iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Oh and it turns out the alphabet was invented by migrant workers... (@ellaalshamahi.bsky.social also tells this story well at the end of her documentary series "Humans", on BBC & HBO)

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

My book club read Elif Shafak's "There are Rivers in the Sky" this month, so I had to go back and re-watch the story of cuneiform & more in this wonderful BBC documentary: m.youtube.com/watch?v=9hxy... Thank you @lsmwilson.bsky.social !

m.youtube.com

From Pictures to Words | The Secret History of Writing | BBC FOUR

YouTube video by Documentary World

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Jim Mussell @jimmussell.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

We’re looking to appoint two lecturers in School of English @universityofleeds.bsky.social: 1) Lecturer in Creative Writing: jobs.leeds.ac.uk/AHCEN1086 2) Lecturer in English Language (with expertise in DH): jobs.leeds.ac.uk/AHCEN1087 Happy to provide more info if you're interested

eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com

Job Opportunity at University of Leeds: Lectureship in Creative Writing

Ranked 29th in the world (QS 2026), the School of English at the University of Leeds operates at the leading edge of recent developments in literary studies and creative practice. Located within the F...

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Jo Grady @drjogrady.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Yesterday Kier Starmer announced Labour will nationalise British Steel, and save 2700 jobs. Today, the Uni of Nottingham put 2700 staff at risk of redundancy. This is just one university. Across the UK 15,000 higher education jobs need saving. Where is the rescue package for our universities?

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Liz Carolan @lizcarolan.com · 08/05/2026

Crucial point by John Curtis on BBC - Councils flipping from Labour to Reform are because Labour are losing **to the left**, & Cons to Reform Chasing Reform failed Labour; they lost the base & didn’t convince many on the right (Failed Tories too) Watch everyone learn the wrong lesson anyway

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Waiting with bated breath today... !

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

I'm so delighted to have this out - my take on how to move past #ageism, and my first foray into some reflective personal writing about my own #intergenerational friendships. Thanks, History Workshop!

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

We held a fantastic @rhul-cvs.bsky.social colloquium yesterday, led by Bonnie Liu. Our keynote from Jacob Jewusiak considered how a lens of 'generational warfare' can illuminate the debates on age of consent in colonial India. Such a rich joining together of ideas and arenas!

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

This is such a great scheme! I really appreciated and enjoyed hosting it at @rhul-cvs.bsky.social last year and getting the chance to mentor the fantastic Amy Waterson @ireadoldbooks.bsky.social. Apply to be hosted at LJMU by 11th May.

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Matthew Sangster @mjrsangster.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Fully-funded three-year PhD Scholarship: Living with Print in the Eighteenth Century Based at @sydney.edu.au (with Nicola Parsons) and @glasgow.ac.uk (with me), working with collections in Australia and Scotland. Deadline April 21st - please circulate! www.gla.ac.uk/scholarships...

gla.ac.uk

University of Glasgow - Scholarships & funding - USYD UofG Joint PhD Scholarship: Living with Print in the Eighteenth Century

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Prof Michaela Mahlberg @michamahlberg.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

This is not just a writing competition - it's a way of thinking about the water crisis & the future of our planet Help us spread the word! @georgemonbiot.bsky.social @katharinehayhoe.com @mrsspalding.bsky.social @xris32.bsky.social @engmediacentre.bsky.social @englishassociation.bsky.social

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

Awestruck to find I've been cited by @naomiaklein.bsky.social in the #Guardian! Turns out that my article about panoramas of the 1857 Indian Rebellion has been useful for several articles about the echoes of British imperial violence in Gaza - including this one: www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...

theguardian.com

How Israel has made trauma a weapon of war

A year later, memorials to the 7 October attacks use art, virtual reality and dark tourism to stir support for limitless violence. But there is a different way to remember

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Wow!!! Relief and astonishment are my main feelings this morning.

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Will Tullett @willtullett.bsky.social · 20/02/2026

We are advertising 4 jobs at York for historians (1 year medieval, 2 years modern Britain and public history, 3 years modern China, and open ended modern Middle Eastern) features.york.ac.uk/history-jobs/

features.york.ac.uk

York History Department - Academic Jobs

Uncover the past to define the future. We are seeking research-led historians to join our world-class, collaborative community. Discover career-defining opportunities within one of the UK’s most disti...

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Reasons why parents don't get enough exercise, no.92: my 4-yr-old just said to me "but you went out to do exercise on *Thursday*! You don't need to do exercise again on *Saturday*?!"

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Jennifer Jordan @sociologyofplants.bsky.social · 22/11/2025

What a great interview! A window into this really important research on textiles and slavery, and the ways the researcher’s body in motion can figure things out that might otherwise elude us. It’s also such a good example of how research and teaching can build each other up.

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Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

This is as bad as anything proposed by Reform. Leaving refugees in permanent limbo and unable to build a new life in the UK would be a complete abdication of our humanitarian responsibilities www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

UK set to limit refugees to temporary stays

Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

My jaw dropped. This treats people's lives with shameful lack of respect, to spend even more years in limbo. It also treats people's lives as pawns to be traded for an elusive political gain from the far right. "The era of permanent protection for refugees is over." www.bbc.com/news/article...

bbc.com

UK set to limit asylum seekers to temporary stays

Shabana Mahmood is expected to say the era of permanent protection for refugees is over, in major changes to the UK's asylum and immigration system.

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

I think I need to print copies of this and wave them threateningly at SUVs as I walk around town...

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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

There should be a tax on ridiculously bloated road boats registered in urban areas, because (a) they cause obvious problems in such areas (b) they are bad for the environment (c) they are dangerous for children (d) they are awful, and driving them should be expensive and socially stigmatised.

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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

You know what - it would be really life affirming if just for once - THIS 👇 was the story

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Dr Chris Smith @spyhistorian.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

The government plans to link university fees to institutional "quality". This is a nonsense because there are no metrics that actually measure teaching quality. There is no Ofsted, rather a handful of largely irrelevant statistics to actual quality. The NSS measure satisfaction, not quality.

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

I'm really proud of this: the latest issue of #VictorianStudies has an article of mine in it! It's on #ageing and #generations, & the insightful ways that Victorian novelist Margaret Oliphant approaches these issues, with takeaways for us now. doi.org/10.2979/vic.... 1/

Cover of Victorian Studies journal, with lithograph of fairies!

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Dr Surekha Davies, Historical Monster Consultant (she/her) @drsurekhadavies.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

"The fact that the asphyxiation of British higher education does not instantly count as a national scandal underlines the extent to which the austerity mindset continues to constrain our political imagination" - @robbhawkes.bsky.social & Scott Ferguson's piece is excellent. Also: 1/2

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

My to-read pile in the British Library today... (Of course I only got through 3 of 7 - I'd better come back next week.) But what luxury to sit with such richness of thought!

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

I'm so glad to be able to listen in to today's roundtable on #Humanities and #DataScience at the @bodleian.ox.ac.uk Centre for Digital Scholarship. digitalscholarship.web.ox.ac.uk/event/networ... @melissaterras.bsky.social thank you for your wisdom & oomph beamed across the airwaves!

digitalscholarship.web.ox.ac.uk

Network power: the humanities and data science in collaboration

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

Any insider information on this, or simply good guesses, welcome!

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

@aeon.co magazine, I wish I knew why the pitch form has been closed for >6 weeks. Any plans to reopen? I assumed it was summer holidays, but autumn is here & it's still shut. I hope it doesn't mean closure - maybe a backlog. I'd like to pitch an essay and don't know how long to wait... aeon.co/pitch

aeon.co

Write for Aeon | Aeon

Have an idea to contribute? We love working with enthusiastic and dedicated writers with exciting, new ideas. Learn how to pitch your article to Aeon and join our community of expert writers.

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Will Tattersdill @tattersdill.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

The last REF found that 98% of UK research was either "internationally recognised", "internationally excellent", or "world-leading". If you think low-quality research is the noteworthy challenge in UK higher ed right now, you are wilfully looking in the wrong direction

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Emily Mark-FitzGerald @emilymfg.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

This is a jaw-dropping statement from anyone in a uni leadership role — but also — what exactly is ‘low-quality’ and ‘hobbyist’ research? Nearly every academic I know is burning the candle at both ends and STILL producing important work in their fields. This feels like an anti-humanities dog whistle

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Sarah's visit to @rhul-cvs.bsky.social to present on the research, NEXT TO the painting itself, is still one of my highlights of the past academic year!

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

My favourite conferences nowadays are the ones where I know less. I've learnt so much (including about other norms, & other reading lists) at @cultsochistory.bsky.social last year, & @britishgerontology.bsky.social this summer.

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Adam Grener @adamgrener.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

@annagk.bsky.social and I are welcoming short pedagogy articles/approaches that use Dickens's Working Notes, or that center compositional process or serial form in some way. If you teach Dickens, check out the dickensnotes.com platform!

dickensnotes.com

Digital Dickens Notes Project

The Digital Dickens Notes Project is an exploration of Charles Dickens's Working Notes

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Thanks @rs4vp.org for sharing this. Any questions, email me & Clare Walker Gore, co-editors of the special issue. I look forward to lots more Oliphant!

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Matthew Leggatt @matthewleggatt.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Please help me share the CFP for this Literature Compass Special Issue dedicated to the work of Simon J James and covering key Victorian and Edwardian writers like H. G. Wells, George Gissing, Dickens, Wilde, George Du Maurier, and Conan-Doyle on behalf of Hadas Elber-Aviram.

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 30/07/2025

This whole thread is full of compressed wisdom (and some justified anger) - and this particular nugget is the one I'll be following up first...

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Dr Helen Glew @helenglew.bsky.social · 28/07/2025

A reminder that I have some availability for any of your historical research, archive document photography, transcription, copy-editing and/or book-indexing needs. Feel free to get in touch here or contact me via my website: helenglew.com

helenglew.com

Helen Glew

Historical Research and Writing

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Oh wow, this is basically the epitome of what my first and second books are about!! 1 = the zeal to create *permanent* historical narratives in the face of constantly shifting hindsight, 2 = a belief that it's possible for a big enough history to encompass *everything*...

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Lauren Goodlad is now giving a barn-storming final #BAVS2025 keynote on #AI - pictured below are some of her important reminders. A key takeaway is that language in use is a *process*, not a *product* (see Herbert C Clark), which takes us back to Saussure's distinction b/w "langue" & "parole".

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Now @louisecreechan.bsky.social gives #BAVS2025 a truly fantastic paper arguing for critical neurodiversity studies to arrive in Victorian Studies. L reads "The Lifted Veil" as neurodivergent: her voice recording of ideas echoes Latimer's self-conscious omniscient address to a future reader...

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

.@emilyjlm.bsky.social gives us a brilliant paper at #BAVS2025 about adapting sentiment analysis for Victorian texts. Current method is 1) confined to +/- 2) lexicons are made of 21stC tweets. Here's a +/- map of HP7 - my students try this with David Copperfield, also episodic & peripatetic

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

Margaret Oliphant scholars ahoy! We're looking to celebrate her 200th birthday with a special issue of _Women's Writing_, with me and Clare Walker Gore editing. Get in touch if you have any questions, or simply with a proposal - by 1st December. And thank you Andrea for spreading the word!

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Will Tattersdill @tattersdill.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

Why would you want the next generation of scholars to shape the research questions of the future? This AHRC doesn't

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Martin O'Neill @martinoneill.bsky.social · 17/07/2025

I've decided to leave the Labour Party, after over 31 years of membership. This wasn't an easy decision, but it certainly feels like the right thing for me to do. I've written down a few thoughts on why I've come to this conclusion, which may be of interest to others who are in a similar position.

open.substack.com

Why I'm (Finally) Leaving the Labour Party

I've been a Labour member for 31 years, but now it's time to go.

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Helen Kingstone @helenkingstone.bsky.social · 16/07/2025

This is great, and fascinating to ponder...

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