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Iain MacInnes

@iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social
5.1K followers 4.3K following 759 posts

Academic | Historian | Associate Dean | Scottish History | Medieval History | Military History | Medievalism | Comics Studies | Stoke City

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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 6h
FFS. These appalling people...
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UHIHistory.bsky.social @uhihistory.bsky.social · 11h
Join us on Thu 15 Oct for our next History Talks Live event, as we welcome the co-authors of of a brand new and wide-ranging textbook, 'Exploring Monarchy in Medieval Europe, 1000–1500' for a discussion and reflection! Find out more about this online-only event, uhihistory.short.gy/r2FYrg
Group of eight people holding books, standing in front of a banner showing the logo for Routledge publishers.Close up of a book cover with a background image of three medieval figures, one with a sword, one with a crown both wearing robes, while a third figure of a bearded man in robes is situated in the opposite corner. Text reads Exploring Monarchy in Medieval Europe, 1000-1500
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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 12h
Tell us you know absolutely nothing about military history... #academicsky #historysky #militaryhistory
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Royal Studies @royalstudies.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Book Launch celebration and author conversation event as part of @ThinkUHI Centre for History's Talks Live series Join for a free session on the 15th of October at www.uhi.ac.uk/en/research-... or watch after on youtube @UHIHistory #history #booklaunch #exploringmonarchy
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Thom Gobbitt 🎲✨🌿☠️⚖️📖 @booksoflaw.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Delighted to see that the #MAMG26 - the 7th run of the Middle Ages in Modern Games - is about to start for all your medieval, medievalism and Historical Game Studies needs! Lots of exciting papers to enjoy (including mine tomorrow on #Lawplay & #TTRPG) middleagesinmoderngames.net/mamg26/middl...
middleagesinmoderngames.net
Middle Ages in Modern Games, October 5-7 2026: Programme – The Middle Ages in Modern Games
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Isabelle Marie @isabellemarie.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Nearly 600 Medieval Manuscripts from German Monasteries Now Online. www.medievalists.net/2026/09/600-...
medievalists.net
Nearly 600 Medieval Manuscripts from German Monasteries Now Online - Medievalists.net
Nearly 600 medieval manuscripts from the German monasteries of Heilsbronn and Sankt Jobst have been digitised and made available to explore online.
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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Downloaded an app the other day that identifies birdsong. So, had a fun time while walking the dog and watching it show me a dozen different birds that the phone picked up, including some pink footed geese who flew overhead on their way south... #saturdaymorning
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Kenneth F. Duggan 🇨🇦 @kfduggan.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Women couldn't be outlawed in 13th-century England because they were never put in law. Instead, women accused of crimes were ordered to be waived if they failed to appear at trial. The consequence of waivery was the same as outlawry's: execution (often immediately and without trial). 🧵1/4
A woman in blue at the top of a castle is striking a man in red on the head with her sword. He seems to fall from the ladder he was climbing as is it enters his skull. The woman has a look on her face that says "Don't mess with me."
Reference: The Smithfield Decretals, BL Royal 10 E. IV (14th C)
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Dr Rebecca Tyson @tyguson.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
It’s real! I just received my copy of Anglo-Norman Studies vol 48 which includes my article on the contribution of the abbey of Fécamp to the Norman invasion in 1066. Elisabeth van Houts’ article in vol 10 really inspired me, and I’m so pleased to have built on her work on the Ship List #MedievalSky
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Matt Gabriele @profgabriele.com · 29/09/2026
so DEATH OF ROBIN HOOD and THE UPRISING - colorless, brutal films - bombed in US theaters meanwhile, Phoebe Bridgers & Troye Sivan banged out fun medieval videos & my students are excited about the brand-new local Ren Fest as @tlecaque.bsky.social suggested, this the end of grim dark medievalism?
pca.st
September Medieval News with David M. Perry & Thomas Lecaque
Medieval in the neeeeeeews… This week we talk Bayeux Tapestry, the anti-LLM vibes in our classrooms, and how to ethically use technology in studying the past. Plus no one knows about “Game of…
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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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Ellen Muehlberger @emuehlbe.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
One option for humanities classes going forward: don't schedule the class, schedule the work
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The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History @jich.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Professor John MacKenzie, a giant in the field of imperialism studies. We extend our deepest condolences to all who knew him. manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/blog/2026/09...
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk
Celebrating the life and contribution of John M MacKenzie - Manchester University Press
Manchester University Press remembers Professor John M. MacKenzie, founding editor of Studies in Imperialism, with tributes from colleagues reflecting on his scholarship, generosity and lasting legacy...
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Jane @localnotail.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Come on down to the Council House for International Day of Birmingham, see the Re-Union Jack ♥️ #OneBrum Goldship have repurposed dozens of dirty & torn polyester flags removed from Birmingham's lamp posts to create a huge Union Jack, adorned with the names of people who have called Birmingham home
Photo of artwork description 
GOLDSHIP Re-Union Jack 2026

Repurposed polyester flags/Mixed media.

Re-Union Jack is an ongoing community art project conceived by GoldShip, the creative duo of textile sculptor Clare Elisabeth and event producer Sam Shipman.

Repurposing dozens of dirty and torn polyester flags removed from Birmingham's lamp posts, Clare and Sam, alongside countless contributors from the wider community, pieced them together to create a huge Union Jack.

The flag was then transformed over several months by countless more contributors into a visual celebration of the people and stories that have helped shape the West Midlands. Across its surface are the names of influential Midlanders, spanning from the Anglo-Saxon Beorma, after whom Birmingham takes its name, through to the present day. Each has a connection to migration, immigration or the positive influence of people who have made the West Midlands their home.

Together, these names reflect the region's extraordinary history as a vibrant melting pot of cultures, ideas, talent and communities - and the positive contribution that migration has made to its identity.

The flag has since been signed in black by many of the people whose names feature upon it as a collective endorsement of its message of unity, inclusion and community.Photo of huge Union (Jack) Flag on lighting truss in the hall of the Council House. 
It's glorious and bears many names upon it of the people of Birmingham 
Each has a connection to migration, immigration or the positive influence of people who have made the West Midlands their home.
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Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 24/09/2026
New from History UK: a valuable and interesting survey of UK history students use of and attitudes towards GenAI in HE teaching - their preliminary report is published today: bit.ly/4hatsRR The report is by Dr Sarah Jones and Dr Simon Peplow @simpep.bsky.social #skystorians
Opening page of History UK's statement on their survey and report on AI and History Students in UK universities. Full text: 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become impossible to ignore in higher education. For historians, working in a discipline which depends on interpretation, evidence, and critical thinking, the development of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has raised particularly significant questions. In 2026, we launched a survey to gather the perspectives of people who are often overlooked in considerations of the impact of AI and appropriate responses – history students themselves.
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
'A third and two thirds can’t both be right. And when a minister at the heart of the government’s economic thinking picks one of them, it matters which is closer to reality.'
wonkhe.com
Students are working more than ever. Or are they?
Torsten Bell and Alan Milburn say fewer students are working. Jim Dickinson goes down the Labour Force Survey rabbit hole to find out why purpose-built surveys say the opposite
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Charlie Rozier @rozierhistorian.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Cutting-edge fashion with @laurajcleaver.bsky.social and @lvhicks.bsky.social ! www.theguardian.com/fashion/2026...
theguardian.com
From bling and birds to ‘really fancy armour’ – the best dressed characters of the Bayeux tapestry
Medieval experts talk us through the fashion of the near-1,000-year-old embroidered work, and what it says about the characters wearing it
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
'The reason the higher education sector should therefore be worried by these findings is because people don’t just think the education system is failing; they think an overemphasis on universities is specifically why.'
wonkhe.com
The voter consensus forming around Burnham’s education agenda has little time for universities
New Public First research shows the public agree with Burnham on education - including his lack of interest in higher education policy
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Matt Gabriele @profgabriele.com · 23/09/2026
please to see that my latest academic article is out now: "Ghost in the Machine. Crusade Medievalisms in the 21st-century United States" I take on the ghost of Samuel Huntington and some right-wing tropes in scholarship open access so free to read --> www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi...
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Alan Lester @alanlester.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
John M MacKenzie, the founding editor of the Manchester University Press Studies in Inperialism series that i have the honour of co-editing, has sadly passed away. Our tributes here: manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/blog/2026/09...
manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk
Celebrating the life and contribution of John M MacKenzie - Manchester University Press
Manchester University Press remembers Professor John M. MacKenzie, founding editor of Studies in Imperialism, with tributes from colleagues reflecting on his scholarship, generosity and lasting legacy...
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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Great to hear the PM say “We are going to be much prouder in standing up for our values and the rule of law” re foreign information warfare. I wonder if he or the Home Secretary might consider doing the same when it comes to masked vigilantes shutting down infrastructure and harassing the RNLI
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
To understand and counter disinformation, language skills, area studies expertise, historical knowledge and a wide range of arts, humanities & social science disciplines are requisite. SHAPE subjects are strategically vital for national interests. Is it strategic to let 'the market' shrink them?
thebritishacademy.ac.uk
Mapping SHAPE provision in UK higher education
This new project from the British Academy maps changing provision of SHAPE subjects in UK higher education institutions. It uses data to visually depict contractions and expansions in provision by a v...
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Samantha Asumadu @samanthaasumadu.substack.com · 22/09/2026
'New analysis on UK media: British media is not delivering the news to its readers. They are delivering an agenda. The seven days after Channel 4 filmed James Orr are a damning indictment of the British press. Orr is a Cambridge associate professor.' via @newscord.org
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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Once again, no matter what anyone tells you, you should always study the Humanities...
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Aidan O'Sullivan @aidanosullivan.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
archaeologymag.com/2026/09/medi...
archaeologymag.com
Medieval Norman castle thought lost found hidden inside Dublin university building | Archaeology News Online Magazine
A Norman castle thought lost for centuries has been found beneath a modern building at University College Dublin.
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David Veevers @davidveevers.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Can we make a comparison to deindustrailisation now? The slashing of wages, the redundancies, the subordination of learning to profit? The intellectual impoverishment of communities and generations, not to mention the literal impoverishment through unemployment and shrinking of local economies?
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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
She might not look it here, but Mabel does seem to be happy that I'm home again after my several days away at my conference...
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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I mean, yes, but holy crap it's a bit bloody late. And his Tory government, and those he was part of, contributed significantly in setting the tone for this horror story we're now in...
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Darren McLean @darrenmcleanuk.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
The recent Medieval Podcast' with @sarannmcd.bsky.social was one of the best! A heavy topic, but absolutely fascinating and lots of cliches addressing too. www.medievalpodcast.com/episodes/jus...
medievalpodcast.com
Justice for Jehanne with Sara McDougall — The Medieval Podcast
In the fifteenth-century, a woman named Jehanne reported a sexual assault to the city authorities of Dijon, setting in motion a detailed criminal investigation that has survived in the records. This w...
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Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 18/09/2026
'Why Does Academic History Matter?' bit.ly/4yB8MYQ With contributions from historians Martha Vandrei, Susan-Mary Grant, Joy Porter and @davidandress.bsky.social Free to read for 7 days @historytoday.com #Skystorians
bit.ly
Why Does Academic History Matter?
The study of history at UK universities appears to be under existential threat. Should anyone care?
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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
They're reducing student choice. It's that simple. And they're using the excuse that students are too stupid to make their own decisions if there's lots of choice.
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Dave Andress @davidandress.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Well, there you are: official UK govt figures confirm it costs £3,000 a year more to teach the average undergraduate than they're willing to pay us. www.gov.uk/government/p... Now, they'll explain how that's our fault for greedily having almost no pay-rises for a decade...
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Felicity Callard @felicitycallard.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
The brutal reality of universities' suppression of wages (in KPMG's report for DfE on cost of undergraduate provision in England) assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6aabfa...
Table 1 – Cost increases since the last study by cost type
Actual % increase
between 2016-17 and
2019 study cost groupings
2023-24 weighted
average unit cost
Staff costs 14%
Non-pay costs 46%
Indirect departmental costs -24%
Centrally allocated indirect costs 29%
Estates costs 40%
Sustainability adjustment -2%

Source: Analysis of Data Returns
Table 1 shows that costs have not increased equally in the time between the two costing studies. Non-pay costs have increased slightly ahead of inflation and estates costs have increased in line with inflation. Universities have managed staff costs significantly below inflation, increasing only by 14% compared to the 41.2% increase in RPIX. By contrast, indirect departmental costs have reduced by 24%, but this may be due to differences in the universities participating in the 2019 and this study. The movement in MSI is reflective of changes in financial performance rather than any inflationary impact.
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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Nice to see this very positive review of an excellent recent work in which I have a co-written (with Morvern French) chapter, and which we're still working on as a theme... #medievalsky
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Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
There is no middle ground with the kind of people who attack the RNLI. We don’t need to ‘listen’ to them. We need to tell them where to go.
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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
And so, the end of a very enjoyable trip to Cambridge for the FISSURES conference. Two days of great papers and lots of food for thought for developing our work on this theme further... and some nice pictures of Pembroke... #medievsky
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Jay Rubenstein @medievaljay.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
David Lynch and Jocelyn Montgomery collaborated on a haunting album of Hildegard’s music. It does not aim for historical authenticity but does, I think, achieve emotional authenticity, which is more difficult and admirable. faroutmagazine.co.uk/lux-vivens-d...
faroutmagazine.co.uk
David Lynch's esoteric ode to a 12th-century nun
David Lynch was an avid musician, and he once produced an album based on Hildegard von Bingen's 12th-century compositions with Jocelyn Montgomery.
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Gregk Foley @gregk.co.uk · 16/09/2026
Fair play to the wife of a Caribbean man and mother of mixed race children being informed by the BBC reporter that she’s in the minority in her community regarding immigration and responding with, “Yes, I’m surrounded by bigots.”
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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Some pictures from today's wandering around Cambridge. Bit knackered, mind...
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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
After wandering around Cambridge free form yesterday, I'm going to try and see the sights today. First stop, though, is Shelley & Sarah's for breakfast. With Crumpet the dog, who likes chasing the pigeons...
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Dr. Erika Graham-Goering @jeanneologist.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
For the record, "fewer larger grants" is the opposite of how to fund good research. Give a bunch of researchers financial stability and basic funding, without wasting their time on increasingly competitive applications and widening the have/have-not gap, and look how far we'll go.
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Carsten Timmermann @ctimmermann.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Looking at the rise of the extreme right in Europe and the US, with their misogyny and hostility towards education, it occurs to me that one of the key roles of universities may well be to nurture resilience against anti-intellectual, violent masculinity, both in young men and women.
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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
On the train to Cambridge for the first time for a conference. Very much looking forward to it, and will not doubt take lots of photos. But here's this morning's rather early view from the plane, when the WiFi couldn't cope with an upload...
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Jo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The fallacy that University leaders pushing AI are falling into is thinking that the point of undergraduate research is to find things out. It isn't. What students find out is typically already generally known. The point of undergraduate research is to learn how to find things out.
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Dr. Liz Kirby @thekirbylab.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
🎯
By prompting students to turn to AI instead of to their fellow students, TAs, or professors, these technologies offer the illusion that human interaction is inconsequential. But learning with and from other people simultaneously supports learning and builds the human skills that make the world go ’round.
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Giulia Zornetta @gzornetta.eurosky.social · 12/09/2026
"Europe’s flood risk is expected to increase as the climate warms. The paper sheds light on what this new climate transition period could also look like" www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Medieval Europe was battered with 16 catastrophic floods in just 2 years
The intense deluges, never before documented, represent the highest number of back-to-back extreme weather events in the past 700 years
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
'In some respects, what we are seeing resembles a form of collective grief. Not only grief for colleagues who have left, but grief for ways of working, professional identities and communities that once gave meaning to academic life. This creates an important challenge for university leaders.'
wonkhe.com
The loss of staff belonging in higher education
Nick Hulbert-Williams argues that what looks like low morale and change fatigue in HE may really be a crisis of belonging
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Iain MacInnes @iainmacinnesuhi.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
JFC...
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
'Some 36.1 per cent of 18-year-olds domiciled in England are headed to university, down from 36.9 per cent last year. The proportion of Welsh 18-year-olds entering higher education has fallen from 29.1 per cent in 2025 to 28.9 per cent this autumn.'
timeshighereducation.com
UK university entry rate declines everywhere bar Scotland – Ucas
Scotland manages to slightly increase number heading into higher education, and international enrolments rise 3 per cent on last year
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