coming weeks at (projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/) but delighted to be partnering with Raphael Samuel History Centre @rshc.bsky.social and Mile End Institute @mileendinstitute.bsky.social

Quick reminder about our conference, 'British History Today, 1-2 May 2025. Further details will appear on projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/. Deadline for papers is 24 January 2025. There have been many great ideas for panels, papers and novel formats already

Welcome to Blue Sky to Queen Mary's Centre for Modern British Studies. First conference coming in May next year... @qmcbs.bsky.social

Just under two weeks to go till our next seminar! 🗃️ 👉Michael Romyn (Queen Mary University of London) will be speaking about Women’s Space and Community Action in the Neoliberal City. ⏲️18 November, 6pm to 7.30pm. 🆓As ever it's free! 👉Sign-up here: www.history.ac.uk/events/women...

CALL FOR PAPERS: 'British History Today' Conference, 1-2 May 2025. Great to see this initiative from colleagues in the new Queen Mary Centre for British Studies. See the link and below for details. Proposals due on 24 January 2025. projects.history.qmul.ac.uk/qmcbs/