iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 7h

New biblically accurate rat boss in The Witcher 3 remastered. "DO NOT BE AFRAID HUMAN... we are leaving the mill at once, as one...."

A screenshot from The Witcher 3 Remastered from the mission where you help Triss de-rat a mill. All the rats have spawned together on top of each other creating some kind of rat amalgamation. It has many eyes, ears, noses, paws, and tails.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 17h

Thank you! A cosy reading spot will be one of the first things set up 😊

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Currently in the process of moving house and so I haven't been reading as much as I usually do. However, i just found Moss'd in Space by @rebeccathorne.bsky.social at my local library and I am really excited for this to be the first book I read in my new home!

A copy of Moss'd in Space on top of one of so many cardboard boxes being used to pack my life up into.

The cover of the book has a very mossy looking space ship on the front cover with two people sat back to back on the very top. The landscape is scenic mountains and there are clouds in the sky. Other space ships fly above and overall it looks so peaceful. I would like to live in this book cover.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Adverts! On every streaming service including (especially) the ones I pay for is the bane of my existence! Get in the sea and let me watch a film in peace. I dont want to buy fabric softener midway through a scene.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

"Working" on my book today. I promise im making progress. It's not all meme-ing through writing blocks...

The ball pit Sheldon pops out of to shout Bazinga in a Big Bang episode. Johan Huizinga, Dutch Historian, is photoshopped in Sheldons place, shouting his name like a Pokemon.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

J Middle Passage by Charles Johnson. A historical novel following the final voyage of an illegal slaving ship on the titular Middle Passage. There's something also a bit capital W Weird at the centre of the narrative too. Really compelling as well as horrifying.

Cover for Middle Passage by Charles Johnson. The side portrait of a man, Rutherford Calhoun, is made up of skies, seas, buildings, ships and a woman looking directly towards the audience.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I Mornings with my Cat Mii by Mayumi Inaba. Trans by Ginny Tapley Takemori. A really beautiful insight into the author's life filtered by the way her life grows around the presence of her cat Mii. It is about the full life of the cat, so fair warning! At times sad but really moving.

The cover for Morning with my Cat Mii by Mayumi Inaba and translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori.

Comprises of a painted line drawing of a cute cartoony proportioned cat on a price of paper with writing on it. The cats lines are made of big strokes.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

H Narcissus and Goldmund by Herman Hesse. Catching up here as I actually read this month ago! The only way to describe the plot is Medieval German Mambo Number 5. Lots of pretty descriptions and some interesting ideas, but I found some parts a bit of a slog.

The penguin modern classic cover for Herman Hesse's Narcissus and Goldmund. A cloak figure is overlaid once side with the heavens and the other with a harvest. Contrasting the two natures of the title characters.

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Reposted by Dr Charlotte Gislam

Victoria Rose Richards @aerialembroidery.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

'You'll choke too' - an aerial embroidery landscape inspired by all the wildfires happening right now... I'm upset every time I smell smoke outside and somehow we have people starting them maliciously too! But we all breathe the same air so they'll choke too (1/2 - see thread for close-ups)

An embroidery hoop containing a sewn landscape from above. It shows a forest on the right, a line of fire and charred ground with smoke on the left. The smoke is felted wool.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Im working on my book today in a local coffee shop and my lovely friend and barista poured me the cutest Pac-Man to inspire me!

A coffee with a pacman design swirled into the foam on top. It looks super cute.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Truly feeling the fomo with #MCAmsterdam happening this weekend. 2024 was so fun, but this year was not to be. For those there this time round, I hope you have an amazing time and your draft pools are stellar! Let me live vicariously through your posts 🤣 Also I recommend The Block for coffee!

Photo of a coffee shop called The Block in Amsterdam. Its very industrial and concrete looking.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Snap! That's also how your email found me 😂

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Digra 2026 socials are making it so I cut it super close to keeping the owl off my back!!!

The image of the day streak screen on duolingo. It says "Nice! You extended your streak with 1 minute left in the day."

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

After a huge day of travel, I've made it to DiGRA (whoooo!) Went and picked up a veggie spice bag (recommended!) and some bits from Aldi. Now resting up so i'm all ready for the conference tomorrow!

A big box of chips and tofu with a fork sticking out of it on a bench. Behind is two bottles, one pocari sweat and one Hata.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Nothing more important on a journey than good tunes!

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

I'm on route to #DiGRA2026 here we go 😊 Catch me on Tuesday talking about the work we've been doing about empathy at GAMEHEARTS! But today you can catch me in travel mode. Trains, buses, and even a ferry on today's docket. 🚄🚌🛳 And im only a teeny bit excited about the ship part!! 🤗

A photo of the tray table on a train. It has headphones on it and a kindle. The kindle is showing the cover of the book I'm going to ready today. Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Magic upgrade time! Replaced a Sunspear Shikari with a Stoneforge Mystic. It kind of feels bad to take a cat out of a cat based deck. Perhaps I'll add some art to the inner sleeve to make Mystic an honorary cat 🐈 Regardless, Im very happy with where this Kemba deck is at now.

Two magic cards. One in sleeve, one butt naked. The one on the left is the Stoneforge Mystic. The art is of a woman pouring molten metal into some blacksmith moulds.

The card on the right is Sunspear Shikari. The art is of a angry cat person holding a spear. Technically the cat is wearing armour. Purely on her arms.

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Reposted by Dr Charlotte Gislam

Stellbound: Stellraiser II @antlervel.vet · 03/06/2026

ATREUS: I miss Mom. KRATOS: I…*grunt* I, too, feel her absence. ATREUS: I miss her double jump. KRATOS: … ATREUS: And her air combos— KRATOS: ENOUGH! TO LAUNCH AN ENEMY INTO A JUGGLE IS ALL A WARRIOR NEEDS, BOY!

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Required DiGRA conference attire this year?

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Enjoying a post vote beer and a book full of hope and beauty.

A photo of a schooner of pale ale and the book Orbital by Samantha Harvey.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

G Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden. Truly a case of judging a book by its cover. Pattern caught my eye so I picked it up. Nuns going wild in Mopu trying to build a covenant on the grounds of a pleasure house. Overall enjoyed it though language at times was very dated.

The cover for Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden. It is a stunning cover that looks like an embroidered fabric. A blue background with lots of white flowers and birds with red, yellow, purple, and orange detailing.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

The greatest of all food preparation methods!

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

Had a bank holiday Sunday pickling session! Beetroot, carrots, cucumber, and onions. Now to "patiently" await tasting the results...

Four kilner jars filled with vegetables and brine.

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Reposted by Dr Charlotte Gislam

Basil 🌱 @basil-mage.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

Endless cycle

A drawing of a realistic dog wearing a tie saying; "I need to lock in and prove that I am capable. I need to be taken seriously." While a drawing of a cartoon dog says; "I need to stay silly and whimsical lest I lose the very essence of myself." Perpetrating an endless cycle

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

F Red Crosses by Sasha Filipenko Good lord this was so sad. Follows Russian history for roughly the past 100 years from the perspective of two neighbours. It's interested in memory, trauma (on both a personal and societal level), and guilt. Really good but prep for tragedy.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

E Burning Grass by Cyprian Ekwensi A Nigerian novel about a nomadic family constantly wandering away from each other and finding each other again. Has a feel of an oral story tradition so I bet this would sound great as an audio book.

Cover of Burning Grass by Cyprian Ekwensi. It is mostly a bright orange with zigzag lines adding texture. Under the authors name is some light blue painted stripes that look like water. Above the title are more blue stripes that look like the sky.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

D Rosarita by Anita Desai A bitesize (95 pages) look at realising too late you dont really know someone. A chance encounter leads to chasing ghosts across Mexico with no certainty if they ever existed. It's also mostly in second person! Super unusual. I wanted more but that felt purposeful.

Cover for Rosarita by Anita Desai. Two women look away from each other and the viewer. The one on the right's head is painted in while their torso is sketched. The one on the left is opposite, the head is sketched and the torso is painted

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

C The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft Picked because of the title and the cover. About translators who meet to work on a new book. The author disappears. Nobody deals with it well. Enjoyed, but I wish I knew another language well enough to understand the playfulness of the book more!

An image of the cover of The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft. In the centre is a painting of blue trees in a forest with yellow mushrooms on the ground and greenery in the middle distance.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

There's a plan to make pesto pasta, wine in the fridge, and an Easter egg to enjoy. I'm cracking on with book number one with a second in the chamber. It's a Friday night with a week off stretched out ahead. 🥰

Two books stacked on a blanket. The bottom book is The Extinction of Irena Rey by Jennifer Croft and the second is Snuff by Terry Pratchett.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

I dont usually post any mtg game states, but I entered Magical Christmas Land yesterday and hit turn 3 with a 14/14 double strike trampling commander. Took a photo so I don't forget my crazy luck. Usually our games take at minimum 8 turns to finish so this was extremely out of the blue. #MTG

A photo of one side of a magic the gathering game.

Kemba Kha Enduring has a Leyline Axe and a Colossus Hammer attached. There is a Sigarda's Aid and a Soul ring also on board.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Ok so reviewer 2 was more critical than the first (a universal constant) but in a really supportive way! Going to tweak some things, then do some 💫manifesting💫 and maybe (???) cross fingers 🤞 I'll have some good news to share.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Brilliant, I will keep my eye out for it being uploaded. Thanks!

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Reposted by Dr Charlotte Gislam

TheBulbaBoy 🏳️‍⚧️ @thebulbaboy.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Back at it again in the mines

A doodle titled “yeah I love the writing process” and showing four different scenes. A figure hunched over a piece of paper, another hunched ferally over a laptop, a third making a “werk queen” face at a keyboard, and a fourth dissociating in their chair.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

This sounds fab! Is there any chance this will be recorded? 😊

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 31/01/2026

B Black Magic by Marjorie Bowen When I saw this in the library, I knew this would be up my alley. Published in 1909 it read like a love letter to books like The Monk (1796). A Gothic tale that plays with gender, power, and temptation. I had never heard if it. So pleased I picked it up!

Cover for Black Magic by Marjorie Bowen. In the centre there is a black and white androgynous figure mostly in shadow holding a mirrored ball which is reflecting something hard to see. In the background wild and wavy lines of colour go outwards from the figure. It is very eye catching.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

A The folly of this plan is revealed: picking only one book is hard. Not a River was a >100 word novella following a fishing trip gone wrong. Hauntings, rotting fish, dance halls. ✅️ The Lord depicts a journalist gathering the details of one guy's life during the British Mandate of Palestine. ✅️

Cover of Not a River by Selva Almada. It is a deep sea green with what looks like a river with two strips of red a d lots of tributaries in white and blue.

The cover for The Lord by Soraya Antonius. The cover has a black and white picture of the view from the Acropolis to Lebanon.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

I'm trying a different reading challenge this year (beyond aiming to read a book a week). The plan is to read through the alphabet via author surname. All books will be picked through what is on offer at the library. Hopefully this will push me to read things I wouldn't normally! Thread below:

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

Love AGDQ and all the work they do to raise money for the Prevent Cancer Foundation! Looking forward to having this as a companion to help make returning to work tomorrow easier.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

Finished on Christmas Eve after snagging from the library impulsively when I saw it was in. Loved The Stardust Grail so had to read this! Thanks @yumewrites.bsky.social for a stunning book about sisterhood, environmental collapse, and sailing. It was exactly what I needed right now in my life! 🌱⛵️💚

A photo of the cover of Yume Kitasei's novel Saltcrop against a background of a green blanket. The cover is green and black with a striking pink used for the title and a little boat sailing across the front.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

Ace, it's great to hear someone else also did the same thing 😊 So far loving it. Did you have a good time with it too?

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 13/12/2025

I love roller derby and I love roller derby merch 💙🤍🩷 Excellent time had watching Arcadia's annual sevens tournament!

Photo of a sticker of meme king Jack Karlson. It says "what is the charge? Taking a piss? A scandalous transsexual piss?" With a trans flag below.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

I've been going proper Greek Myth Mode recently. As I read I hear the dialogue of the Gods and Odysseus in The Iliad with the Hades 2 voice actors. It's very entertaining!

A copy of Homer's The Iliad translated by Emily Wilson. The Book is out a fluffy green blanket.

A screenshot of Hades 2 of Poseidon. He is saying: " Ask any god upon Olympus whether we think you ought to join in our defense here, or take the fight to Chronos in your father's realm, and you'll get a range of views! A range of highly civil views, which we dont fight about at all!"

A screenshot of Hades 2 of Odysseus. He is saying: "Fishing! My greatest weakness. Goddess! The waters and I haven't always mixed, but perhaps it'll go better for me now. Besides, I'm overdue for a short leave. Let's go!"

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

These books mean a lot to me. I have some reservations/queries with aspects of the story, but the "plot" isn't the main reason for the writing (to me). This is a book about the act of making meaning and perceiving connections. The Book of Dust says fuck Occam's Razor add more leprechauns/gryphons

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 05/12/2025

Finished The Rose Field by Philip Pullman today. Thus ends my back to back reading of His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust. I come away with a realisation that my interest in matter, storytelling, and agency (academic and beyond) was seeded in HDM and it continues through TBoD.

A top down photo of The Rose Field hardback next to a hot chocolate and a cake.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

I got the first of two reports back on a proposal and it was very supportive! Positive and the suggestions are considered, help clarify the argument, and are do-able. A boost I sorely needed this week. Now we hope and pray reviewer 2 is uncharacteristically similar in their kindness! 🙏

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 12/10/2025

Treated myself to some books yesterday as it was National Bookshop Day. Got some Korean translated vampires, the Emily Wilson translation of The Iliad, a collection of the two Monk and Robot books, and a Spanish coming of age novel. Now to find space to store them 😬

Book cover for The Midnight Shift by Cheon Seon-Ran translated by Gene Png.

A starry sky with clouds coming in on the right. A hand stabbed through with a rose.

The book cover for Emily Wilson's translation of The Iliad

The book cover of Monk and Robot by Becky Chambers. A mossy robot hand reaches from the top towards a human hand reaching from the bottom.

The book cover for That's All I Know by Elisa Levi and translated by Christina MacSweeney.

A greyhound looking dog looks down at a dead hare in a pool of its own blood which goes from red to gold.

In real life the gold is really reflective.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

I'm feeling unwell, but I got pitbull tickets for next summer, so it all balances out.

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Dr Charlotte Gislam @cgislam.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Look, I enjoy horror/supernatural fiction all year, but it's vibes appropriate now to share what im reading. So: Just finished - Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V. E. Schwab Just started - The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling Truly revelling in women's wrongs with this selection. 🩸💀

The cover for Bury our bones in the midnight soil by V.E. Schwab. It is a majority black cover with illustrated dark blue roses. The title is in a shocking yellow that really jumps off the page.

The book cover for The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling. Depict a hooded nun-like figure holding some nasty looking honeycomb. Instead of a face the inside of the hood is full of three faces with mouths open. Is that in pain or pleasure? Dealer's choice.

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