Thoroughly enjoying Katherine Harvey’s wonderful new book exploring medieval attitudes to illness, health and well-being. It’s full of insights and surprises. I hope it will make many people look at the period differently - and with much less condescension!

After a hilariously fun debut in London, the You’re Dead To Me live tour goes back on the road next week!! - Cardiff April 9th (with Catherine Bohart) - Edinburgh April 12th (with Marjolein Robertson) - Manchester April 13th (with Shappi Khorsandi) Tickets available at www.youredeadtomelive.com

#OnThisDay 1937: Bertrand Russell makes a not entirely convincing case for pacifism in the face of a Nazi invasion...

Reposted to mark the paperback publication of his fascinating new book Shakespeare’s Borrowed Feathers, here's my interview with @freeburian.bsky.social exploring Shakespeare’s linguistic debts to his fellow playwrights.

The second part of my pick of March’s new books, featuring Hitler, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Europe two ways, Headless poetry and more!

Fantastic evening at the launch for @betarish.bsky.social new collection from @ninearchespress.bsky.social Cherry Blossom at Nightbreak 🌸 Fantastic merch 🔥 Incredible poet cloak 🧡 Superb guest readers. And wonderful readings from the man of the hour! 👏

New on the Writer’s Bookshelf this morning: eight questions about writers, books, and reading with the wonderful Henry Jeffreys.

It ain't why, why, why, why / it just is

Matt is much better at his job than any ai and requires substantially less cooling.

I'm reading with some fantastic fellow poets at the London launch of Little Griefs next month. Here's @kathryngray.bsky.social on Rosemary Tonks/Lightband. Free tickets: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/little-gri...

Seconding this! A delight as always. Huge congratulations to Perry Mills and the fabulous cast of @edwardsboys.bsky.social

A wonderful essay on the spiritual and medicinal properties of pearls in medieval thought.

English stained glass artist Ann Sotheran, 'Isa's hare' (2011) #WomensArt

New on the Writer’s Bookshelf this morning: eight questions about writers, books, and reading with the wonderful Henry Jeffreys.

Some weekend reading from me! First up, the latest edition of the Writer’s Bookshelf with the great Sam Leith. mathewlyons.substack.com/p/the-writer...

It was fun to follow @akennedysmith.bsky.social up 'Wren’s ingenious cantilevered spiral ‘Geometric stair’, to then go 'stepping over pipes and squeezing through a stone passageway' en route to Wren's secret library! I enjoyed her interesting essay about the experience.

Some lunchtime reading from me!

El Dorado: the man, the myth, the lake…

Some lunchtime reading!

New on the Writer’s Bookshelf this morning: eight questions about writers, books, and reading with the great @questingvole.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/mathewly...

I’m on my nonsense again. This week’s Six Things: – Migration – Search – Strandbeest – Wikicity – Museums – 100 Jumps

My first thought yesterday, when I read this story in the paper, was, 'What does Marc Morris think?' And here is the answer. If you haven't read Marc's history of the Anglo-Saxons, or his book on the Norman Conquest, now would be an excellent time to remedy that oversight.

Kurosawa on watching Solaris with Tarkovsky

Me, dismissing the idea of King Harold's 'forced march' south from Stamford Bridge back in 2012.

I have a new article on Jorge Luis Borges and failure (the latter being a topic on which I am somewhat of an expert) up on early view at Critical Quarterly. The article is open access, and reads a bit better in the PDF version: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

It's great that these kinds of stories get picked up in the nationals. But it does seem a shame that they're written up from press releases rather than responding to the reception of a paper, article or book. www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...

Delighted to announce that In Another World: The Four Seasons of Talk Talk, is coming on May 21, 2026, published by the fabulous @newmodernbooks.bsky.social. There’s a lot of love in this one. Pre-orders: Resident: tinyurl.com/mrxrpsuh Rough Trade: tinyurl.com/28v3tda4 A: tinyurl.com/3sz3scf4

Some weekend reading from me! First up, the latest edition of the Writer's Bookshelf with the wonderful Lev Parikian. mathewlyons.substack.com/p/the-writer...

Anne Sebba's brilliant The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz is out in paperback this month. Here's my interview with her about it from last year.

I was very glad to do this one, and to spend some time walking London with Hill's poems. Such a loss.

Anne Sebba's brilliant The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz is out in paperback this month. Here's my interview with her about it from last year.

Has the Archbishop of Canterbury's #pilgrimage to Canterbury captured your imagination? Interested in pilgrimage, but don't have time to walk the Camino? The St Thomas Way is inspired by a real #medieval pilgrimage. 13 self-contained walks, with free online resources for each. www.thomasway.ac.uk

"I’m very worried about what is being destroyed. We’re all extremely worried, because what we’re seeing is the ad hoc closure and drastic cutting of many, many departments across the country." Historian Lyndal Roper in today's THE: bit.ly/4sqsfJ2 #Skystorians 1/2

"Its very presence 20 metres away from a small independent feels quietly symbolic, an act of heavy-handed high-street aggression.” The Blackshirt, March 1936.

#HardStreets as seen in the wild…

WE LAUNCH OUR UK TOUR NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!!!!! 😁🤪🥰🥹🫡🎭🤡👌 Cannot wait to get on stage at the London Adelphi Theatre and do our first ever live tour show of ‘YOU’RE DEAD TO ME’ with brilliant comedian Desiree Burch and top historian Dr Steve Kershaw Grab your ticket now! youredeadtomelive.com

Some light lunchtime reading!

Yesterday was a sad Mother's Day in our house: my wife's lovely mum died last month after a long illness. I saw the incredible care that @mariecurieuk.bsky.social provided, and that's why I'm hell-bent on smashing my fundraising target. Please help if you can. www.justgiving.com/page/richard...

We're looking forward to this!

This was great fun

I’m very moved by this poem by Graeme Richardson from his new Carcanet collection Dirt Rich

Hi! I’m the guest on today’s episode of After Dark podcast with Anthony Delaney, talking about the early history of fame and celebrity podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a...

New on the Writer’s Bookshelf this morning: eight questions about writers, books, and reading with the wonderful @levparikian.bsky.social.

Reverting to Tom Lehrer in the face of geopolitical events. www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRLO...

While children’s illustration since the 2000s ‘has tended to move towards simpler visuals often inspired by graphic and digital design’, Janet and Allan Ahlberg’s ‘The Jolly Postman’ is a valuable reminder of ‘the delights of staying analogue’, writes Kirsten Tambling

Last few tickets left for the 24th of March! www.stmartin-in-the-fields.org/whats-on/the...

Some events coming up, featuring A History Of England In 25 Poems. I'd love to meet you at one of these! All info via my website www.catherineclarke.info #history #event #reading #poetry

[Um, er, has anyone ever heard the suggestion that Dickens adapted A Christmas Carol from a mysterious, elusive earlier work, like Shakespeare and the so-called Ur-Hamlet?] [Asking, literally, for a friend.]

To make things even more fun, if you go to the UK Yale website, and look up Spycraft, you'll see a little link called 'related content' where you can download some DIY cipher wheel blanks! yalebooks.co.uk/book/9780300...