Something deeply troubling & shocking is happening at Exeter University*, where a mass cull of staff is planned, even though it's in surplus. No good justifications given. @jamesgdyke.info provides the details: www.technosphere.earth/the-bonfire-... *Disclosure: I have a Visiting Fellowship here. +🧵

We are dismayed to learn about further proposed HE cuts, this time at the University of Hertfordshire and the University of Exeter. In solidarity, please join us by signing and sharing the two urgent petitions below. 🚨🖊️ 1/3

Hey Bluesky crowd! You also should be signing our petition opposing the announced redundancies at the University of Exeter. 📢 We're 17k and growing! Redundancies ARE NOT necessary and we must #DefendExeterUni 🩷 c.org/RFqMvrKb6z

CALL FOR PAPERS  📣   Experiencing Relief in Early Modern Britain: 1500-1800   We welcome papers from ECRs, PGRs, and established scholars. For more info (e.g., how to submit a paper) please see our website: earlymodernreliefconference2027.wordpress.com #earlymodern #earlymodernists #AcademicSky

📣 Call for Applications 📣 History Workshop is seeking to appoint one Editorial Fellow in 2026, with specialism in pre-1800 CE history from any part of the globe. This is a part-time, paid role. Application deadline: 7 August 2026. Please share widely!

Heartbreaking and infuriating to see this proposed at the institution which I attended as an UG a decade ago (and chose for its stellar research reputation) and recently returned to on a temporary contract.

The University of Exeter has become the latest Russell Group university to announce major job cuts, insisting it “must” take action to reduce financial pressures. Juliette Rowsell reports #highered #jobcuts https://ow.ly/K8bq50ZfYlY

Call for Papers for the Smell Studies Journal

Call for contributions - Decluttering: Past and Present Perspectives - please do get in touch if you would like to join us for our workshop at Royal Holloway in November …

How do we enhance the engagement of history students in their degree programmes? A new article - 'Rethinking Engagement: Insights from UK History Departments' - bit.ly/4viEKru, by Sarah Jones and Simon Peplow offers discipline-specific proposals. Latest Open Access article in 'Transactions' 1/2

This morning the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have published a refreshed and updated list of Areas of Research Interest. These are an important way for researchers to engage with policy, so please do read them! www.gov.uk/government/p...

📣 2026/7 MA in Eighteenth Century Studies bursaries 📣 We're delighted to announce that we will be awarding four MA bursaries for the 2026/7 MA in Eighteenth Century Studies cohort. Full details can be found on the CECS website: 🔗 www.york.ac.uk/eighteenth-c... Spread the news!

We're pleased to be supporting the "Death and Bereavement in Early Modern Britain, 1520-1689" Conference @standrewshist.bsky.social on 26 - 27 June 2026 For programme and registration details please see below: pastandpresent.org.uk/programme-an...

I'm delighted to finally share details of a workshop series I'm hosting with @thackraymuseum.bsky.social! 'Researchers in Museums' is open to a wide range of early career researchers and offers the opportunity to go 'behind the scenes' in a fantastic medical museum. Please share widely!

As a big King James Version fan I was inordinately excited to see the tomb of Richard Edes in Worcester Cathedral yesterday

Hi everyone, I'm organising a conference in Leuven, 4-5 June, and you're all invited*! It's called 'Performing evil: the mediation and display of diabolic spectres 1700-2000' and here is the call for papers (get in touch if you'd like a pdf!). Please share widely! *to submit an abstract before 21/3

Enjoyed this conversation with @simpep.bsky.social and @callingdrjones.bsky.social for History UK - a great opportunity to reflect on my teaching experiences as a PGR and how they have formed my ECR teaching identity

Back in a rainy Exeter for term 2

Term 1 at Exeter done! An absolutely knackering 12 weeks for my first experience of (nearly) full time teaching, but couldn't be doing it at a better place or alongside more welcoming colleagues

The @ihr.bsky.social #London #SummerSchool 2026 is now booking on the theme of 'Sickness & Health'. From the Black Death to Covid-19. Use code HEALTH10 before 24th Jan to get 10% discount! Bursaries available www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Does Artificial Intelligence have the potential to simplify, and ultimately impoverish, our study of the past? Gordon McKelvie @gordonmckelvie.bsky.social considers the recent explosion in A.I. and what it might mean for historians facing the current Higher Education crisis.

Our University Archive is a rich resource for exploring the lives & experiences of Black people at the University of Exeter & its predecessor institutions. Find out about this archive & more in our online guide to Black History research resources ⬇️ #BlackHistoryMonth #BHM #Archives #RareBooks

New in 'Transactions of the Royal Historical Society' '"your poore distressed suppliant": ‘Madness’, Emotion and the Archive in Early Modern England', by Jonathan Willis bit.ly/4mM49G4 How can perspectives from the history of emotions inform understanding of 'madness' in early modern England? 1/2

My latest piece with The Conversation - a short read on the long history of fermenting foods 🥒

Delightful break to the journey back from York stopping at Hardwick Hall

In York today for the Cabinet of Curiosities conference. Speaking later on truth and deceit in 17th century witchcraft reporting

Seventeenth century flirting: "A Young-man came in and ask'd her how she did? She answered very bad, but at present a little better"

Call for Papers for our interdisciplinary conference exploring Dialogues of Nonconformity across the British Atlantic World, 1500-1800, taking place at the University of Birmingham on 12 September 2025. Keynote delivered by Professor Alec Ryrie. Papers welcome from researchers at any career stage.

A snapshot into my current research as Visiting Early Career Fellow at @thejohnrylands.bsky.social and my enduring fascination with the Ordinary of Newgate, Paul Lorrain - what a character!

We have a great programme of emotions events kicking off at Warwick today with a conversation on Teaching Emotions History with @katieebarclay.bsky.social and Sasha Turner. Lots more to come this week! @naomipullin.bsky.social warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/his...

Had a wonderful time last week discussing early modern masculinities with @benltjackson.bsky.social and Hannah Yip at Manchester's Affective Artefacts seminar

Reading Foucault like

Looking forward to talking about my current project on Wednesday as part of a bumper Affective Artefacts session on early modern masculinities

Looking forward to this film screening and discussion on Friday!

Great to be back at the Lord Leycester this morning with @naomipullin.bsky.social to deliver training for volunteers and the public on using parish records

Talking alternative careers with Warwick History Postdoc Club this evening

Pleased to be re-running our FREE Research Workshops: with @lordleycester @WarwickHistory @warwickengages. Training and skills on early modern records, incl. parish registers, legal records, family archives and the early master & brethren. More here: www.lordleycester.com/lord-leycest...

The brand new website for the NATIONAL FOLKLORE SURVEY has launched today! www.nationalfolkloresurvey.co.uk #folklore

Join History on Film and @emeccwarwick.bsky.social with @history-ucdavis.bsky.social on Friday 7 March, 4pm for screening of the award-winning The Devil’s Bath (2024), followed by pizza and discussion with Kathy Stuart. Claudia Stein, and @imogenknox.bsky.social warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/his...

Great fun to be writing again, today about the various controversies of Paul Lorrain, Ordinary of Newgate

Graduation last week was the culmination of years of work on my project, from drafting that (very rough) initial proposal in Nov 2019 to passing my viva with no corrections last July. An especial thanks to @naomipullin.bsky.social for being there on the day and all the support during my PhD journey

Some fascinating material so far in the Ordinary's Accounts. Shout out to Paul Lorrain for being so judgmental and providing some great quotes for my research

Enjoying getting stuck into research at the Rylands Library for my new project on last dying speeches

CFP for the 'Sleeping Well' @sleepingwelluom.bsky.social end-of-project conference, 'Bodies and Environments in the Early Modern World'. Taking place 9-10 June 2025 at JRRI, Manchester. Details on our website here: sites.manchester.ac.uk/sleeping-wel... Deadline 3 Feb. Please share widely!

While I've been absent here my article 'Faithful men and false women' was published OA with Gender & History. If you're interested in early modern constructions of love, emotion, and gender check it out! onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Long time no update! I passed my viva with no corrections in July and since then have been working away on the monograph. Very excited to be taking up a John Rylands Early Career Fellowship in January, looking at emotions and masculinity in gallows speeches.

Submitted my thesis yesterday (so of course we had to go for donuts)

Last week was hectic but brilliant. Spoke about my thesis at Birmingham Eighteenth Century Centre colloquium and about demonic possession at @ihr.bsky.social Back to reality (and my mountain of marking) this morning

New piece on The Conversation theconversation.com/early-modern...

There is still plenty of time to add our next colloquium with @imogenknox.bsky.social to your calendars ✨ Though the event is shown as being sold out, this is only due to Eventbrite's ticket limit - there is no cap on attendance and the Zoom link can still be accessed at the link below!