I agree with all the takes about an attack on the humanities being an attack on critical thinking, &c. It’s also about joy, though. ‘Why bother studying that’ is always also a sneer at — why do you think you should get to do something you enjoy? Grow up and be miserable all the time!

Delighted to share a new milestone! Our MA students will present their research at #IMC2026! Join us at #s106: New Research in Medieval Studies at Leeds: Temporalities, Mon 6 Jul, 11:15–12:45: tinyurl.com/IMC2026s106 Organised by yours truly, chaired by our fab Director Iona, @leedsims.bsky.social.

Sadly not going to #IMC2026 next week, so I wonder if @imc-leeds.bsky.social could repost that we have a fixed term (10 months) #job here at @newcastleuni.bsky.social to teach #Medieval #English #Literature with me and other colleagues. Closing Date: 2026-07-09 See jobs.ncl.ac.uk/job/Newcastl...

Delighted to be amongst a slew of brilliant authors at @govanstones.bsky.social literature festival this summer! I will be speaking about a small handful of Scotland's primordial kingdoms: Picts, Britons, Gaels, and more, on the 19th of July at 4:30pm, in the marvellous venue of Govan Old

Staff at the University of Lincoln fear they could lose their job as early as next month after the institution announced dozens of redundancies across its academic departments. @twilliamsthe.bsky.social reports

As the crisis in UK higher education and research deepens, the British Academy’s President, Susan J Smith (@sjs1869.bsky.social) has urged an immediate and comprehensive review to secure the sector's long-term sustainability. See the full statement: https://bit.ly/4v8jdks

"What was once a worrying trend across a small number of disciplines is now an emergency, threatening all subjects. Courses are closing, provision is contracting, and geographical inequalities in access are becoming entrenched. Important skills and capabilities ... are being lost." #Skystorians

I’m very sorry to be missing this really cool conference idea - papers due 17th July!

Very much looking forward to this book coming out: a silver lining to the arrival of autumn! manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526187185/

PSA for Everyone Currently Preparing Their Trip To Leeds #IMC2026 If needed: do not forget to (re)apply for your Electronic Travel Authorisation! www.gov.uk/eta/apply

'With the higher-education sector generating £52.3bn of income, any large-scale losses would first and foremost hit the public purse as well as further compound this country’s significant productivity problem.' (Prof. Anne-Marie Kilday, VC University of Northampton) 1/3

There’s a permanent modern British history post going at Manchester 🎉Come and join a great department and please share with anyone who might be interested. (Don’t let the short deadline put you off). #skystorians 🗃️

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

📜 Joining the #IMC2026 in Leeds? Digital Medievalist is proud to sponsor a lineup of sessions, round tables, and workshops with from 7-11 July. Discover how large language models, spectral imaging, and linked data are transforming medieval scholarship. Full schedule below ⬇️. 1/10

A sneak peek of my #IMC2026 paper (session 1042, Wednesday at 9:00, kindly organised by @pseudo-isidore.bsky.social and Gerda Heydemann!)

Where are researchers & where is research activity in this priority list? How can we grapple effectively with a sector-wide university crisis without recognising the integral role of research in these institutions (including in their higher education functions)? Asking for some friends. 1/2

🚨New Series Alert! 🚨 Series editors Louise Blanke and Anja Slawisch and I are excited to launch Edinburgh Studies in Classical Archaeology, which is seeking proposals for new books! All the deets: edinburghuniversitypress.com/series-edinb... @edinburghup.bsky.social @hcaatedinburgh.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.

Planned cuts to the University of Exeter’s prized humanities department show no job is safe in the UK’s current wave of redundancies, according to affected academics. Juliette Rowsell reports #jobcuts #highered #humanities #academicsky https://ow.ly/nhQH50Zie1y

Struggling to parse this. Exeter is celebrating its overall global ranking to 136th, comprised (it reports) of 151st (Natural Sciences), 131st (Life Sciences & Medicine) and 76th (Arts & Humanities) while announcing plans to make 25% of Arts & Humanities staff redundant. Does this compute?

UK government visa changes are “driving universities towards a cliff edge”. www.scotsman.com/education/so...

Can you really be a research institution (ie a university) if your staff only have 10% of their time earmarked for research?

📣 Call for Applications 📣 History Workshop is seeking to appoint one Editorial Fellow in 2026, with specialism in pre-1800 CE history from any part of the globe. This is a part-time, paid role. Application deadline: 7 August 2026. Please share widely!

This is a really cool journal idea, look forward to reading it!

Lack of adjustments for parental leave in REF draws criticism. Funding bodies say move will “significantly” reduce the burden of the 2029 Research Excellence Framework. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

This is one of the dumbest and saddest things I've ever seen. We should not think of universities in this way, and if we do that'll destroy everything that is both useful and good about them. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I have to say, it's making me feel a little insane hearing commentators say Ed Miliband shouldn't be chancellor because of his "ideological zeal" for Net Zero, in a week where temperatures are so extreme that my kids are being sent home early every day and it's regularly 30 degrees inside my house

Our Summer Sale is now on! For TWO WEEKS ONLY, every single book on our website is 50% OFF. No code needed, discount applies automatically at checkout. Shop now: manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk Must end 9th July! #SummerSale #booksky

I’m extremely excited that my copies of The Carolingian South have arrived! Published by @manchesterup.bsky.social, I had great fun editing it with @graemeyward.bsky.social, turning the empire of Charlemagne upside down with a wonderful set of contributors! #medievalsky

An academic tribute to Rosamond McKitterick, published by Reti Medievali. www.rm.unina.it?p=554

www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DRY221/t... #mefievalsky

🚨 PLEASE SHARE WIDELY 🚨 If you are an Exeter alumnus, and wish to express your horror at the proposed cuts to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, please sign the Google Doc petition below. Not an alumnus? You can still help by signing the Exeter UCU petition at c.org/msXfsb2g5b 🗃️

📣 People are understandably up in the arms about this (it is horrible). But just want to wave a hand out there 👋 as we're going through the same thing in Humanities at Northumbria (1 out of 5 staff need to go by end of July). 1/?

Research-led institutions have driven Manchester’s success under Andy Burnham’s mayoralty but likely next prime minister’s support could be contingent on spreading prosperity beyond cities, sector figures suggest https://ow.ly/mTm950ZfUYK

Exclusive: STFC evaluation lays bare ‘huge damage’ if cuts go ahead. Advisers warn of “major crisis” for UK research as impact assessment is sent to ministers. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

A statement from Exeter UCU branch @ucu.org.uk - please share far and wide.

Ed Miliband to say UK must stick to net zero targets to deliver jobs and growth

For no reason whatsoever, let's take a look at the work of the @meltingmetropolis.bsky.social project and an exploration of how cities in the past dealt with extreme heat. 🔥

Members of @royalhistsoc.org currently writing a second or third monograph may be interested in our call for the 2026 Funded Book Workshops bit.ly/4uwep8C. Grants enable authors to hold a day workshop with specialist readers to discuss a manuscript in detail before submission. #Skystorians

'The last decade has been an enormous success story for Manchester and it has been in no small part powered by the constellation of research assets, university led capital investment, a growing labour force, and inward investment, that the universities have brought.' 1/2

Please share: with @imc-leeds.bsky.social nearly on us, if anyone needs a lift from the east of England roughly on this route (for a very small fee) then do get in touch. I’ll be doing one pickup in Cambridge but could possibly do more on the way

... by strange coincidence, the British Library @blmedieval.bsky.social has today released new multispectral imaging for this manuscript! www.bl.uk/stories/blog...

A slightly misleading headline, in that the article (onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....) shows these coins were really a mixture between Islamic and Carolingian silver.

The Carolingian South is now out! This new edited volume approaches the Franks from a new direction. To celebrate @manchesterup.bsky.social sat me and @graemeyward.bsky.social to ask us some questions about the book: manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/blog/2026/06... #medievalsky

This is a really cool way to see some great digital projects (and get some inspiration!) #medievalsky

Can definitely recommend! #medievalsky

This is a really cool way to see some great digital projects (and get some inspiration!) #medievalsky

📜Call for Papers: The JOHD is accepting submissions on Digital Resources for the Languages in Ireland & Britain. Seeking data/discussion papers on under-resourced, regional, historical & sign languages. ℹ️ Contact @meganbushnell.bsky.social ▶️ Full call: tinyurl.com/ytn6nxke