Word of the day, a noun now obsolete and first used in 1652: scripturiency. That is, a passion for writing; an urge to write. In early use esp.: the tendency to produce an abundance of trivial or inferior writing (via OED). Perhaps a reminder to close our laptops every now and again. Happy holidays

Book Review: Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Hearts, by Nadine Akkerman tonyriches.blogspot.com/2025/12/book... @misswalsingham.bsky.social #Stuarts #BookReview

"In an era where the authentic written word is under threat....English isn't just about reading the past--it's about understanding the power of words and narratives in the present and future and giving our students the skills to successfully navigate the world". True of all UK English programmes.

Exciting news - a new portrait of Lucy Hutchinson has surfaced.

OMG - the paperback of #Spycraft is now under a tenner! Get your cipher wheels, glow-worms, unicorns, poison recipes, and enjoy those stories on Tudor and Restoration espionage - the perfect gift for the spy-catcher, seal-forger, wannabe spy or Mary, Queen of Scots’ fan in your life bit.ly/4qjYcl3

OMG - the paperback of #Spycraft is now under a tenner! Get your cipher wheels, glow-worms, unicorns, poison recipes, and enjoy those stories on Tudor and Restoration espionage - the perfect gift for the spy-catcher, seal-forger, wannabe spy or Mary, Queen of Scots’ fan in your life bit.ly/4qjYcl3

2026 will be the year I return to the correspondence of the boar-spearing Elizabeth Stuart (1596-1662), sometime Queen of Bohemia, ridiculed by most historians as The Winter Queen but known in the 17thc as The Queen of 💕. If I have missed any letters in Volumes 1-2, DM me or forever hold your peace.

Gaming purse late 17th century French (Met Museum)

An insight into the process happening at Essex: My brilliant colleague Lucy Noakes is*President of the Royal Historical Society* and is still, like me, officially "at risk" of redundancy.

This 👇

Spycraft review in JBS praises its ‘innovative approach’, calling it ‘impressive’, ‘invaluable’ and even ‘classic’! As for us authors, we ‘pair methodological heft with elegant, accessible prose.’ Not saying which of us does which, but definitely saying co-writing rocks! TY @rmidura.bsky.social

Every morning a young grebe greets a companion it sees reflected in the hull of a boat moored on the canal. It calls but never receives an answer. It is one of the saddest things I've ever seen.

I'm still immensely proud of #Spycraft : Tricks & Tools of the Dangerous Trade from Elizabeth I to the Restoration @yalebooks.bsky.social , the book I wrote with Pete Langman, and grateful to Philippa Gregory for selecting it as the best nonfiction book she read this year! Out in paperback🥳 ✨

I'm still immensely proud of #Spycraft : Tricks & Tools of the Dangerous Trade from Elizabeth I to the Restoration @yalebooks.bsky.social , the book I wrote with Pete Langman, and grateful to Philippa Gregory for selecting it as the best nonfiction book she read this year! Out in paperback🥳 ✨

Re-reading this beauty today: Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Hearts, by Professor Nadine Akkerman tonyriches.blogspot.com/2025/05/stua... @misswalsingham.bsky.social #Stuarts

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

'Tattoo on 17th-century group portrait puzzles Amsterdam museum: 'Never seen anything like it'' via @nieuws.nos.nl nos.nl/artikel/2591...

the multi-year lack of a truly functional manuscripts catalog at the BL is finally over!!!!

📢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

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

So proud of my @leidenhumanities.bsky.social colleague Lotte Fikkers, whose Open Access Book, Early Modern Women’s Life Writing & English law is out w/ @edinburghup.bsky.social ! A stunning achievement from our @erc.europa.eu project #FEATHERS. Don’t miss it www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2025...

Remember remember the fifth of November 💥 Back in July I had the pleasure of chairing a panel exploding the myths of the Gunpowder Plot with @elegantfowl.bsky.social @misswalsingham.bsky.social Prof Stephen Alford and @enortonhistory.bsky.social at @harvingtonhall.bsky.social History Festival

Good evening, Oxford!

Lecturer in Renaissance Art History Birkbeck, University of London - School of Historical Studies #skystorians 🗃️www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNM388/l...

I'm unreasonably pleased that my Shakespeare find made it to Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_...

On my way to Stockholm …

On my way to Stockholm …

On 29 October, prof @misswalsingham.bsky.social will be giving a talk titled: ”Spycraft: Early Modern espionage” at the IMH seminar series. Details here: www.linkedin.com/posts/instit...

Women messing with men’s heads du jour: Salome looking most pleased w/ the head of John the Baptist. By Lucas Cranach, whose day is today.

Collega @judithpollmann.bsky.social kreeg vanmiddag de Spinozapremie uitgereikt in een feestelijke bijeenkomst. Meer dan verdiend: Judith is een fantastische onderzoeker die anderen meeneemt in haar enthousiasme. Ook een enorme opsteker voor de geesteswetenschappen, geschiedenis en ons Instituut!

Winter Lecture Series: Finding Women in Scottish History Join us for a series of free, online lectures to explore sources of women's lived experience, intellectual and religious networks, and socio-political power in medieval and early modern Scotland. scottishhistorysociety.com/shs-winter-l...

Lady costumed for the masque, as a rather racy Flora. Painted in miniature by Isaac Oliver. Today is his day.

Purse made of a walnut shell covered with embroidered silk, England, 1600-1650. (Victoria & Albert Museum, London)

Cup & case, probably made in West Yorkshire, 1692-94 By Francis Place The 'capuchine' [so-called from its resemblance to a cloaked Capuchin friar] was developed in the late 17th century specifically for drinking the new coffee and chocolate. (V&ALondon) #InternationalCoffeeDay

“It actually doesn’t take much to be considered a difficult woman. That’s why there are so many of us.” ― Jane Goodall 💙 RIP to a real one. My childhood hero

An example of a cut-paper artwork by #JoannaKoerten, held by the @britishmuseum.bsky.social -

This 17th-Century Female Artist Was Once a Bigger Star Than Rembrandt. Why Did History Forget About Johanna Koerten and Her Peers? - by Meilan Solly for @smithsonianmag.bsky.social www.smithsonianmag.com/history/this...

You can get it from Westwood Books and there are even a couple of 1st Edition signed hardbacks that I had put aside but forgot if you search it on the site

Wanted: Spycraft from @YaleBooks has escaped from the Tower disguised as a paperback ... track it down at a bookseller near you today!

On the day the paperback edition of Spycraft @YaleBooks is released from close confinement in the Tower, here's an extract to whet the appetite ... www.the-emigre.com/column/the-c...

Old Woman Reading Mid-17th century Dominicus van Tol, active Leiden, c. 1635–1676. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Just arrived in Gloucester! Are you in tonight’s audience? #Spycraft www.gloucesterhistoryfestival.co.uk/events/spycr...

Interested in London trades in the 16th Century? Court of Requests proceedings in REQ 2 have you covered. One way to find a bunch of cases (over 500) is to search REQ 2 for "citizen and". discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_a...

We created a reading group in 2024 focused on key classic and new texts from a variety of perspectives on the making, unmaking, challenges and potential in "archives." We will meet next on Friday, September 19 at 2 p.m. Interested? Complete the Google form: jcblibrary.org/events/criti...

Coming up for auction, Sept 13, Hargesheimer auction at Drouot.com - Ginevra Cantofoli, Self-portrait of the artist at the easel with a brush / Allegory of painting drouot.com/en/l/3025356...

🚨 FESTIVAL SPECIAL🚨 Think you know how Mary Queen of Scots was undone? 👑📜 Think again. The Babington Plot is not the story you’ve been told. 🎧 Hear @misswalsingham.bsky.social & @elegantfowl.bsky.social 🎧 Listen now! pod.fo/e/3251ad 🎟️ www.gloucesterhistor...