iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I’ve been admiring digital images of the Vienna Coronation Gospels all week. The MS has 236 purple-dyed vellum leaves with text written in gold & silver ink. Each Gospel begins with a portrait of its respective Evangelist. The incredible cover was added at a much later date. #MedievalSky

061

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

I had to make a really difficult decision today which was necessary for my finances, but not for enhancing familial relations. Thank goodness for the sea to ease the soul.

140

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

As it’s Virgo season, here’s the maiden in a Book of Hours (MS G.14 f.12r), shown with wings & carrying flowers (to reflect her earthly qualities) & a staff (her intuition). In his Etymologiae, Isidore of Seville said when the sun’s in Virgo the sun-scorched earth is barren (virginal). #MedievalSky

082

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Battling a grotty cold but managed several hours in the sand dunes & on the beach at Ynyslas in the company of one of Small’s school friends & their Mum who, luckily for us, also happens to be a bushcraft & foraging expert. Fantastic to see the natural world through her eyes.

010

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Eclipse as seen via garden & colander. Incredible to get a glimpse of the planets doing their elaborate dancing in real time. #eclipse2026

040

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Happy #InternationalCatDay from Sir Biscuit, who is fairly small of brain but very big in snugs & hugs. Fortunately he’s grown quite successfully into his face.

030

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Took the Devil’s Bridge railway today for a school holiday jaunt with La Smol. The perfect dose of sunlit whimsy after a long & stressful week. Home now for podcasts & spaghetti bolognese for dinner.

140

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Same. This is my fine fellow, Sir Biscuit. Very small of brain but large in courage.

120

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

As it’s apparently #InternationalCatDay here’s one of our feline friends depicted in The Worksop Bestiary (MS M.81 f. 47r, Morgan Library), alert & ready to go to town on the mouse & mole shown on the next folio. #MedievalSky #digitalhumanities

162

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Can I join you in this lovely bit of pareidolia with some snow from January that looked like Debbie Harry?

140

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Well pals, it’s here. I hope you like it (or never tell me how much you hate it). It’s eye-wateringly priced, but please convince your institutions to buy it. Some of you are in the acknowledgments (& many more in the references). What a ride. #MedievalSky books.google.co.uk/books?id=yKL...

1165

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Blaenavon mountain. Everything incredibly, distressingly dry, & in the distance the smoke from a recent fire still smouldering.

020

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Last day of term for me & magically another year of study completed. The second year slump was/is real & I’ve much diminished spoonage. However, Small’s off to a mate’s tomorrow & I’m having a day in the library to finish my draft chapter. For now, it’s an early night with Burton & Taylor ahead.

120

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Almost a perfect weekend. Inched ever further afield in My First Car™️ & also got notification that the Book is moving towards completion. Seems selfish to say, whilst the world is aflame, that on a personal level, this has been one of the best years of my life. #MedievalSky #DigitalSky

020

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

No doubt it’ll be this trio of Mad lads from a fresco detail from the Rila Monastery, taking advantage of my having kicked the covers off LIKE A RECKLESS IDIOT.

020

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

To cheer myself up let’s have a ridiculously elaborate initial T from the Stammheim Missal (MS 64 f.52v) @gettymuseum.bsky.social. The manuscript contains the prayers said by the priest & the chants sung by the choir at Mass, & is illustrated throughout with vibrant imagery. #MedievalSky

A medieval manuscript page with an ornate initial T in gold and blue ink on the left of the page. On the right, the text of a song is written in black, red and green ink.

0185

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Post a pic you took, no context, to bring some zen to the feed.

091

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Small went off to a World Thinking Day event today. She asked me what I’d think about whilst she was gone. Mostly, I thought about the injustice of being awake at 7am on a Sunday. But, she had fun & I managed to clean the house, put all the laundry away, make soup, & do some editing. Frabjous stuff.

020

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 19/02/2026

This bold chap landed in the garden earlier whilst we were doing some digging & clearing. He was very chill & would’ve happily hopped into Small’s hand if we’d let him. #gardentales

A young girl in wellies and blue jumper watches a robin, who has landed close by.

030

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

Pancake Day. Particularly tricky for me as I’m seemingly unable to eat egg. Small’s verdict: the first pancake was great, the others were too thick. She would not accept my argument that Nutella covers a multitude of sins.

A blonde girl in red hoodie and Grinch PJ bottoms spoons sugar out of a bag onto a plate. The countertop is covered in the paraphernalia of Pancake Day: lemon juice, chocolate spread, and a jug of pancake mix. To her left is a cooker top and on one of the hobs is a small pan with a cooked pancake in it.

120

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 14/02/2026

Just another day on the Welsh Riviera. Library now, & hopefully some writing.

000

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Just me & Small & our friends for tea, in a two up, two down, crooked house by the sea.

030

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

Nothing is so beautiful as Spring – When weeds, in wheels, shoot long & lovely & lush; The descending blue; that blue is all in a rush… What is all this juice & all this joy? A strain of the earth’s sweet being in the beginning… Gerard Manley Hopkins | Spring

Blue irises and yellow crocuses peak above the soil.

040

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

We got snow! Practically unheard of here on the Welsh Riviera. An actual treat. Did some snow angels, threw some snowballs, & home by 11am for hot chocolate & pancakes. What a way to end the Christmas break.

060

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

Idly wondered what the cat was up to. Think he’s enjoying the indoor camping setup more than Small is.

A ginger kitten peeks out from inside a toy pram.

040

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

It’s my Nan’s birthday. She’s been dead 3 Christmases, which seems like a nonsense. I was making breakfast &, having a peculiar moment, wished her Happy Birthday. The cat chose that moment to take a dump & smear it over the floor. Guess Nan doesn’t like heavenly regards. HB Nan, nevertheless.

040

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate. We’ve been awake since 4:50am so I’m praying for an early(ish) night. Biscuit got a new laser light & some crinkly, catnip-laced fish toys; Small was spoiled in the nicest way, with one of her most loved gifts being a bee rescue kit. Contentment abounds here.

050

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

Insomnia kicking in hard at the moment, so here’s some pre-Christmas shenanigans with La Smol, & an obligatory Elder Millennial selfie to round it all off. My favourite time of year. Hopefully the big guy will deliver me a full night’s sleep when we’re home next week.

030

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

Took Small to @librarywales.bsky.social to catch their new portrait exhibition, then home afterwards for hot chocolate & a movie. Absolutely knackered at the moment but there are 2 weeks off on the horizon & I’m very excited for them.

020

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 22/11/2025

The Small has gone to a birthday party so I’ve seized the opportunity to visit @librarywales.bsky.social for their Portrait & Power exhibition. Lovely to see @jonpountney1.bsky.social on the walls, & I’ve had an introduction to the work of Sue Williams & Taiye Omokore. A cwtch for my brain.

080

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

One week away from a *slightly* adjusted submission deadline for the book. Just as I start to see light at the end of the tunnel, I’ve started to think about what I’ll be writing about next. What’s wrong with me? #MedievalSky #DigitalSky

080

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

I’ve just killed 3,000 words. Went off on the most enormous tangent about polytheism & I don’t think it even works in this chapter. Saved them to a separate page, but. Fuck. Plus side, I found Matthew lurking on f66r of the St Francis Missal, & thought him worth sharing. #MedievalSky

0100

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

Small & I have had the BEST summer together. It can frequently get intense, as it’s mostly just the two of us, & alone time is virtually non-existent. But my goodness, when the sun is shining & we’ve got the giggles, there’s not much finer in life.

020

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

Small & I got to see the amazing Tudor bibles on display at @librarywales.bsky.social today. @suzpaul.bsky.social Small was #TeamHenry! 3rd 📸: title page of the Great Bible, from a @theconversation.com article by Eyal Poleg & Paolo Ricciardi. theconversation.com/how-thomas-c... #MedievalSky

080

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Me again! If anybody has access to ‘Wonder, Image & Cosmos in Medieval Islam’ by Persis Berlekamp I would reward you with great riches in the form of a picture of the kitten. Ignore the creased curtains, that’s just how we roll in this gaff. #MedievalSky

270

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

I’ve got nearly 5 hours of child-free writing time today, a travel mug of coffee & a litre of water. Let’s do this. #MedievalSky

0180

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 18/08/2025

The holidays so far. Bike rides, swimming, cinema, galleries & gardens; & the cat, of course, because every independent academic needs a colleague who’ll lollop in your lap & distract you from writing. I have got a lot to do & not a lot of time to do it. But I’m nearly there.

020

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

A morning ramble followed by a garden picnic. Small’s now Minecrafting whilst I nurse a coffee. I’m dangerously close to a nap. Hope you’re all having a similarly lazy Sunday afternoon.

140

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Ey up pals, as it’s Saturday night & I’m such a party animal these days, does anyone have access to Kathryn A Smith’s “The Monk Who Crucified Himself” in Thresholds of Medieval Visual Culture: Liminal Spaces, edt Elina Gresham & Jill Stevenson? Cat pic for tax! #AmWriting #MedievalSky

140

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

We’ve been adventuring (though as ever, I really should be writing). Today we’ve managed to get as far as the local McDonald’s for trash food, & now I’m about to tackle some gardening. We’ve taken temporary custody of half an acre, & I’m really enjoying just messing about out there.

040

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

Please join me in celebrating the wee froglet that Small found on her travels with the childminder yesterday. #TinyJoys

0181

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

My last day at #IMC2025 & I get to spend the morning with @leoba.bsky.social, @book-historia.bsky.social & Bill Endres, who all have papers in the final Johanna Green memorial session. Every year I say no more conferences, & every year I somehow end up in Leeds. It’s magic I think. #MedievalSky

1161

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Well, that’ll do for now. One more panel tomorrow then it’s the long 🚂 home. I don’t think I covered myself in glory with my paper but I’m glad I was part of remembering Johanna, & I got to meet some of my amazing online pals IRL. So, in the words of the inestimable Dr Green: motherfuckers.

120

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

The second of Johanna’s memorial panels is happening NOW: some amazing papers & panellists from Georgie Anderson, Susana Torres Prieto & @cbvoth.bsky.social. You can tune in online. 823 | In Memoriam Johanna Green, II: Marginalised Voices in Medieval Manuscripts. #MedievalSky #IMC2025

060

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

🚨 Today! Session: 723 | In Memoriam Johanna Green, I: Old English Medieval Manuscripts. I’ll be presenting ‘Strange New Worlds: The Grave & New Materiality’ in the Maurice Keyworth Building. Come one, come all! #IMC2025 #MedievalSky

051

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

On a train with a finished paper but no presentation & 4 hours sleep in my back pocket. But the epic journey has begun! #IMC2025 #MedievalSky

2210

Dr Keri Thomas @drkerithomas.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

I’m almost at the end of my first year of the BSc. Juggling it, the book, the child, & the new kitten, has been a complete fucking trip, but in 5 weeks’ time I’ve got a whole month off & I’m going to spend my time appreciating every fresh morning in this broken world.

140