I also refuse to use Royal Mail. Bring back Consignia.

Wonder if anyone is having a little think about the need for historians to credentialize themselves via the crown today?

The book is out! Race on Screen: Audience Racism in Twentieth Century Britain is on the shelves. Get yourself a 20% discount and use code GRANDY26 at www.cambridge.org/9781009650939

Today is the publication date for Matthew Hilton's Charity After Empire: www.qmul.ac.uk/media/news/2...

Publication day! My book Keeping Hold: A Cultural and Social History of Possession in Eighteenth-Century Britain is out now. 20% discount code KEHO2026. www.cambridge.org/core/books/k...

My brilliant friend and colleague @kateesthersmith.bsky.social s book is out on Thursday. Read and become wiser! www.cambridge.org/gb/universit...

Why did charity become the outlet for global compassion? Join us for the launch of 'Charity After Empire' by Matthew Hilton 24/3/26, QMUL, London E1 Book here eventbrite.co.uk/e/book-launch-charity-after-empire-tickets-1981162909594 @qmul.bsky.social

Uni VLE's increasingly in partnership with businesses like OpenAI. It's easy to see what is provided (AI chat features, design assistants, etc.. ) but does anyone know what is extracted? I am thinking stuff like class exercises, readings, Uni IP, the academic labour etc.. that goes into these?

Very excited to announce this workshop on environmental approaches to modern British History taking place this September at @lincoln.ox.ac.uk. Please share!

18 month postdoc at the lovely IHR in London, $41,740. Deadline 7 March. 'The Fellow will play a key role within the IHR team responsible for hosting the 2027 North American Conference in British Studies (NACBS)' in London 2027. Repost to spread the word. #Skystorians

Today! If you are in or near Oxford, please come along www.ccw.ox.ac.uk/events

Wonderful news from Birkbeck's School of Historical Studies. We're hiring not one but TWO open-ended, full-time roles: Medieval Studies, and History of Art! cis7.bbk.ac.uk/home.html#fi...

Published a book on transnational women's or gender history 2020-25? 🚨Submissions to the Ida Blom-Karen Offen Book Prize in Transnational Women's & Gender History now open🚨You can see the full details on our website: www.ifrwh.com Closing date is 28 February 2026! #WomensHist #GenderHist

Once again, M*tt G**dwin owes me/ghosted me on a book review from c. 2011 (fully appreciate everyone misses these/they get put to one side given all our priorities) but, you know, I was sending him grumpy emails before you knew he existed.

Looking forward to @sethrockman.bsky.social public lecture on Plantation Goods tomorrow. 6pm at BRIG cafe. @johnmunro.bsky.social www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/publi...

Outgoing academic journal editor here. I know everyone is busy AND over-worked AND its unclear who profits from the work being done AND there are fewer of us than previously, BUT if everyone's New Year resolution is to say 'no' to peer review requests things might grind a bit to a halt.

We are delighted to be co-sponsoring this event alongside @ihr.bsky.social and @royalhistsoc.org. Details and sign-up information is below!

@sethrockman.bsky.social @apeikeumolu.bsky.social @aishadjelid.bsky.social and @sallytuckett.bsky.social are coming to Birmingham next Friday to discuss Plantation Goods: A Material History of Slavery - everyone welcome! www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/round...

Applications now open. Find out more at birmingham.ac.uk/gender-ma

Free public lecture by @sethrockman.bsky.social on slavery, capitalism, and his award winning new book. 6 PM, Friday, 16 January. BRIG Cafe @inthewarehouse.bsky.social Introduced by Gabrielle Hemmings (@unibirmingham.bsky.social) See you there!

Had a very good time talking about stomach aches, pain, and conservatism at #nacbs in Montreal while also representing @mbsbirmingham.bsky.social

From what I've seen, I'd say coursework and online exams have made ChatGPT look pointless. It's basically shit at these things.

Feels like a timely moment to be thinking about 'economic nationalism' (again), so I am looking forward to my splendid colleague Klaus Richter's lecture next week: www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/hist... I imagine registration is still open!

Cant help but think four films on Yoko, Linda, Mo, and Pattie would be way more interesting than the Beatles films. Ideally, keep Sofia Coppola away.

Some madness well updates. Seeing as I know some of my department enjoyed seeing these.

Tomorrow, Wednesday 7th May 2025, Unison and UCU will be hosting a Solidarity Picnic for Trans Rights on the Green Heart outside the Main Library from 12:30–2pm. Please come along, bringing your own lunch, to this relaxed and casual event to show solidarity and allyship to trans+ staff and students.

My town is having it's annual 'normal one' and I'm absolutely into it.

This is worth reflecting on for anyone less directly impacted by the supreme court verdict last week. It's already clear that harm is being done here.

Triple book launch for myself, @drsarahlkenny.bsky.social, and @hannahcharnock.bsky.social! Thanks to @lauratisdall.bsky.social for chairing. Please do join if you're interested in social and cultural approaches to young people's lives and leisure spaces. 12 June, 12-1, tinyurl.com/mryazrew

One more round. Despite the various responses the CCCS feels really significant in terms of books. I'd add bham centres more generally feel distinct. Been thinking about John Stewarts work on local govt as a non glamorous massive contribution from bham www.theguardian.com/society/2023...

There's lots of events around my University's 125 anniversary. I was chatting with a colleague about the most well-known books written at/within the University. What would folk suggest? We started with the following (which reflected our own areas of research as much as anything):

Reposting this in case anyone has other suggestions. Economics? Sciences?

There's lots of events around my University's 125 anniversary. I was chatting with a colleague about the most well-known books written at/within the University. What would folk suggest? We started with the following (which reflected our own areas of research as much as anything):

I have a very personal essay in today’s Irish Times about the grandfather I never met, the historian KH Connell www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

Took a little local trip today to check on King John and Stanley Baldwin. All remain in place.

'Material masculinities: men and goods in eighteenth-century England' is out with @manchesterup.bsky.social today! A book on the materiality of men's lives 1660-1832 covering the significant changes in what it meant to be a man & what it meant to own 'things' during the time. Thanks to follow below:

Was great to have @samwetherell.bsky.social here @mbsbirmingham.bsky.social today. Great paper and chats. Thanks all.

This Wednesday (2 April).

I am looking forward to hearing @samwetherell.bsky.social speak at Birmingham next week. Can't find an event link but the title is ‘Liverpool, Obsolescence and the Management of "Surplus" Populations in Post-War Britain’ at Uni of Bham - Arts LR2 (126), 3-4.30pm. Share with those interested!

Perks of work. Taking the young uns to some actoring

Malvern's cloud inversions this morning were lovely stuff.

Several years late, but doing pre-term pondering of a semantic shift from 'Reading List' to 'Resource List'. A defence of 'reading' as a 'resource' with power (!?), and/or indication of the economization of basic institutional language (?), and/or sign too long staring at Resource Lists?

It would have been a bolder artistic choice - and for me a more compelling idea - to make a film about Timothee Chalamet's life with Bob Dylan in the lead role.

Merry Chris Moores

GOODBYE 2024 AND ALL YOUR TERRIBLE MUSIC. Here are SPINAL BAP'S TOP ALBUMS of the year. The funniest parts were mostly written by Brother Chris, if I'm entirely honest. @mooresci.bsky.social 🦆 spinalbap.blogspot.com/2024/12/spin...

Thanks to folk who reflected with me. I hope my tone wasn't off or overly backwards looking - I am really pleased @qmcbs.bsky.social is doing this - it looks great. Also @mbsbirmingham.bsky.social is still doing absolutely loads of fab things and is full of all my besties/top top top folk. Onwards!

Had a few folk ask about the exciting QMCBS conference/cfp. There are some shared Qs in there which shaped some things we did a few years back at another British Studies Centre at Bham. The new event looks great to me – good folk involved, interesting plenaries, compelling agenda etc... (1/13)