Clearing the head on Boxing Day.

Part of my reason for writing anything is to improve my understanding of the topic. That means learning about new or half-known sub-fields, which means familiarising myself with the secondary literature. That’s axiomatic. It’s the lack of curiosity here, as much as the dishonesty, that I don’t get.

Yum.

Through his life and extraordinary talent, the immigrant and refugee child Tomáš Sträussler who became known to us all as Tom Stoppard made British theatre and this country a better place to be. You might even argue that he helped redefine Englishness through his astonishing legacy of work.

Some monsters and prodigies to end the week (from Paré’s ‘Opera’, 1582).

The best kind of Fridays.

Spending today and tomorrow at the Mitchell Library - love this place.

Here’s another fully funded 4-year PhD position at Leiden within the ERC project LangPro led by Dr Alisa van de Haar, and co-supervised by yours truly, on guilds and associations supporting early modern language professionals bit.ly/49rsLA3 Apply by 15 Feb. 2026; starting date 1 Aug. 2026

📢Here's a fully funded 4-year PhD position at Leiden within the ERC project LangPro led by Dr Alisa van de Haar, and co-supervised by yours truly, on professional opportunities for women in the early modern language sector bit.ly/47Y3hYI Apply by 15 Feb. 2026; starting date 1 Aug. 2026

I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight www.cityam.com/the-british-...

Please consider applying - ASC at the University of Glasgow is a treasure house, especially in medieval and early modern manuscripts and books.

ON STRIKE AGAIN BECAUSE THE UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH REFUSES TO RULE OUT COMPULSORY REDUNDANCIES!

We're HIRING: “The Dept of English at UMass Amherst invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor, beginning fall 2026, specializing in 20th- and 21st-century British literature, with an emphasis on literatures of the diaspora." See below for description, and please share the news.

VISITING FELLOWSHIPS: Applications are now open for 2026-27! The deadline for applications is Friday 28 November 2025. For more information on how to apply: https://www.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/csb/fellowships/bodleian-visiting-fellowships

Today is the OFFICIAL publication day for TEXTILE SHAKESPEARE! Please indulge me: I want to say a little (perhaps rather a lot) about it and share my acknowledgements - and a discount code! Appropriately,🧵1/10

Three things from this week’s edition of *adventures with old books* that are both true and salutary: keep looking back at what you’ve already found; keep looking; librarians are ace.

Remember, remember

I’m enjoying the autumn colours in and around the University.

My boys went out guising tonight as, respectively, a ghost, and the ghost of Gustav Mahler. Don’t ask.

Somewhat astonishingly, here it is, a book, a thing in the world... More, including acknowledgements, soon❤️

A fantastic and moving performance of ‘La Boheme’ tonight by Scottish Opera.

Pleased to have a chapter in this great chunk of a book. Congratulations to @loughnrv.bsky.social and Will Sharpe on a job well done.

First public outing for ‘Zachary Boyd’s Books’ last night. Thanks to the Centre for Scottish and Celtic Studies for hosting, and to everyone who came along in person and online.

Not sure what auld Zachary would make of it all, but he was in The Times yesterday and The Scotsman today.

Academics reassembles personal library of Glasgow scholar and cleric Zachary Boyd, who famously criticised the Lord Protector at a service

Fabulous to see the multiple discoveries made about one of our UofG predecessors by @profastreete.bsky.social - magnificent and proper scholarly hard work.

Zachary Boyd (1585–1653) was a minister, poet & #UniversityofGlasgow academic who lived through one of Scotland’s most turbulent centuries. His rediscovered library offers a rare glimpse into the mind of a man who met kings and wrote plays at a time of revolution. Read more: gla.ac/4o1qCQc

A wee bit of news. news.sky.com/story/fascin...

a tiny bit of good news is that we have secured funding to digitize john milton's copy of holinshed's CHRONICLES (1587). the images will form part of MILTON'S LIBRARY, an open-access site featuring the 10 books positively identified as milton's w/ transcriptions/translations of his marginal notes.

Enjoying the autumn colours and skies in Dumfries and Galloway.

We've joined the blue sky! Just as the skies darken for winter too Please let your followers know that the Scottish History Society has arrived! Find out more about memberships, the society, and events at our website: scottishhistorysociety.com

Pleased to have a copy of @drnaomibaker’s new book, ‘Voices of Thunder’. Buy it, read it, order it for your libraries- it’s a brilliant, timely book.

The English Department at Hunter College, CUNY is very happy to announce a Tenure Track position in #Medieval British Literature at the Assistant Professor level. Applications from scholars in interdisciplinary and/or global approaches are especially encouraged to apply. cuny.jobs/new-york-ny/...

Very excited to be running this conference with Paul Norris. Delighted to have @mcculloughp.bsky.social as our keynote speaker. We can't wait to hear your ideas! Please share widely

First day of the new term.

🎶 I wrote a piece on 'Songs and Fancies', Scotland's earliest printed music book. Many thanks to Jane Petteree over at Soundyngs blog for hosting!

Today I finished the first draft of my new book. It’s hard to write anything, really, and especially so given the state of the world at the moment. So I’m proud of getting to this point. Cheers.

Starts Tomorrow Friday 12 September 2pm Online Free 👇 Globe4Globe 2025: Shakespeare & Environmental Justice share.google/IzXWfke8BpZl...

A decent coffee and a few hours to myself - bliss.

Thrilled to see my @royalhistsoc.org Camden edition of the holograph letters of Margaret Tudor in the flesh! Thank you to everyone for their support and encouragement over the years 🤗 You can read more about the edition here: blog.royalhistsoc.org/2025/08/05/t...

I was delighted to have a chance to be on what turned out to be Melvyn Bragg’s last series of In Our Time and also thrilled that an article in The Times today lists our episode (on George Herbert) as one of the best 15 ever! You can listen to it here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

This is a really astute analysis. Read it if you have access.

Our collection, Mapping the Early Modern Inns of Court: Writing Communities, is being launched! Come and join us (in person at Middle Temple Library or online) at 6.15pm on Tuesday 9 Sept. Email [email protected] for more details. link.springer.com/book/10.1007...

Heads up, English Literature types. The newly formed School of English at MMU is looking to appoint a new Head of School, ideally someone who already holds a professorial Chair. Further details here: manmetjobs.mmu.ac.uk/jobs/vacancy...

TEXTILE SHAKESPEARE has a COVER👀 (this is a late C16 embroidered coif - never in fact assembled - in the V&A. All the crazy scale with added big cats, like an acid trip As You Like It. I love that it is a bit stained and messy.) global.oup.com/academic/pro...

The C sees.

Job klaxon: full time, permanent lectureship in Liberal Arts at the University of Glasgow: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOM506/l...

Still time to apply!

My new book 📕 The Story of Tudor Art 🌹 comes out on 25th September. It’s the first book ever (!!) to look at art from across the whole sixteenth century in England and I can’t wait to share it with you.

The mantelpiece has been cleared for decorating, and so his nibs has staked his claim.