so far, i've been the one doing the interviewing, but the wonderful people at @uoe-llc.bsky.social from my alma mater @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social wrote up a lovely profile about me and what i've been up to since graduating with a master's in comparative literature in 2021 📰 read it below:

PhD student Brian Wong has been awarded a 30,000 USD Henry Kaufman Financial History Dissertation Fellowship. His thesis examines the economic and financial mobilisation of the Japanese Empire during WWII, looking at the consequences for Japan’s home islands and its wartime colonies ... 1/3

The 2026 James Tait Black Prize shortlists spotlight some of the most exciting work being published today: james-tait-black.ed.ac.uk/indie-talent...

For those in/around Edinburgh: Join us at @translation-uoe.bsky.social on Wednesday, 11 March 2026 (4.10-6.00) for an in-person research seminar by @delphinegrass.bsky.social on #translation as a creative-critical practice. For details see llc.ed.ac.uk/translation-... @uoe-llc.bsky.social

Our annual Susan Manning Lecture is an exciting one this year. Cedric Tolliver will be speaking on African-American spy novels. Book here: llc.ed.ac.uk/english-lite... @uoe-llc.bsky.social

What's it like to speak at a major conference in Japan while still an undergraduate? We caught up with Year 4 student Cameron Bain about presenting his sociolinguistic research at the Asia Pacific Conference. Read more: https://llc.ed.ac.uk/whats-it-like-to-present-at-a-major-conference

ICYMI! Charlotte Bosseaux's book launch A Voice of Their Own. Encouraging Caring and Ethical Practices in Trauma Screen Translation. With @uoe-llc.bsky.social, @iashedinburgh.bsky.social and @edfuturesinstitute.bsky.social Fri 30 Jan, 2-5pm, CMB/online Register: edin.ac/4jLfqFI

Celtic Connections is back! Ahead of his #CCFest26 gig, we caught up with 2022 alum Hector Shaw about juggling his music and marketing careers. https://llc.ed.ac.uk/news/meet-our-graduates-hector-shaw-scottish-ethnology-and-english-literature#CCFest26

And that’s a wrap on Remediating Stevenson! Just before Christmas, we sent graphic adaptations of three of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Pacific stories (published by Edinburgh Diamond) to schools and educational groups across Scotland, marking the end of the 3.5 year AHRC-funded research project.

We're logging off for the winter break ❄️ We’ll be back on Monday 5 January 2026. A wee reminder that our buildings are closed from 23 December but that support is available throughout the break, if you need it - www.ed.ac.uk/news/festive...

“Winning... is incredibly affirming, it helps massively with the imposter syndrome a lot of early career researchers feel.” Congratulations to grad Dr Leone Pecorini Goodall, whose outstanding thesis on succession politics has won the 2025 BRAIS Prize 🏅🎉 https://llc.ed.ac.uk/news/2025-brais-prize

We're thrilled to launch Sradagan san Iarmailt ('Sparks in the Firmament'), the first anthology of contemporary Gaelic poetry for over 30 years! Join Niall O'Gallagher and book editor Marcas Mac an Tuairneir on 16 December in 40 George Square for great readings and conversation 📚 🎟️ edin.ac/49bdO3x

What do we mean by ‘voice’? And why does voice matter in translation? There’s still time (just!) to book your free ticket for Professor Charlotte Bosseaux’s inaugural lecture as Chair of Audiovisual Translation Studies Weds 3 December - Edinburgh - 5.15pm cbosseaux.eventbrite.co.uk

“Meal do naidheachd!” to Rob Dunbar who has won the RSE Sir Walter Scott Medal for his work on language policy, literature and culture. We spoke to students Elizabeth and Chris about the man behind the medal: https://llc.ed.ac.uk/news/professor-rob-dunbar-wins-the-rse-sir-walter-scott-medal

The #ScottishGaelic Texts Society Annual #CannaLecture will take place at the University of Edinburgh on 21 November 2025, delivered by Dr Martin Macgregor. llc.ed.ac.uk/celtic-scott...

Today’s the day! Cordillera de fuego (Mountains of Fire) – co-produced by the Ixchel research project – has its world premiere 🌎at the 40th Mar del Plata International Film Festival📽️ Read on for the back story of this fascinating new feature > 1/7

Omniscient narration, being published, returning to academia as a mature student – this Beyond the Books has it all! 🤩 Creative Writing PhD student and author Simon West takes us through his research & academic journey – as well as his new novel Abner. Full episode: https://youtu.be/0wr96MwLsoQ

All the firsts! 1️⃣🎉Huge congratulations to Jonathan Powell who is one of the first 10 early career researchers to win the first Oxford University Press First Book Prize. He'll have his debut book Common Law and English Commercial Theatre, c. 1597-1624 published fully open access and in hardback.

Calling those who know the value of female friendships – this episode's for you! 👯‍♀️ New Beyond the Books dives into the works of French writers Simone de Beauvoir & Violette le Duc to explore bonds between women, and how they tie into philosophy & society. Full episode: https://youtu.be/HNwMH44h9wE

What can Indigenous Latin American cinema and filmmaking tell us about memory, cultural identity, and the need for different stories? 📽️ Find out all this and more from Dr Charlotte Gleghorn as she discusses her research in the new episode of Beyond the Books. Full episode: youtu.be/jOfjUtz1Yew

💬 🤝 We'll be hosting a range of seminars this semester, run in collaboration with students and staff from across our university and beyond. 💻 ⬆️ You can follow the link in our bio to find out more about these events, as well as the reading and discussion groups we have planned over the next months!

"Every country has its scapegoats... David Rizzio became one of Scotland’s most haunting." Read Dr Emanuela Patti's timely piece on why Mary Queen of Scots' murdered private secretary was a political scapegoat in @scotsman.com www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

👨‍🏫 🧭 We’ll be kicking off the new academic year with the return of the Denys Hay lecture to @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social, as we welcome @philippebuc.bsky.social from @unileiden.bsky.social to deliver a talk on his recent comparative historical research looking at both medieval Europe and Japan.

This is such an exciting new project on young people, creativity, literacy and wellbeing. It's one to watch and you can do so on various platforms: Website: rewriting-worlds.ed.ac.uk Bluesky: @re-writer.bsky.social Instagram: www.instagram.com/rewriting.wo... Bravo 👏 Patrick Errington

Lovely to see this write up of our project in the Smithsonian Magazine. #EarlyModern 📜 🗃️ @hcaatedinburgh.bsky.social www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/r...

For a great blog read on the genesis of this project, including a text from her Dad and a bus stop encounter with LLC’s Professor Suzanne Trill (Co-Investigator), do check out Cordelia’s very first post on the Alice Thornton’s Books website: thornton.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/posts/blog/2...

Thrilled to see our very own Dr Jonathan Wild has been awarded a Spring 2025 Research Award for his project, 'The Influence of Scotland on Charles Dickens’ Life and Work'! Jonathan's project will be the first major study of Dickens' engagement with Scotland - we can't wait to see how it develops! 🤩

LLC's former Head of School, Professor Jeremy Robbins, is among the British Academy's newly elected Fellows! 🎉 Jeremy's outstanding contributions within Hispanic Studies has been recognised with one of the Academy's highest honours, and we're all thrilled for him. See the full list below 👇

Join LLC's own Dr Terri Ochiagha (English Literature) at her free @britishacademy.bsky.social conference on acclaimed African writer Chinua Achebe ✍️ Leading experts and interdisciplinary researchers will gather to discuss the author in a range of lights. 📆 3 - 4 July 📍 Online 🎟️ edin.ac/3TEPVKl

Researchers! Are you a fox 🦊 or a hedgehog 🦔? In this episode of Beyond the Books, Beth talks to self-professed fox-type, Dr Xuelei Huang. From cinema to smells, they dive into the softer side of history and cultural cosmopolitism in Republican China. Full episode: youtu.be/lrl234hkIZo

On #NationalWritingDay Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award winner Zebib K. Abraham has some tips: Start to write regularly, even if it’s just a few lines or pages here and there... without expectations and with a lot of self-compassion. @pegasusunder.bsky.social‬ @scottishbooktrust.bsky.social‬

A complete honour to be able to write about Una Marson and her magazine, The Cosmopolitan, for @thetls.bsky.social: www.the-tls.co.uk/politics-soc... There is so much I didn't get to include, but hopefully this gives a taste of the importance & scope of Marson's Cosmopolitan - in Jamaica, & beyond.

Can literature’s ‘what if’ questions help us reset our relationship with money? Dive into speculative fiction and the emerging field of the Economic Humanities in the new episode of Beyond the Books ft. Paul Crosthwaite, Professor of Modern and Contemporary Literature. Full ep: youtu.be/hWlrWuaz5IQ

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN! So excited to release the programme for our upcoming conference on the Maghreb - June 19-21!! 🤗 We’ve made the event hybrid so make sure to register for the Zoom link (or to attend in person of course)! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/postcoloni... À bientôt! !أتطلع للقائكم 🇩🇿 🇲🇦 🇹🇳 🇱🇾

Read an extract from Nature's Genius on the Encouter Nature app www.encounter-nature.com/features

ICYMI the 2025 James Tait Black Prizes winners were announced on Friday. Britain's oldest literary awards, the Prizes are the only accolades of their kind to have students on the judging panel. PhD student Beth was there to soak up some amazing fiction and biography... youtube.com/shorts/U-9UY...

For the first time, both James Tait Black Prizes have gone to works in translation: Lamia Ziadé's My Great Arab Melancholy and Lucas Rijneveld's My Heavenly Favourite. www.ed.ac.uk/news/transla...

Beyond the Books is back! 📻🎉 Listen to host Beth chat with Dr Désha Osborne about connections between Scotland and the Caribbean, her experience of editing the historical romance poem Hiroona, and the incredible power of storytelling. Full episode (28 mins) > youtu.be/RsT2_1lQIMQ

Following last year’s inaugural Future of French en Écosse conference we are delighted to open registration for this year’s event, The Future of French en Écosse: The Way Ahead, in Edinburgh on 23 June. Help build a positive future for #French in Scotland! loom.ly/OR8tA2c @uoe-llc.bsky.social

James Tait Black Memorial Prize announcement event on Friday made it to the Minute 😎 @uoe-llc.bsky.social

Mark your diaries! Beyond the Books is coming back! New series, new host. Meet Beth and stay tuned… our first episode of Series 3 drops this Friday (30 May) ft. Dr Désha Osborne - Chancellor’s Fellow in English Literature - on the incredible power of storytelling. youtube.com/shorts/LpaBL...

The James Tait Black Prizes are the oldest literary prizes in the UK - so come along on 30 May at 4pm to find out 2025's Fiction and Biography winners! Featuring the judges and postgraduate panel, as well as Ian Penman, one of last year's winners, it's not to be missed. Free 🎟️: edin.ac/3H1ZKPi

I arrived home to these yesterday; several copies of my book, published by @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social

#scottishpoetryevents NEW POETRY IN IRISH Thurs 29 May, 7.30pm @ Univ of Edin Free. An evening of readings and discussions in Irish & English from poets Ailbhe Ní Ghearbhuigh and Simon Ó Faoláin. Chaired by Niall O'Gallagher www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/new-poetry...

It’s officially publication day!! I can’t quite believe it. After years of thinking, writing, planning, & editing: it’s here. I’m so grateful to my agent & everyone at The Bodley Head for the incredible work. If you’re in Scotland, come to the launch tomorrow

Teaching fellow in Arabic & Middle Eastern Studies @uoe-llc.bsky.social, teaching gender and media in Middle East, Arabic language (0.8, 15 months) elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Thrilled by this review for ‘The Roma’ in The Observer, calling it a ‘an exhilarating history of resistance’ observer.co.uk/culture/book...

Following last year’s inaugural Future of French en Écosse conference we are delighted to open registration for this year’s event, The Future of French en Écosse: The Way Ahead, in Edinburgh on 23 June. Help build a positive future for #French in Scotland! loom.ly/OR8tA2c @uoe-llc.bsky.social

Erickson Lecture 2025 - Professor Vera Tolz Russia, Disinformation, and the Global Media Environment Wednesday 14 May 5:30pm Usha Kasera Lecture Theatre Find out more: edin.ac/3YCka7z