You now have until the 15th of February to send in your applications for our upcoming workshop on historical approaches to the non-human, ran in collaboration with @northernenvhistory.bsky.social. Some fantastic applications in already, we look forward to reading yours! 🌿 🕷️ 🐀 🦠

There's still just over two weeks left to apply to our workshop exploring historical approaches to non-human life. It will take place on 9-10th April 2026, and aims to bring together scholars across disciplinary divides. PGR and ECR support available thanks to the generosity of our sponsors!

Rotifers - very popular with Victorian amateur microscopists - as illustrated in John Clegg's Freshwater Life (1974)

I'm delighted to share this CFP for our workshop on historical approaches to non-human life. Expect keynotes, collaborative discussions, and cake! Being on the organising team has been great fun, and I look forward to reading your submissions. Please get in touch if you have any questions.

My heartfelt thanks to the CSECS for inviting me to present at their annual conference. I particularly enjoyed sharing this description of an animalcule with a 'motion extremely swift like a jack of the lantern.' Very fitting for the spooky season! 🎃 🦠 @csecsscedhs.bsky.social

I had the amazing opportunity this week to visit Durham University and deliver my paper in their historic castle! 🏰 Thank you to the MEMSA team for organising the 'Illuminating Nature' conference, and for bringing this academic community together. @durhammemsa.bsky.social

I enjoyed reading this piece by Josephine Koopman on the SHNH summer conference. It offers a wonderful summary of the presentations we heard, and teases out the shared themes our papers raised. Thank you Josephine! shnh.org.uk/the-sense-of... @sochistnathist.bsky.social

I had a great time talking about the optics of microscopy at this year's SHNH conference! 🔬 I come away feeling enriched by the papers we heard and the conversations we shared. Thank you to @ellelarsson.bsky.social and @sochistnathist.bsky.social for organising such a fantastic conference!

I had a great time at the Feathers conference listening to some fascinating papers on early modern scribal culture and exploring a beautiful city. 🖋️ Thank you to @misswalsingham.bsky.social and the Feathers team for organising the conference and for inviting me to speak!

I'll be travelling to Leiden this week to talk about poetry and scribal cultures in seventeenth-century Oxford. Looking forward to exploring the city and seeing some early modern manuscripts!

I'm looking forward to discussing magnification and illumination at this year's SHNH conference! 🔍 ✨