iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

#solidarity with everyone at Edinburgh striking today 💪🏻💪🏻💪🏻 It is shit for students, but that is the fault of Senior Management, not the staff on the ground. What is "morally reprehensible" is the expectation for those staff to keep showing good will in the face of impending cuts.

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Johnny Mains @johnnymains.co.uk · 26/09/2026

I've been an organ donor since 2010 - can't wait to be harvested and help others! You should be one too!

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Avert Your Eyes, Pamela Ganache! @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Author copies of the new, expanded edition of my last book have just arrived, and they look *gorgeous*!

Front cover of Encyclopaedia of Dragons and Mythical Creatures. With shiny lettering and a beautiful illustration of a dragon-like sea monster.

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Fuckin hell when are we going to make teleporting happen? Yes I have some qualms but quite frankly if I never have to queue in an airport, take the shitty shuttle bus or a coach transfer, get delayed in an airport ever again, I will take all my cells being discombobulated and reassembled now n then

static.klipy.com

Mighty Morphin Blue Ranger

ALT: Mighty Morphin Blue Ranger

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Can't say I really wanted the 4+ hour flight back home, scheduled originally for 22.20 to be delayed until 1.10am... especially when they don't tell you until after you arrive at the airport...

static.klipy.com

Alice in Wonderland: Humph

ALT: Alice in Wonderland: Humph

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

#Holidayreading, nearly finished the Hawkswood - a c12th murder mystery set in my locale of Worcestershire (inspired by @plashingvole.bsky.social recommendation).

Book cover of the castle of otranto, Oxford classics edn, in front of a sea view

Book cover for Feast for the Ravens by Sarah Hawkswood held in front of a sea view

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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 23/09/2026

John Barleycorn was a hero bold, Of noble enterprise, For if you do but taste his blood, ’Twill make your courage rise… —Robert Burns, “John Barleycorn: A Ballad”. Based on “the old song that goes by this name”, it celebrates the harvest – & the whisky from the grain #WyrdWednesday #poem #C18

John Barleycorn: A Ballad
Tune: Lull Me Beyond Thee
First printed in the Edinburgh edition, 1787.
(This is partly composed on the plan of an old song known by the same name. R.B.)

There was three kings into the east,
Three kings both great and high,
And they hae sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn should die.

They took a plough and plough’d him down,
Put clods upon his head,
And they hae sworn a solemn oath
John Barleycorn was dead.

But the cheerful Spring came kindly on,
And show’rs began to fall;
John Barleycorn got up again,
And sore surpris’d them all.

The sultry suns of Summer came,
And he grew thick and strong,
His head weel arm’d wi’ pointed spears,
That no one should him wrong.

The sober Autumn enter’d mild,
When he grew wan and pale;
His bending joints and drooping head
Show’d he began to fail.

His colour sicken’d more and more,
He faded into age;
And then his enemies began
To show their deadly rage.

They’ve taen a weapon long and sharp,
And cut him by the knee;
Then ty’d him fast upon a cart,
Like a rogue for forgerie.

They laid him down upon his back,
And cudgell’d him full sore;
They hung him up before the storm,
And turn’d him o’er and o’er.

They filled up a darksome pit
With water to the brim,
They heaved in John Barleycorn,
There let him sink or swim.

They laid him out upon the floor,
To work him farther woe,
And still, as signs of life appear’d,
They toss’d him to and fro.

They wasted, o’er a scorching flame
The marrow of his bones;
But a Miller us’d him worst of all,
For he crush’d him between two stones.

And they hae taen his very heart’s blood,
And drank it round and round;
And still the more and more they drank,
Their joy did more abound.

John Barleycorn was a hero bold,
Of noble enterprise,
For if you do but taste his blood,
’Twill make your courage rise.

’Twill make a man forget his woe;
’Twill heighten all his joy;
’Twill make the widow’s heart to sing,
Tho’ the tear were in her eye.

Then let us toast John Barleycorn,
Each man a glass in hand;
And may his great posterity
Ne’er fail in old Scotland.

Composition is generally dated to around 1785, although Kinsley believes it was written earlier. In the FCB Burns writes, ‘John Barleycorn.—A Song, to its own Tune. I once heard the old song that goes by this name, sung; and being very fond of it, and remembering only two or three verses of it viz the lst, 2nd and 3rd, with some scraps which I have interwoven here and there in the following piece’, June 1785. Kinsley probably over-stresses the importance of the myth of the Corn Spirit still prevalent in the 18th century as the ‘kernel’ theme of this song, the notion that the ‘old man of vegitation’ is driven out of the corn at threshing time to inhabit the fields, then returns to be the spirit of the next crop (Vol. III, p. 1017). Low is probably right in assuming Burns had read or heard the chapbook song of 1781, the allegory of drink titled The Whole Trial and Indictment of Sir John Barleycorn, Knt., A Person of Noble Birth and Extraction... Being Accused of Several Misdemeanours.. killing some, wounding others, and bringing thousands to Beggary (p. 82).

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Times Higher Education (THE) @timeshighered.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Unprecedentedly long strikes by UCU staff at Nottingham, Edinburgh and Dundee could be the shape of things to come, observers say. Juliette Rowsell reports #edusky #AcademicSky ow.ly/WHVU50ZPcAM

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Seem to have accidentally gone on holiday 😬

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Next month! A few tickets still available. THE CRADLE & THE GRAVE: Grief and Terror in Victorian Child Bereavement w. Dr Jen Baker, Sat 17th Oct, 1:30pm Brompton Cemetery, London. Tickets £13.50 inc a gin cocktail 🍸 & 20% donation to Brompton Cemetery: londonmonthofthedead.com/tickets.html

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Felicity Callard @felicitycallard.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Trying to describe what it’s like working inside British universities at the moment is very hard. One small vignette: not a single week of my teaching this semester looks the same as any other. We have virtually no courses/modules that are taught by

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I cannot understand how all this is happening and yet the National media furore is almost non-existent?! Too busy fixating on fucking R*form's bullshit

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BLPublishing @blpublishing.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Aloof and haughty, slinking and sometimes sinister, cats are a mainstay of weird fiction for good reason: for all that we love them, they’re unknowable, unpredictable and a little uncanny. Fiendish Felines available now, online and in-store

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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 16/09/2026

CFP: Hogg’s Worlds Now 2–4 July 2027 @glasgow.ac.uk Paper proposals are invited that engage with any aspect of James Hogg’s life & writing, & with the broader community of authors associated with Scottish #Romanticism. Abstracts due by 31 Dec. studiesinhoggandhisworld.blogspot.com/2026/05/fort...

studiesinhoggandhisworld.blogspot.com

Forthcoming James Hogg Conference

Hogg’s Worlds Now The James Hogg Society is delighted to announce that we will be holding a conference at the University of Glasgow on July ...

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Many thanks to all those (including Jason!) who attended this evening's talk for Elizabeth Gaskell House, and for the great questions at the end 🙏 Speaking at a screen for an hour is always a bit of a weird experience but I hear 110 tickets were bought, which is great for the charity ❤️

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The Book was better. But it was watchable.

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Alex Davis @alexdavis1981.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

We've got both interviews and workshop in all things Gothic and ghostly for WINTER HAUNTS on the 14th November, and an exciting line-up of talent across both online threads! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/winter-hau... #ghosts #ghostly #ghoststory #Gothic #Gothicfiction

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

What a shit day/weekend. Everyone everywhere seems to be in a bad mood (me included), the weather is horrible muggy and grim, traffic chaos. Work is also horrendously Everything Everywhere all at Once. Absolutely hating September so far.

static.klipy.com

Pingu Mad

ALT: Pingu Mad

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Alex Davis @alexdavis1981.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Our full line-up for the UK Ghost Story Festival online is almost complete, and very excited to announce everything we have coming up for you in early February! www.ticketsource.com/ukghoststory... #ghost #ghosts #ghoststory #ghoststories #festival #onlinefestival

ticketsource.com

https://www.ticketsource.com/ukghoststoryfestival

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Andrea Kaston Tange @aktange.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

🎉Midwest Victorian Studies conference CFP alert🎉 Aviva Briefel is keynote speaker. Theme is Detection—not just detectives, but also medical mysteries, tech innovations, colonial extraction, plant species discovery & everything in between. April 1-3 in Minneapolis. Please apply/pass it on!

midwestvictorian.org

Conference

“Detection: Exploring, Innovating, Locating, Uncovering”2027 Call for Papers April 1-3, 2027, hosted in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Sidney Paget, “Glancing about Him Like a Rat in a Trap,” …

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Unlike you, I get my news from a reliable source.

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I was thinking, worriedly this morning, as well as my deep sadness for what happened to those on the planes and in the buildings, how bad an affect the "anniversary" would have on the existing racial tensions. We can both commemorate and acknowledge all the problems around such commemoration.

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Love how often Holmes and Watson grasp hands ❤️

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

A very sweaty gardening day in muggy weather but my clematis is finally repotted in my painted trellis ready to bloom next spring and reclaimed-sink-now-pond ready to collect more rainwater and be filled with pond plants and attract visitors 🪴 🐸 #gardening

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Darryl Jones @profdarryljones.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Hem hem. ‘It is difficult to imagine a better account of James’s life ever being written.’

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

A procession of civil-war reenactors commemorating 375 years since the Battle of Worcester this afternoon

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

54321 FAB! Thunderbirds Are Go! Finally managed to see this exhibition of original puppets, studio models, art and memorabilia from the 1960s TV shows of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson at Worcester Museum and Art Gallery.

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Dr Emily Vincent @dremilyvincent.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

As spooky season approaches, I’ll be giving a very fitting online talk on ‘Séances, Spectres & Ghost Stories’ for the equally fitting College of Psychic Studies on Tuesday 20th October 2026: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm (UK) Tickets here: www.collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk/talks/esoter... #occult #psychic #lit👻

collegeofpsychicstudies.co.uk

The College of Psychic Studies : Talks : Esoteric : Seances spectres ghost stories

Join Dr Emily Vincent for an online livestream talk exploring Victorian Spiritualism, séances and the ghost stories they inspired. Spaces limited – book now.

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Did a 90min Ghost Walk of Tewkesbury. Too much attempted spirit summoning with rods & EMF readers for my sceptical little soul. Less about the existence of ghosts than that they would present themselves on command outside The Black Bear pub whilst Sweet Caroline blasted out on the karaoke.

static.klipy.com

Unmask

ALT: Unmask

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The Public Domain Review @publicdomainrev.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Andrew Lang's Book of Dreams and Ghosts (1897) — Containing 78 weird happenings, from a demon strangling Devonian farmers in 1682 to a poltergeist terrorising a contemporary Chinese couple. Read it here: publicdomainreview.org/collection/t…

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Without saying your age, what is your favourite movie that came out when you were 20 years old?

static.klipy.com

Pan'S Labyrinth

ALT: Pan'S Labyrinth

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Jack Fennell @jfennellauthor.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Delighted that I'm finally able to talk about this one! I have a story in this anthology that takes Chris Cwej to Ireland. It asks some questions about authenticity and imitation, but don't worry: mainly it's about slimy monsters rampaging through The Field, The Quiet Man, Ryan's Daughter etc.

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Took out a 7 day free trial for BFI to watch The Rose of Nevada (2025) - not sure I cared for it. Only a few days left so flicking through the catalogue and came across another intriguing Cornish-set film from 1984 - only 1hr long. That's the end of the bank holiday sorted!

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John MacNeill Miller @snarlsdickens.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Victorianists, our Emily Wilson moment is coming

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Research Society for Victorian Periodicals @rs4vp.org · 30/08/2026

It was brought to our attention that our CFP image included a small but VERY important typo. Proposals will be accepted 1 Sept-1 Nov ✨2026! That will teach us to do graphic design in the wee hours 🙄 Corrected image attached. Full CFP still on our website: rs4vp.org/rsvp-confere...

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Bank holiday Malvern hills (ugh to uphill walking but yay to views) followed by much needed visit to #TheSteamhouse for bagels 🥯

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Last year I read Hilary Mantel's Beyond Black (2005) for the first time where Diana's death is epxerienced by the psychic medium Alison. Mantel's take public mourning, a possible ghost of Diana, the drain on the psyche, was so shocking, like Black comedy, it feels brilliant but blasphemous even now.

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I was 11. I was deeply shocked because she was just always on the news, a very visible presence. Despite my family not being remotely royalist everyone was glued to the TV, (although there were only 5 channels), as if something miraculous might happen. The first "mass mourning" event I remember.

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The Ghost Monk @theghostmonk.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The ghostly black coach of Caister Castle, #Norfolk, was an omen of death for the Paston family. It had a headless driver and Marc Alexander describes it as 'a huge old vehicle, rather like a hearse'. It would pass through the locked gates, 'hurtle round the courtyard' and then vanish. #SpookySunday

A painting of Caister Castle by John Rooker, early 19th century.

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Dr Jen Baker @jendeavour.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Monthly visit to Spetchley Gardens looked very different this time owing to both arty sculptures and dragon quest sculptures!

A bronze-like sculpture called The Reading Man, depicts a standing man in a suit, holding a book

A wooden fingerpost sign partially hidden in a bush of orange flowers

A large sculpture head of a blue scaled horned dragon with orange flecks protruding from a lake

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