I used to do a research skills class where I told the History undergrads why they shouldn't use Wikipedia for their essays. Now it's probably better than where they are getting their information from

Last seminars of term yesterday and we were discussing William Henry Ireland's "Authentic Account" of forging Shakespeare documents. I always love its bizarre combo of apology and self-aggrandisement - the essence of eighteenth-century celebrity culture.

🏆️ Congratulations to this year's winners of the @kingsdllc.bsky.social A-Level writing competitions! The winners' pieces were published in the department's student magazines on Comparative Literature, French, German, and Spanish and Portuguese. 🔗 Read more ⬇️

I hope all BSECS members are enjoying their copies of JECS 49.1. A privilege, as ever, to edit the journal. This issue has a real pan-European feel, with articles on British novel-reading in 18thc. Sweden, depictions of card games in German visual satire, and the Swiss author, Albrecht von Haller.

If you find yourself in Paris on the 10-12 June 2026, you might like to attend @isecs-sieds.bsky.social 'Reframing the Enlightenment: intellectual & political disputes today', at the Deutsches Historisches Institut Paris Details ⬇️ #skystorians #18thC 🗃️

Been enjoying teaching some pretty obscure stuff this week: Vanella in the Straw, anyone? It's a deeply nasty poem from 1732 about Prince Frederick's mistress, Anne Vane. Next week back to more canonical territory courtesy of Lord Byron.

In a few hours I’ll be reading live from the Overture of my next book in a virtual talk at U Edinburgh’s History & Games Lab. This is the first time any part of the book has been read in public, or by anyone outside of my circles of trusted first readers (& MIT’s peer reviewers)

💡 'Bell does a very successful job of bringing us back to the themes that connect the wildly diverse ensemble of Goethe’s writings.' Rowan Williams reviews Goethe: A Life In Ideas by Professor @matthewgbell.bsky.social from @kingsdllc.bsky.social for @theobserveruk.bsky.social ⬇️ buff.ly/XJfj8Zc

So there have been a few fun milestones and projects coming to completion over the last year that I hadn't properly publicised due to social media disillusionment. I'll try to do them justice here over the next week or so.

Really pleased that my third-year course, Inventing Celebrity, has received a BSECS teaching prize. It's a joy to teach. Just marking the mid-semester assignments now, and dare I say it, even that's a pleasure!

Finally joined bluesky after a few years of increasing scepticism about social media. Will try to keep this a space for thoughtful and fun conversation!