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Francesca Brooks

@francescabrooks.bsky.social
1.1K followers 657 following 222 posts

Lecturer in Old English at University College Cork. Writer of poetry & prose. Early Medievalist, Late Modernist, Feminist. Author of 'Poet of the Medieval Modern'. Find more of my writing at francescabrooks.com

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Reposted by Francesca Brooks
James McLeod @jamespmcleod.ca · 08/10/2026
Ingrid Carlberg, permanent secretary of the Swedish Academy, said the author was in Iceland “listening to the wind” when the academy reached her to notify her of the win. apnews.com/article/nobe...
apnews.com
Canadian poet and essayist Anne Carson wins Nobel Prize in literature
Anne Carson, a Canadian poet and essayist, has won the Nobel Prize in literature. The Swedish Academy recognized her for her bold and inventive work that engages with classical traditions to create ne...
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David Cooper @drdavidcooper.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
A new book for the new academic year: my monograph, ‘Reading Place Writing: Geography, Form, Immersion, 2010-2020’ has been published by @livunipress.bsky.social as part of the @englishassociation.bsky.social ‘English at the Interface’ series www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10....
liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk
Reading Place Writing | Home
David Cooper is Senior Lecturer in English at Manchester Metropolitan University where he is the founding co-director of the Centre for Place Writing.
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Nik Gunn @nikgunn.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
Very excited (and a little nervous) to be speaking at this event, where I'll be talking about how creative writing has been an outlet for my medieval interests since leaving academia. I'll be thinking through the sort of intellectual space that opens up when writing fiction set in the Viking Age.
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Lisa Fagin Davis @lisafdavis.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
In today's @theguardian.com, an article about the #Voynich work Colin Layfield and I have been doing: www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...
theguardian.com
A medieval manuscript has confounded scholars for centuries. Have they been reading it wrong all this time?
Researchers argue incorrect binding of Voynich manuscript radically changes ideas about its drawings and indecipherable text
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Helen Gittos @helengittos.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
My god this is getting tough. Proquest gives an automatic AI-generated summary for a @historytoday.com article. So I can't put that on a reading list then... Why are we paying for this? Why are we not rebelling better?
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Dr Eleanor Baker @eleanormaybaker.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Well...the 'wulf' is out of the bag. Professor Daniel Wakelin and I were the Middle English consultants for Robert Eggers' upcoming film Werwulf, in UK theatres on January 1st 2027!
An image of a screenshot from a webpage from IGN that reads 'Eggers did copious amounts of research on England in the 13th century for the screenplay, he co-wrote with his The Northman collaborator, Sjón. The film’s dialogue is in Middle English, although it’s been altered by dialect coach William Conacher to make it more comprehensible for the modern ear. Eggers also worked with two Middle English scholars at Oxford University, Eleanor Baker and Daniel Wakelin, who helped make the dialogue more period accurate.'
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Dr Laura Varnam @drlauravarnam.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
And the second essay in CREATING THE MEDIEVAL NOW is out! Thanks to @realmandeville.bsky.social for ‘The Middle Ages as Creative Topic’, check it out! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Artwork by Kristen Haas Curtis for Creating the Medieval Now, special issue of the journal Public HumanitiesThe Middle Ages as Creative Topic, essay by Anthony Bale
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Dr Laura Varnam @drlauravarnam.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Delighted that the first essay in CREATING THE MEDIEVAL NOW, a special issue of Public Humanities, ed by me & Eleanor Barraclough, is now available! Check out @thecelticist.bsky.social brilliant essay ‘De Ira’ & bookmark this page for further essays this autumn! www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Special issue of Public Humanities journal on Creating the Medieval with artwork by Kristen Haas CurtisAbstract for Creating the Medieval Now special issue: essays by medievalists who are also creative practitioners on how their practice operates as their mode of scholarship.Elizabeth Boyle’s essay De IraAbstract for Elizabeth Boyle’s essay De Ira
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Dr Katie Twomey @k2mey.eurosky.social · 28/09/2026
This is quite cool. My university is the first organisation in the world to force Microsoft to allow us to turn off copilot summaries in Word 365, after a backlash against it from staff (including, very vocally, me). That cannot have been easy for our heroic IT people so hats very much off to them!
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edelsemple.bsky.social @edelsemple.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
1/4 Here’s a flavour of my introduction to the OWC #Shakespeare #Pericles Follow along for more and tune into my #OxfordWorldsClassics @engfac.bsky.social webinar with Prof Emma Smith on 2 November! 
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University College Cork @ucc.ie · 22/09/2026
The two Scottish female novelists who outsold and inspired Jane Austen Mary Brunton and Susan Ferrier did outsell, inspire, and benefit from Austen, @drcleoocy.bsky.social writes on @theconversation.com.
theconversation.com
The two Scottish female novelists who outsold and inspired Jane Austen
They are practically unknown today ,but Susan Ferrier and Mary Brunton gave Jane Austen a run for her money.
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UoN English @uonenglish.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Join us for the next TOEBI conference at UoN! Find out more and register online via our UoN online store, or go to our events page (www.nottingham.ac.uk/english/even...).
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Dr Laura Varnam @drlauravarnam.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
#GMS2026 folks should keep their eyes peeled for this fantastic publication incoming next year! 👏
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Amazing moment!
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Thank you, Laura!
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Thank you to you, Laura! You set the atmosphere and put all the effort in that made it so wonderful.
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Dr Laura Varnam @drlauravarnam.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
I really don’t know where to start in thanking everyone who came to #GMS2026 & created such a gorgeous, supportive, & creative atmosphere! It was magical! ✨ And the highlight of my academic career 🥹 More photos, and blogposts, to follow! Keep your eyes peeled!
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
There are so many fabulous pieces in this new issue!
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
This is horrendous. I'm so sorry.
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NorseMap @norsemap.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
⚔ Welcome to iViking, NorseMap's official mobile photo-capturing app that allows anyone to contribute to the NorseMap public archive while on the go. Through the app, members of the public can help us document the many ways Viking and Norse heritage continues to shape our world today. #MedievalSky
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Some things I have ready for #GMS2026 (in addition to my paper): fliers for 'Beyond Medieval Archives' (edited w/ @carlkears.bsky.social & forthcoming from @uclpress.bsky.social), JAWS (Journal of Art & Writing bookmarks), & my contribution of a print of a collage poem for the raffle!
Flat lay of fliers, bookmarks and a print of a collage
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Stephen Roddy @stephenroddy.bandcamp.com · 06/09/2026
Some thoughtful Sunday afternoon listening for you before the chaos of a new term. Nice to have my work in such good sonic company for Jules Hildebrand’s Zaduma series on Radio Kapital today: radiokapital.pl/shows/zaduma...
radiokapital.pl
Zaduma: 17 | Radio Kapitał
A quiet hour of ambient music and field recordings, inviting stillness and attentive listening
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Hannah Armstrong @hjparmstrong.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Good news can feel few and far between as an ECR these days, so I'm very grateful and excited to share that I've signed a contract for my first book 'Island Medievalism and the Sagas of the Norse North Atlantic' (title tbc) with Oxford University Press.
The top of a publishing agreement listing the name of the publisher, Oxford University Press, and the author, Hannah Armstrong.
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Huge congratulations, Hannah! I can't wait to read this in its monograph form!
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Some things I have ready for #GMS2026 (in addition to my paper): fliers for 'Beyond Medieval Archives' (edited w/ @carlkears.bsky.social & forthcoming from @uclpress.bsky.social), JAWS (Journal of Art & Writing bookmarks), & my contribution of a print of a collage poem for the raffle!
Flat lay of fliers, bookmarks and a print of a collage
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I'm really looking forward to the #GMS2026 Gender & Creativity conference next week! It will in fact be registration week here at UCC, so it feels like I will be claiming an extra week for research before the semester begins. I'll hope to bring news of fascinating new research back to my students!
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Ben Doyle @bendoyle.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
A few (hopefully) useful hints and tips on publishing your first monograph from me and several of my fab peers: modernistreviewcouk.wordpress.com/2026/08/28/w...
modernistreviewcouk.wordpress.com
Weird Modernisms: Publishing a First Monograph Q&A
28 August 2026 Interviewer: Lily Martin, Keele University Respondents: Molly Beck, Executive Editor for Literature at Palgrave Macmillan; Ben Doyle, Senior Publisher for STS, Digital and Medical Hu…
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Charlotte Bowyer @charlottebowyer.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
There's still time to submit an abstract to 'Wundor in Old English Literature' at Leeds IMC next year — thank you to everyone who has sent one in already! Alternatively, if you're based in the US, please check out this ICMS session: icms.confex.com/icms/2027/pr... Deadline for both is 15/9/26.
icms.confex.com
<em>Wundor </em>in Old English Literature
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NorseMap @norsemap.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
🥁This Saturday 5 September marks the official launch of the NorseMap Project and app. Not only will we be holding the event in the heart of Hiberno-Norse Cork, but we are fortunate enough to have the legendary Einar Selvik join us with what is sure to be an unforgettable performance! #MedievalSky
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
It definitely feels like a very slight little window of opportunity! I hope you have found some time to sink into the reading, writing and thinking.
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Arc Humanities Press @archumanities.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Medieval history is taking a global turn 1) the inclusion of content extending beyond Europe & the Afro-Eurasian interconnected worlds to the Americas & Oceania; & 2) the integration of historiographic approaches emerging from outside Euro-American traditions. www.arc-humanities.org/978180270294...
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
It's September tomorrow! This week I'm preparing for teaching (which starts very soon), as well as the Gender and Medieval Studies conference next week, and checking the proofs for 'Beyond Medieval Archives'. Summer is suddenly in the rearview.
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Dr Laura Varnam @drlauravarnam.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Top Tips for Starting a PhD! One of many advice posts on my blog for grads & ECRs. Please share! drlauravarnam.wordpress.com/2019/09/28/t...
drlauravarnam.wordpress.com
Top Tips for Starting a PhD
Thanks to everyone on twitter who contributed their top tips for starting a PhD in the humanities. I hope that the advice below will be helpful; please do tweet me or leave a comment below if you h…
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Carcanet Press @carcanet.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Anthony V. Capildeo launches their debut nonfiction ‘Masqueraders’ online next week 🎟️ 1st September, 7pm, hosted by David Wheatley: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi... The book brings together a selection of brilliant essays, letters and columns from leading poetry journal @pnreview.bsky.social
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Had a chance to visit Plas Newydd, the home of the Ladies of Llangollen, on our most recent visit to the UK. I was struck by what a glorious collage it is of wood panelling and fragments of medieval stained glass. An incredible place!
collaged or patchworked woodpanelling in the entrance to Plas Newydd, where the black hats of the Ladies of Llangollen also hang.Collaged fragments of stained glass in an upstairs windowclose-up of some fragments of stained glass, showing an upside down gooseDetail of patchwork wood panelling with a naked woman at the centre
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Oooh, you've sold it to me!
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Thanks so much, Paul!
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Wonderful to see this collection - 'Beyond Medieval Archives: rethinking the medieval archive through creative & critical practice' - which I've edited with Carl Kears, up on the @uclpress.bsky.social website & with a pub. date! You can learn more about the chapters: uclpress.co.uk/book/beyond-...
uclpress.co.uk
Beyond Medieval Archives
Beyond Medieval Archives hopes to open the field of medieval studies to more diverse, dynamic and innovative forms of creativity, criticism, publication and collective action in response to the resona...
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NorseMap @norsemap.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Did Vikings eat liquorice and drink protein shakes? 🤔 Not quite... but you might be surprised by how many food and drink brands have borrowed names from Vikings, Norse legends, and ancient gods.
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Apparently it's National Lighthouse day - we are recently back from a trip to my partner's family in Wexford, where we revisited the beautiful Hook Lighthouse. It's the oldest, intact operational lighthouse in the world! I also love the fossils you can see there. #NationalLighthouseDay
Hook lighthouse on the rocks above a tidepoolReflection of hook lighthouse (black and white striped) in the water below the lighthouse. Lots of different coloured seaweeds are visibleClose-up of fossils in the limestone around Hook Head lighthouse. In this picture you can see fragments of crinoid stems (round, washer-like) and some corals.Picture of the sea at the edge of the Hook Head peninsula. The sky and sea are bright blue and the waves are foaming as they meet the rocks.
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
As we get closer to publication I'll do some individual posts about the chapters and our contributors. The book contains new writing by poets and artists Maria Fusco, Jos Charles, & Anthony Vahni Capildeo and essays by Clare Lees, Siân Echard & Tarren Andrews (to highlight just a few of the riches)
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
I wouldn't expect you all to be in the office then!
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Dr. Timothy Liam Waters @liamh2os.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Publication Day! Our “Terms of Art” with @postmedieval.bsky.social was published today. In this essay, @basilaprice.bsky.social and I explore the “phantasm” of Valhalla in contemporary and medieval politics and culture. The article is OpenAccess. Read it here: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Valhalla: A phantasm - postmedieval
This Terms of art examines Valhalla as a phantasmic construct that gathers fantasies of whiteness, masculinity, and militarism across political, religious, and temporal divides. Beginning with invocat...
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Oh lovely, thanks James! There are some citations for your work in there too - developing the conversation around the creative-critical medieval.
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Thanks so much, Eleanor! Lovely to know there will be a keen reader out there.
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Wonderful to see this collection - 'Beyond Medieval Archives: rethinking the medieval archive through creative & critical practice' - which I've edited with Carl Kears, up on the @uclpress.bsky.social website & with a pub. date! You can learn more about the chapters: uclpress.co.uk/book/beyond-...
uclpress.co.uk
Beyond Medieval Archives
Beyond Medieval Archives hopes to open the field of medieval studies to more diverse, dynamic and innovative forms of creativity, criticism, publication and collective action in response to the resona...
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Dr Laura Varnam @drlauravarnam.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
🚨General registration is now open for the Gender & Medieval Studies conference on Gender & Creativity in Oxford in Sept! We have an amazing line up of speakers, so please register asap to avoid disappointment! (Numbers are limited!). Link via GMS website medievalgender.co.uk/2026-oxford/
Gender and Medieval Studies conf programme Gender & Medieval Studies conference programme Gender & Medieval Studies conference programme
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Francesca Brooks @francescabrooks.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Get your tickets to the next Gender & Medieval Studies quick, while they last! What a fantastic programme.
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Kathleen E. Kennedy @themedievaldrk.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
an fyi, fabric veils and bookmarks kept within medieval books remain precisely this vibrant too--they're nearly painfully bright, even after 600 years!
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