iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Reading Fanny Hensel's letters with no German is hard but sometimes I shove a phrase into Google just because. Du hast Dich durchgelebt u. durchgeschreiben, u. ich bin drin stecken geblieben: You lived through and wrote through yourself, and I got stuck in it. I see you Fanny. Being stuck. Yes.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Meanwhile, much closer to home - and much nearer in time. 3rd October in Wallingford (Agatha Christie Country), Oxfordshire, I'm speaking about crime fiction at 2.30pm in the Corn Exchange. FREE tickets if you grab one soon!

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Arriving at Royal Academy of Music - anyone else here for Women and Musical Histories? (Trying to grow my feminist music network...)

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Sipping my coffee and listening to @clarehammondpiano.bsky.social playing Montgeroult on BBC Radio 3. Next up, I play Fanny Mendelssohn at church in Wytham (the easy version, thanks to @henselpushers.bsky.social). Yes, today's a good day for hearing and playing music composed by women.

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Prof Laurie Stras @lauriestras.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Just to say, if you are in N London tonight and at a loose end, why not go along to this #nuntastic show at the Arcola Theatre? Saw it last night and it was hugely entertaining. Went in unsure (you all know how I feel about H), came away bloody loving it. 1/ www.arcolatheatre.com/event/bitter...

arcolatheatre.com

Bitter Visions: By Order of Hildegard - Arcola Theatre

An immersive, meditative new opera fusing medieval plainchant with ambient electronic soundscapes, after Hildegard von Bingen's Ordo Virtutum.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Hearing Hensel's Quartet live was, as ever, exhilarating and moving. (The cellist was esp. awesome - I heard so many details I'd not heard before.) And Bacewicz 1 was a revelation. I actually forgot about the 40 degree heat. Will seek out Quatuor Magenta again.

Me (older white woman wearing glasses), smiling, outside the venue

The programme: Haydn, Bacewicz, Mendelssohn (or Hensel, her married name)

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

On my way to the Luberon to hear some Fanny Hensel, performed by Quatuor Magenta. Crazy? Maybe. But so far (I've reached Lille...), the train gods are smiling on me. Next stop Avignon.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Sometimes I wonder why I care about my work on women's contribution to classical music. Then I see the shelves of Felix Mendelssohn scores, of traditional (men's) musicology, and the enclave of books 'about' women. Still love @bodleian.ox.ac.uk though, and still miss the Music Faculty library.

lots of Felix Mendelssohn scores on a library bookshelf

lots more Felix Mendelssohn scores on a library bookshelf

lots of musicology books on a library bookshelf (almost all of them erasing women's contributions but you can't see that from the picture)

the small section of books about women and music

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

in the spirit of early tw***er I'm going to post two mundane images. No-one will even notice and there'll be no social media pile-on. But this business of picking, eating, boiling, bottling, has made me happy.

in the foreground, a small plastic pot of blackberries. In the far distance, someone picking blackberries from green hedgerow.

red liquid in a beautiful little glass jar - made from blackberries

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Been working hard today so am rewarding myself with a pre-order of Madame Composer by @sarahfritz.bsky.social - but I am paralysed by indecision. The e-book is clearly the sensible way to go (for referencing and portability) but, my soul cries out, I want the book in my hand. No, I can't have both.

Book cover for 'Madame Composer' showing a black-and-white photograph of a serious faced Clara Schumann.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

A game! Find a news story about a creative achievement of a man. Count the number of women name-checked in his story* Try: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... btw, I'm not attacking DH who's just great. I am calling out exclusionary male-dominated hierarchies and career scripts. *yes, it's zero

bbc.co.uk

Daniel Harding: British conductor named LA Philharmonic's music director - and keeps part-time pilot job

Daniel Harding, a conductor and Air France pilot, is named the LA Philharmonic's new music director.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Attention all! THIS is happening, so get writing. (Also - I've come back to this place because of a conversation with @henselpushers.bsky.social - more on that in a moment!)

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

You want crime, wine, and conversation in a small independent bookshop in the Cotswolds? I thought so. Woodstock (Oxfordshire), Sunday 28 September, 5pm. If you've enjoyed the book (@josephinequinn.bsky.social and @drdeininger.bsky.social?) please spread the word!

Poster advertising a talk (details in main body of the post)

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Loved this conversation - a real meeting of (biographical) minds!

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

Clock ticking (my fault entirely) - you have a couple of hours left to listen to me talking about 'Death of an Englishman' on The Book Show, Talk Radio Europe. I'm on at about 7.20pm (BST)! www.talkradioeurope.com/on-demand/

talkradioeurope.com

On Demand | Talk Radio Europe

On Demand All 'LIVE' Shows from the past 7 days Welcome to Talk Radio Europe's On Demand service. All Talk Radio LIVE shows and Copyrighted Specialist shows are available via our ON DEM

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

That should have said 'no four-letter c-words here'.... Never try to be clever, Beer.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Audiobook - done! Death of an Englishman: an Oxford mystery available on the usual platforms. Click here for eight and counting hours of gentle, clever crime fiction. (No c-word here...) bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/cri...

Author (me, a middle-aged white woman with glasses and a nervous smile) sitting in a recording studio, with a flask of hot drink at the ready - all set to record her audio book.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 07/06/2025

Madrid! Cirencester! My local church hall! Hitting all the big venues. (No idea whether I am reaching anybody on here, so if you want to know more about this mini author tour, throw me a like.)

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 18/05/2025

A heads-up for anyone in the States who wants to read my new murder mystery, Death of an Englishman. Ebook isthe way to go. Here's the link for Amazon, Apple, Google and Kobo. bookguild.co.uk/bookshop/cri...

bookguild.co.uk

Death of an Englishman

A quest for a valuable manuscript turns into a hunt for its author’s killer. Meet Oxford’s Eve Brook, literary detective, as she tackles her first mystery....

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 18/05/2025

Josephine Quinn showing how it's done. Death of an Englishman is now required reading on any train ride, don't you know.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 18/05/2025

One of the many things to ♥️ about Caper Bookshop is it (literally) advertises Grown-up Events. So, come and hear me in conversation, in a thoroughly grown-up way*, with fellow Oxford crime writer, Simon Mason. 27th May. checkout.square.site/merchant/ML2... *no promises, there may be some giggling

checkout.square.site

Anna Beer talks to Simon Mason: Death of An Englishman – An Oxford Mystery - Caper

description

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

And while I'm here - a tactful post about the PEN awards. www.instagram.com/anna_beer_au...

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

Stand up for trans rights 🏳️‍⚧️ Join me and @GoodLawProject and help us fight the Supreme Court’s harmful decision:https://goodlawproject.org/s/c41bb8

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Reposted by Anna Beer

Nick Abadzis @nickabadzis.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

QR code link to buy (UK):

QR code to buy Anna Beer’s Death of an Englishman

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

What makes a great writer? Great nails. Thanks to Freya at Tao Beauty in Oxford, I at least have great nails. #manicure #writer

Young blond white woman points at a book. Older dark-haired white woman also points at book. Older woman has beautiful nails. The book is Death of an Englishman: an Oxford mystery. A window behind them shows a beautiful Oxford spring day.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

TOMORROW!!! www.ticketsource.co.uk/oxford-liter...

ticketsource.co.uk

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

What a longlist! Honoured to be a judge for @penamerica.bsky.social - every one of these books shines a light on lives which may have been misrepresented, misunderstood, or missed entirely. Now, more than ever, we need good biography. #biograpy #penamerica #awards

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

You know, I think the kitten-in-peril market is HUGE, and I might have missed a trick.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 03/03/2025

You know when you suddenly decide to change direction, take a leap into the new, and become a beginner again? Well, I do. And it's been wonderful: challenging but oh so satisfying. The result? My first novel, out next month. More to follow, but for now - I'm just going to enjoy this moment!

Book cover, with title Death of an Englishman: an Oxford mystery, author (me), and an image of a fictional Oxford college with a woman on a bicycle in the foreground.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

The quote in my last post is from the BBC article below. See. Sources. (But now I suppose I had better check it...) #Sundaymorningfun

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 23/02/2025

AI history creator of viral content: "It would be cool to make it totally accurate using the right sources, but it's just me on my own making these videos and it takes 8 hours to make each one." Grumpy scholar: "it can take 8 years to make a book. Because accuracy and the right sources matter."

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Not going to lie. A green onyx is a bit of rock. End of. But the kindness and perceptiveness of the gift? Now that is magical. Social anxiety, it's a thing. And this will help.

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Peter Foster @pmdfoster.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

Kemi Badenoch speech to the culture warriors convention today in London is extraordinary. She warns of “the poisoning of minds through higher education.” What next? Struggle sessions and degree holders being sent down to the countryside? Hardly know where to start.

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Nick Abadzis @nickabadzis.bsky.social · 17/02/2025

“Applying for Arts Council England funding” @ldcomics.bsky.social are running an online workshop tomorrow - book here. Please share. #comics #ukcomics #britishcomics #ukcomicscreators #manga ldcomics.com/product/ldco...

ldcomics.com

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

I'm really and truly back on social media when I've discovered a new game. Gamescrolling. The way to go. Connections Puzzle #613 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

1/ Heard Fanny Mendelssohn's Hiob last night at Festival Hall. Lovely, but a Bach pastiche. She then stopped (depressing reasons) composing big works. BUT for solo piano she kept writing, developing an authentic voice in relation to (not drowned by) Bach - the genius of Das Jahr is proof of that.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 13/02/2025

this is niche, but trying to buy a wooden train set for small family members and it seems all the figures are white and that all the people in uniform are white males. I'm new to this (not had many small people in my life for a while) but...help? #sexism #racism #trains #toys

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Dr Laura Eastlake @victorianmasc.bsky.social · 12/02/2025

Someone is ABSOLUTELY going to be m*rdered at this conference, but this is a risk I’m willing to take because this is the coolest conference I’ve ever seen. 🚂 call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/cfp/2025/02/...

Railway Aesthetics: Experiencing Locomotion across Media and Cultures (Vienna-Bucharest-Istanbul, 10-13 September 2025)

deadline for submissions:
May 2, 2025

We are inviting proposals for a multidisciplinary conference on the aesthetics of the railway. Taking place on two trains from Vienna to Bucharest and from Bucharest to Istanbul, the conference will itself be a mobile experience.

Throughout their history, trains have transported not only passengers and freight, but also manifold cultural, political, and ideological narratives. From Charles Dickens’s proto-modernist railway sketches to the post-apocalyptic Korean film Snowpiercer, from James Bond’s train top fights to the space train in the Japanese manga series Galaxy Express 999, the railway has fuelled fantasies about mobility, progress, conquest, and connection. In the nineteenth-century US, for instance, the transcontinental railroad spatialized the ideology of manifest destiny (see White 2011); for interwar Europe, railways signified the utopia of a unified continent; on the Indian subcontinent, trains functioned as the long arm of empire before becoming associated with Indian nationalism (e.g. in Ravi Chopra’s 1980 action film The Burning Train). As literal and metaphorical vehicles, trains have carried multiple, often contradictory meanings. For the American Romantic Henry David Thoreau, they signalled the oppressive structures of society (‘We do not ride on the railroad; it rides upon us’). In African American culture, they have been linked to slavery and segregation but also been envisaged as speculative engines of resistance and social change (see Zabel 2004), as in Colson Whitehead’s 2016 novel The Underground Railroad. Across a range of cultures and periods, railways have represented the hegemonic orders of the modern world while holding out disruptive and transgressive possibilities.

The railway journey as a narrative trope in literature and film
Sensory geographies of the railway
Historical p…

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

@clavisandclaustra.bsky.social product placement time! Wild night out at an Oxford college - lots of lovely food and interesting people to talk to. Good to see new portraits on the walls (women! blimey!)

Me (middle-aged woman with glasses wearing a very unattractive cycling jacket) holding a tote bag with the words 'Party like it's 1599' and images of demonic revelry - all underneath an image of the first woman to be trained as a Baptist minister.

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Hello (again). What do I do? I work with people to help unleash their creativity. In part, because that helps me as well, and not only as an author. Check out my website (for mentoring) or thespeakersagency.com/speakers/ann... for speaking #publicspeaking #writinglife #creativity

thespeakersagency.com

Anna Beer - The Speakers Agency

Book author Anna Beer with The Speakers Agency. Call +44(0)1332 810481 or email enquiries@thespeakersagency.com

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Anna Beer @annabeerauthor.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

Hello (properly). Frying pan to fire = my social media history. Hoping this place is different? better? kinder? Going to post a few things and see what happens. For now, for anyone who needs it, here's one of the most beautiful, peaceful places on the planet: Song Kul in Kyrgyzstan.

sun almost setting over mountains in the distance. In the foreground green steppe, and a river winding towards a lake. The atmosphere is peaceful.

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