And if you crown him, let me prophesy The blood of English shall manure the ground And future ages groan for this foul act, Peace shall go sleep with Turks and infidels, And in this seat of peace tumultuous wars Shall kin with kin and kind with kind confound. #ShakespeareSunday #RichardII 4.1.142-7

For God’s sake, let us sit upon the ground And tell sad stories of the death of kings— How some have been deposed, some slain in war, Some haunted by the ghosts they have deposed, Some poisoned by their wives, some sleeping killed, All murdered. #ShakespeareSunday #RichardII 4.3.160-165

78 Years of Genocide: July 5th Newsletter #freepalestine

Then Frog and Toad ate a big breakfast. And after that, they spent a fine, long day together.

What a great read about a field that is taken less seriously than it deserves. academic.oup.com/histres/adva...

Emergency doctor endures Gaza tragedy, saves lives, but criticises Israel, get complaints, has specialist training frozen. Andrew Brown interviews Dr Mo #auspol #AHPRA #antisemitism michaelwest.com.au/dr-mo-gaza-d...

People living with disabilities or through poverty and racism develop deep practical knowledge of how institutions function. They should be seen as experts.

No need for wandering headline. This should be headed: 'Free birth' is killing babies and women. Or even: 'Free birth' is a scam killing babies and mums. Or: The cost of 'free birth' is dead mums and babies. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/j...

Shakespeare's audience and anyone later on with a scrap of historical knowledge would have known Elizabeth Wydeville did conspire behind Richard III's back. Poor old Tillyard. RICHARD Relenting fool and shallow, changing woman! #RichardIII 4.4.350 #ShakespeareSunday

78 Years of Genocide: June 28th Newsletter #freepalestine

Israelis desecrating war graves again www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

“The world has failed Raphael Lemkin and all other victims and survivors of genocide by failing to prevent the genocides we have seen since 1945, including genocides that are ongoing today.”

Enid Blyton shaming us all from 1927: ‘Worked till 4.30 and did 6,000 words – a record for me.’

RICHARD My father’s death— QUEEN ELIZABETH Thy life hath it dishonored. #ShakespeareSunday #RichardIII 4.4.294-295

The seldom-performed parts of Clarence's children BOY to Queen Elizabeth Ah, aunt, you wept not for our father’s death. How can we aid you with our kindred tears? DAUGHTER Our fatherless distress was left unmoaned. Your widow-dolor likewise be unwept! #ShakespeareSunday #RichardIII 2.2.61-64.

The seldom-performed parts of Clarence's children BOY And when my uncle told me so, he wept, And pitied me, and kindly kissed my cheek, Bade me rely on him as on my father, And he would love me dearly as a child. #ShakespeareSunday #RichardIII 2.2.22-25

78 Years of Genocide: June 21st Newsletter #freepalestine

50th anniversary of the Soweto uprising

Important article by Rebecca Cairns on Gaza and history education, arguing for greater truth-telling about Palestine and Israel while continuing to confront Australia's settler-colonial past @tandfresearch.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

@albomp.bsky.social @australianlabor.bsky.social GET OFF YOUR ARSE AND SANCTION ISRAEL EXPEL DIPLOMATS FREEZE TRADE AND CLEAN OUT YOUR ZIONIST LOBBYISTS

Happy Birthday Brian Jacques

Why, I can smile, and murder whiles I smile, And cry “Content” to that which grieves my heart, And wet my cheeks with artificial tears, And frame my face to all occasions. I’ll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall; I’ll slay more gazers than the basilisk 3HenryVI #RichardIII #ShakespeareSunday

78 Years of Genocide: June 14th Newsletter #freepalestine

One of my favourite interviews ever was with Ian Stephenson for the now-defunct History Behind Game of Thrones blog. We talked Ironborn, #Vikings, #medieval history, Blackadder, Tolkien and just about everything else. nerdalicious.com.au/history/game...

The entire time we lived in this particular house in Korumburra, Nami had a paper tablecloth fixation. I don’t know how it started, but there was always one on the floor for her to dive into. Photo from 2019 #cats

My review of 'The Boleyn Traitor' for Australian Policy and History examines Philippa Gregory's attempt to re-establish the voices of Jane Boleyn and Katherine Howard, arguing that it falls short of dismantling the myths attached to both women. aph.org.au/2026/06/the-...

What does 'humorous' Grandpa Joe hatred reveal about attitudes towards poverty, disability and age?

Remember the only way anyone playing Helen of Troy can be 'authentic' is if she is half-mortal, half-Spartan, and hatched from an egg. Here I discuss her mother Leda, and how men have tried to steal her story. hooliganstreetpoetry.org/misappropria...

Hooligan Street's June mini issue featuring #poetry and an interloping #historian @hooliganstreet.bsky.social hooliganstreetpoetry.org

DUCHESS: Bloody thou art; bloody will be thy end. Shame serves thy life and doth thy death attend #RichardIII 4.4.184-185 #ShakespeareSunday

78 Years of Genocide: June 7th Newsletter #freepalestine

Better let me take over Mother (2024) #cats

When the post is one character too long and you have to get rid of the Oxford comma…

The Jewish Council demands country-level sanctions as West Bank settler outposts targeted. Today's sanctions by the Australian government are a welcome step but they do not go nearly far enough. See the full media release at: www.jewishcouncil.com.au/2026/06/jewi...

Wherever I am working (usually chosen by Nami) she still has demands #cats

There is no moral equivalence between bullies and the bullied, between tyranny and democracy, or between brutality and decency. No individual can be free in a society devoid of justice. There can be no liberty where brutality reigns.

Authentic "Australian" graffiti

Colin Sheridan discussing Sally Rooney’s decision to publish her latest book through an Israeli publisher

I am a villain. Yet I lie; I am not. Fool, of thyself speak well. Fool, do not flatter. My conscience hath a thousand several tongues, And every tongue brings in a several tale, And every tale condemns me for a villain. #RichardIII 5.3.190-194 #ShakespeareSunday

Interesting change in titles/subtitles between 1961 and 2009. Although, as Conor Byrne writes, Lacey Baldwin Smith’s 1961 characterisation of Katherine "marked the beginning of a trend in which she was interpreted as a selfish hedonist who cared for nothing but her own pleasure".

78 Years of Genocide: May 31st Newsletter #freepalestine

"Shams (his nickname) Sadiq, who owns two Manchester cafes, said the inducements were offered when he went to collect electronic devices that police had confiscated during his arrest last year in connection with alleged offences relating to the banned direct action group"

Nami and Susu both came to us in May. Nami in 2016, and Susu in 2025. Here are the first photos I took of them. Ten year and one year anniversary this month! #cats

(May 28th 2024)

I am rewriting my thesis introduction and found that I had to add some text on the 10th anniversary of the discovery of #RichardIII 's grave in 2025 and then I started wondering if I will still be writing the introduction during the 20th anniversary (maybe 15th)

Susu with the sass today. #cats

Barty’s on the early morning revision support shift. Very grey day here today 🌧️

Is Grumpy Bear sceptical that we’re actually on the last draft, or just grumpy that I accidentally woke up at 4.30 and we started work at 5?