From healing the sick to revealing hidden iron deposits: what John Aubrey learned by reading water. Another blog from my transcription of Aubrey's Natural History manuscript, published in June for his 400th anniversary. www.louiserylandepton.co.uk/blog/john-au...

Fragment of a mug or bottle, made in #Woolwich, c. 1640-1650. Probably accurately depicts the reaction of many locals to the events of that particular decade... (British Museum)

Imagine being a VC and the head of English gives you a call, to check whether it’s ok for a prof to take a year’s privately-funded leave to write a book. You ask: ‘So some rich guy is paying for a book on his favourite topic?’ ‘Correct.’ ‘That’s unusual. What’s it about?’ 🤔

BARS Digital Event Announcement with our friends @chawtonhouse.bsky.social! Join us on 11th Feb at 6pm on Zoom for this event celebrating New Research in Women's Writing! Register to join: uofglasgow.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Portrait of Lady-in-Waiting to the Infanta Isabella Peter Paul Rubens, Flanders, mid-1620s. Some think it possibly a posthumous portrait of Clara Serena Rubens, d. 1623, the daughter of the painter.

‘My own garden is my own garden,’ said the Giant; ‘any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself’ The Selfish Giant Oscar Wilde 1888 #BookWormSat 🖼️ Walter Crane

Unboxing!!

"The evidence is clear: when talented students who have faced greater barriers gain access to elite universities, they flourish precisely because opportunity, not ability, was the binding constraint." Prof Lee Elliot Major, University of Exeter #highered #edchat www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Great to see this out; the Antwerp Polyglot's influence in C16-17 English religious writing and scholarship is often missed; here the rector of @lincoln.ox.ac.uk Richard Kilby's initialed vol. 1 ('RK 8 vols, £6 10s'), bought when appointed to translate part of the Authorised Version.

We are happy to share that the call for papers for the SAMEMES conference on "Tolerance and Dissent" (Fribourg, 24-26 June 2026), is now open (deadline 15 January 2026). Further information about the conference is available here: samemes2026.com! We look forward to hearing from you!

It is John Aubrey’s 400th anniversary this year! My next book publishes his Natural History in full for the 1st time. It is not the quaint collection of random anecdotes suggested by the heavily edited 1847 version, but cutting edge c17 science all penned with Aubrey’s characteristic brilliance.

Here's a nice announcement. I just turned in the final draft for my first academic book, 'Cartesian Theaters, Shakespearean Minds: Finding Descartes on the Early Modern Stage' to be published with Edinburgh University Press next year.

👑Pen & Sword's @penswordbooks website is offering a right royal offer on 'Charles I's Private Life'. A Whopping 50% off - now just £12.50 for hardback. www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Charles-Is-P... "written with great verve, eloquence and clarity" Professor Andrew Hopper

Adored chatting to Anita Rani on the #BBC programme ‘My Life at Christmas’ as it’s one of my favourite time of the year ❤️❤️🎄❤️❤️ www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... I think people would be interested to visit a house in the Circus more than 1 day a year, especially re recent research. The garden has been a lovely free space, full of flowers. Just off Catherine Morland's Jubilee Walk! @bathnes.bsky.social @bathprestrust.bsky.social

"Most moderns contend that everything emerged out of nothing (out of which nothing, I reckon their own opinion originates!)" #SassyMilton

Recently digitised - March 1945; at Maymyo in Burma, following the recapture of the town from the occupying Japanese, off-duty British troops dance together, and go swimming in an ornamental lake. #filmcataloguing #history #ww2 Full film: IWM JIN 33 / www.iwm.org.uk/collections/...

Looking for that perfect News Years Gift for the Nashe Lover in your life? From January, “Thomas Nashe and Literary Performance” will be available in paperback! manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526195524/

“Many hands make light work” – and many papers make a great conference. CFP now open for Proverbs & Popular Wisdom in Early Modern Literature and Culture, University of Hull, 1–3 July 2026. Abstracts due 30 Jan → [email protected] More info: earlymodernproverbs.co.uk/events/confe...

Thinking of the wonderful Milton scholar Neil Forsyth today after news of his passing. An essay of his that stays in my mind is "Of Man's First Dis" (1991). I'll always remember what I learned was characteristic Miltonist commitment, when Neil came to the Exeter symposium... 1/

Gift link: www.wsj.com/opinion/mont...

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of the fallen of WWI were buried with epitaphs drawn from Shakespearean. A selection can be found here: www.epitaphsofthegreatwar.com/tag/shakespe... None more haunting than the inscription for Alfred Dunne (aged 17) O MONSTROUS WORLD TO BE DIRECT AND HONEST IS NOT SAFE

Today is the OFFICIAL publication day for TEXTILE SHAKESPEARE! Please indulge me: I want to say a little (perhaps rather a lot) about it and share my acknowledgements - and a discount code! Appropriately,🧵1/10

🙌🥰

Always be recruiting. Always be looking out for the talented, the original thinkers, the ones who do more than talk. Take note of those who create impact regardless of their position, the big successes, the small achievements that signal real ability. Keep an eye on those who develop others 1/

Had an inspiring evening @no1royalcrescent.bsky.social listening to Prof. Kathryn Sutherland on Jane Austen's The Watsons and her creative process. Great discussions, lovely staff, & upstairs, the amazing exhibition, including 2 letters by JA to Frank re their father's death, & The Watsons MS pages!

I’m a blind Mum and this afternoon I got held hostage in the book corner at nursery stay and play by 5 pre schoolers demanding I read many many books. Had to do a lot of styling it out saying “oooh what’s happening?” Or “wow who’s on this page!” I think it only made me more fun 😆

Pony kisses #Shetland

It’s telling how some male columnists and commentators have reacted to Riot Women as ‘man-hating’ when it’s simply depicting average everyday experiences women have with men all the time. If seeing the world through a woman’s eyes makes you hate men too the I guess you see our problem.

Latest lovely volume by Patrick Cheney is now out in the Early Modern Literary Geographies series with Oxford University Press that I am very proud to co edit with Garrett A Sullivan Jr …

Young Syrian refugees paint murals at Zataari camp Jordan, to overcome trauma and memories of violence #womensart

And, frankly, amazing.

So far we've found Shakespearean epitaphs from 30 plays, 16 sonnets, and 3 of the longer poems. The only plays not on our list? Taming of the Shrew Henry VI 1 & 3 Two Gentlemen Love’s Labours Merry Wives Coriolanus Pericles Cemetery strollers, let us know if you spot a quote from one of these!

A perfect evening; dinner and The Sixteen's "Angel of Peace" concert at Exeter Cathedral, with one of my angels.

I love The Merchant's House, Marlborough. It's the opposite of the drab 17th-century stereotype! They don't get many visitors, please support them if you can 🙂

Long way off but hey. Come to @brlsi.bsky.social in November! www.brlsi.org/whatson/cele...

Astonishing

Blog up on the major take aways from today's results day from @danihpayne.bsky.social and me - www.smf.co.uk/commentary_p...

🚨 #ALevelResultsDay : Breaking @smfthinktank.bsky.social analysis reveals stark regional uni inequalities - and these are widening over time 🚨 Students in London and the South East are far more likely to be receiving acceptances today, whilst lowest rates are seen in the NE and SW

One of N&Q's "Most Read" 📚

Lawrence of Arabia in morning sun 💓 #RoseWednesday #BloomScrolling #Roses

These incompetents. It should always have been a top tier risk! I've been telling you that for years! UK 'governance' simply not up to the challenge: C- at best.

York conference, cfp, Poetry and Science, From the Renaissance to Enlightenment University of York, 25th-26th June 2026 scientificpoetry.org/events/poetr... Any queries to Kevin Killeen at: [email protected]

I have queried a recent note and over 300 years of critical consensus, in "Maimonides and Milton's Monistic 'Mental Sight'." #OpenAccess #EarlyModern #AcademicSky academic.oup.com/nq/advance-a...

Hello Bluesky! This is the brand new official account for the University of Exeter Department of English and Creative Writing. We will be using this space to connect with our thousands of partners and collaborators across the globe, and to share news of Exeter ECW's ambitions and achievements.

I have queried a recent note and over 300 years of critical consensus, in "Maimonides and Milton's Monistic 'Mental Sight'." #OpenAccess #EarlyModern #AcademicSky academic.oup.com/nq/advance-a...

1 July 1623, Napier is having One Of Those Days: 'I opened a gallypott of Cordiall & it burst out & did bedaube coat & Dublet & bookes'. #earlymodern #otd

If there's a heaven, its pavement smiles, as Milton says, empurpled with celestial roses. #RoseWednesday #Bloomscrolling #Roses

Thurs. 19 June 1700, late antique luminary Prof Tim Whitmarsh's lecture! 5:00 pm, 'Translation as imperialism: Late Greek Poetics and the Hebrew Bible'. Durham Classics Ritson Room and online, for which register events.teams.microsoft.com/event/238c09...