Happy St Katherine's Day to all scholars, librarians, and Katherines. May you win an argument against an annoying man today, in the true spirit of Katherine herself.

Journalists, why not reach out to some of the fine people in my replies to ask them how the British Library cyberattack of 2023 has had an impact on their research, their creative work, and their careers? This could make for a powerful piece revealing the human side to the damage this has done.

I think it was @alexandraerin.com who said to the effect of: "The purpose of a college essay is to prove understanding of the material, not to produce a college essay. There is no global shortage of college essays that needs to be automated."

We enjoyed Lumiere yesterday despite the rain. You'll need someone more skilled than me to take a sensible photo of it though.

Fascinating mega-thread about race in Wuthering Heights (well worth reading all the way to the end).

There's a Classical reception point to be made here, I feel.

Ha, Vinted seems to have changed its sizing system overnight so that L has changed from size 12 to size 16-18. INCLUDING ON CLOTHES ALREADY FOR SALE. This is going to be chaos.

Note from my notebook (2016)

Ha, what? Did you know this, @nevillemorley.bsky.social? @rebeccalanglands.bsky.social? @lemonamarshall.bsky.social? This is very Devon. We have an excellent system; it is a secret system and we will not tell newcomers. www.roads.org.uk/blog/devon-h...

Can recommend leftover Halloween sweets as an accompaniment to checking proofs.

Academics in Assyria in the 7th c BC complain that admin is preventing them from doing research and teaching

Me: Huh, a few people coming round for lunch today, not sure what I have in for this many people. Also me: ...you have pumpkins... Impromptu spicy pumpkin soup turned out pretty well! 😄

If anyone's on the lookout for a C17th house, I'm pretty sure this one in Barnard Castle has been on the market for quite a while... (haunted...?) www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/1...

It's just two words, but a personal favourite find in a medieval manuscript is this signature of Anne, a princess of Kievan Rus and Queen (Regent) of France. Written on a 1063 charter, it reads "АНА РЪИНА" ('ana rъina' ~ 'Anne Queen'). The language is Old French, but the script is Cyrillic!

The Cambridge Companion to Classics and Race has truly been the most rewarding edited volume to be involved with. We had reading groups! We had online discussions across multiple timezones! The editors were involved, encouraging and wonderful. www-cambridge-org.ezphost.dur.ac.uk/core/books/c...

may i present for your edification, the pictish beast and the nebra sky disc in pumpkin moonshine form. i will post pics of them lit up this evening after it gets dark too

five years ago open days up and down the country, subjects like history giving talks about “unparalleled range of choice at [name of university]”. presumably in the near future the pitch will be more like: “we still offer some history!”

First day back at work after three weeks off sick, lots of tea at the ready. If I owe you something, I promise I'm getting there. (P.S. don't get pneumonia, it's rubbish.)

It doesn't matter how many grant writing workshops you put on, or how much pressure you put on academics to apply - if the money isn't there, the money simply isn't there.

The Pompeii casts are human remains and should be displayed and treated as such.

Write the book you would like to see someone pull from a higgledy piggledy pile in a secondhand shop 63 years after your death and say, "This looks fucking weird. I think I will buy it for Joan."

Day one million (ish) of a rubbish chest infection. Mildly amusing memes and anecdotes appreciated. Nothing too hilarious, it'll make me cough. Tell me some mildly interesting happenings in your neck of the woods.

One of the most startling facts I have learned this year is that, as a person from the mid-late part of Generation X, I am older than ciabatta.

Ok, did not expect “The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe” to feel quite so relevant to this moment. Here’s Edmund, deciding to side with the leader who he’s been told disappears people.

I have discovered that women are more than capable of undertaking any task which requires physical strength or of learning any discipline which requires discernment and intelligence. Books which say otherwise were definitely not written by women. - Christine de Pizan, b. 1365

What now??

Ok, I get it, you all like the chicken.

I enjoyed a lovely (if rainy) trip to Thessaloniki this week. While I'm waiting for a train, enjoy some selections from the archaeological museum.

💥 Join us for this week's research seminar! 👨🏫 Dr Jacob Lollar (Durham) "Tragic Riddles in the Margins: A Syriac Invocation of the Story of Oedipus" 📅 1pm, Weds 8 Oct 📍 CL108 / hybrid on Teams: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/8d428d...

I did a micro post on the coins in this article. V v interesting. Attn: @andrewahala.bsky.social livyarrow.org/2025/10/05/3...

When you study a language that has, say, 500 inscriptions surviving and someone out of the blue SENDS YOU FIVE MORE...! I don't think I've ever cancelled my plans faster than when Dan sent me these. So pleased everyone can read this wonderful publication.

Our building at @durhamclassics.bsky.social is looking much smarter after repairs this summer - but we kind of miss our purple front door!

Women's Classical Committee UK merch has launched! Can we interest you in a jazzy sticker? www.etsy.com/uk/shop/WCCUKShop

Help support your colleagues! The Women's Classical Committee UK runs a Small Grants Scheme for its members, paying out over £1k/year to colleagues who often don't have access to other funding. Can you offer a small donation to help us maintain this much needed scheme? www.paypal.com/donate/?host...

Wonderful keynote by @sophievohra.bsky.social at "Colour, Texture and Sound" - and a list of pioneering museums that have worked with her project to provide multisensory exhibits.

I'm also heading to this event today! (Not speaking, just for fun 🙂)

1 like = 1 interesting I read in Greek inscriptions (or read about in SEG or BE)

One day, nearly 2000 years ago, a cat dashed across some drying tiles, somewhere near Hadrian's Wall. It's immortality of a kind, isn't it?

Problematic (to put it kindly) on so many levels. 1) there isn't really 'unfunded' research. The REF is there to allocate resources so that research is possible without a grant.

Thought my new robot hoover was exciting, but I've just been talking to someone about their smart travel mug so clearly I'm behind the times 😄

Wikipedia editors trying to fend off the onslaught of AI crap have crowdsourced some telltale signs of LLM-generated writing; it might be handy for editors and proofreaders generally. Thanks to @ellenrykers.com for pointing me to it. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikiped...

Good thread of book recs for the start of the new year! 😄

Thinking of those whose academic contracts end today, some of whom aren't sure what's next, or are undergoing the stress of moving institutions. We've said goodbye to some wonderful colleagues this summer. If I can be useful, please get in touch.

Little payday treat order for me! Finally got a couple of laptop stickers (with an Etruscan theme).

May you greet your day with the carefree joy of the toddler currently outside Durham cathedral shouting "DING DONG!" each time the bell rings.

My university has sent me a free hot drink voucher that can only be redeemed from 3 specific places from 10-1 on two specific Wednesdays. Am I going out of my way to get this hot drinks voucher? Yes, I am.

My previous summer tweets still hold true

Five more working days till I'm on leave...