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Lucy Pearson

@lrpearson.bsky.social
346 followers 163 following 361 posts

Scholar of children's and YA literature, Newcastle University UK.

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Reposted by Lucy Pearson
Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
As unprofessional as it may be, I suspect I will be shouting "we have been saying this for years" a lot today. Harsher immigration policies don't just ruin individual lives, they damage the economy, reduce jobs, and generally harm the whole country.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Solidarity to colleagues in Edinburgh and elsewhere heading to the picket lines.
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Daniel C. Blight @danielcblight.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
***URGENT PLEASE SHARE*** University of Brighton management have announced today that they ‘give notice of termination of all collective agreements’. This is a fundamental erasure of workers' rights. Management have announced the termination of all contractual documents, which includes:
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Dave Andress @davidandress.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Just a reminder as the new academic year kicks off - the UK government has deliberately, ruthlessly, throttled the recruitment of international students, solely to pander to racists, and the resultant 25%+ fall in numbers can and will only accelerate some universities into bankruptcy.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Clearer information on the potential for terms to change seems negligible given that the vast majority of students have no real choice about taking out a loan. We neee a fairer way of funding higher education. www.theguardian.com/money/2026/s...
theguardian.com
UK government to offer clearer guidance on student loans after repayment row
Criticism of three-year threshold repayment freeze prompts update to guidance warning terms and conditions could change
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Helen Belcher @helenbelcherobe.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
What the UK Government is going by its decisions on trans people is teaching trans people that authority doesn't protect, but instead abuses. This applies in schools, in the workplace, in civic society, in politics, in healthcare. And if they can do this to trans people, they can do it to anyone.
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Dr Andrew McInnes @drbeard79.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Most of my students work already! I’m sure they’ll be super happy to do some work for free on top of the work they’re already doing to afford the education they have actually chosen to study 🙃
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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I want the Prime Minister to look into a TV camera and say the RNLI are heroes, that we do not change policy by street violence in this country, and that he expects any criminal action to face the full force of the law. That's it. That's all he has to do.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Biking friends, I need advice. I have two old bikes (20-30 years old) which have been stored in my shed untouched for the last five years. I think they were both decent bikes new but nothing specialist. Is it likely to be worth renovating them or will it cost me more than just buying 2nd hand?
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
It was obvious this film would be dreadful from the first trailer. But the annoying thing about this hot take is that the book already has a grey area! it shows us how Scrooge’s past experiences led him down the path he’s on and then is like - that was a bad path my friend!
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
I’d bloody love to see a war on cars tbh.
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Anna Meier @annameier.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
If you have so much work to do that you feel you need AI in order to get it all done: you don't. You need a union.
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Charlie Lynch @charlielynch.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
“I’m afraid there is a chance this child may become an academic.”
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John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch.ft.com · 07/08/2026
New from me: Britain’s graduate earnings premium is falling, cue “too many go to university!” But non-university outcomes are also bad, cue “we must reform vocational routes!” Both miss the point: people used to think education drove economic outcomes, but the economy drives educational outcomes.
Chart showing that US workers who are functionally illiterate earn roughly the same per hour as the average British worker
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
This day once again brought to you by Writing is Hard (tm)
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Alison Stenning @alisonstenning.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Litany of failure here from Port of Tyne and companies involved in perhaps worst ever plastic pollution event in UK/Europe: No immediate containment of spillage No mention of spillage in press releases until day 4 *Still* no large-scale clear-up operation Nurdles found 20 miles N and S of Tyne
bbc.co.uk
Port of Tyne criticised over River Tyne plastic nurdle spill response
Port of Tyne says it acted to tackle the spillage of nurdles once it was aware.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Haven't shared this yet, largely because it makes me just so so sad. To be clear this is a devastating environmental catastrophe that will continue to impact our coastline for decades.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Used them 'only' to research and organise - in other words to do the vast majority of the intellectual work fof writing?
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Cities dismantled their tram networks to become “motor cities of the future”. The result? You could travel further within 30 mins via public transport in 1957 than you can in 2026. Cities are seeking billions to rebuild networks. Incredible piece of work this.
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Mat Tobin @mattobin.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
I have written a piece on nurturing lifelong readers inspired by the wonderful Aidan Chambers (pages 4-5) booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/u... @booksforkeeps.bsky.social
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Controversial, but the movie I am still holding a grudge about is The Master. Objectively had many fine qualities but approximately three lifetimes longer than it needed to be and such wasted potential.
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Marianna Dudley @dudleymarianna.bsky.social · 29/07/2025
Can’t help but reflect on the *5 years of strikes* we did to defend our pensions, on this, the day USS announce their £10 billion surplus.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Currently in 'why is writing so hard?' mode so needed to see this!
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CILIP @cilip.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
🥈 We're proud that The Carnegies, delivered by CILIP, have won Silver for Best Longstanding Awards Event at the Awards Awards! A fantastic recognition of almost 90 years of championing children's books, librarians and reading for pleasure. carnegies.co.uk/cilip-silver-2026-a…
2026 Awards Awards logo with a silver medal for Best Longstanding Awards Event beside The Carnegies and CILIP library association logos on a split white and green background.
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Plashing Vole @plashingvole.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Congratulations to the government on saving 2700 jobs by nationalising British Steel. Now, about the 18,000 university jobs lost in the last 18 months, with more coming…
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Fantastic choice! Congratulations @lawrencepatrice.bsky.social !
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Alison Stenning @alisonstenning.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
We (adults) have created a world in which teens use smartphones to "navigate daily life" and "access to support networks" over exactly the same period that we have diminished the infrastructures that enable all this in 'real life' - accessible public space, youth clubs, reliable transport, etc etc.
theguardian.com
School smartphone bans seen as ‘punitive’ by young people, study says
Outright bans may have unintended negative consequences for young people, University College London report warns
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Fionna O’Leary @fascinatorfun.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
A bit more of Mahmood’s performative cruel stupidity here Most asylum seekers have no control over where they are housed or for how long or how long it will take the H.O. to make a decision and for appeals to be heard AND, meanwhile, THEY‘RE NOT ALLOWED TO WORK www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Asylum seekers to pay £10,000 towards living costs under new UK law
Means-tested scheme included in immigration and asylum bill condemned by charities for placing tax on refugees
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Natalia Cecire @ncecire.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Academic departments deserve to be saved, supported, resourced, allowed to grow even if they're not "best in the country," "first in the REF," "top-ranked," "at a Russell Group uni," or whatever other austerity-brained nonsense senior managers have been using to flimflam you out of solidarity
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Saul Staniforth @saulstaniforth.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
The UN commission of inquiry has published a report on how Israel targets & kills Palestinian children "There can be no doubt in anyone who reads todays report that every intl legal norm has been violated by the actions of the Israeli authorities towards Palestinian children"
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Liesbeth Corens @onslies.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Each uni has a consultancy in that tells them how to run a degree cheaply. They all simply say 'mega lectures' (LOL, infrastructure) & 'generic modules staff is interchangeable on'. It's pitched as rationalising, creating a 'sustainable' portfolio. But its destroying what university actually is.
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Books for Keeps, the children's books review journal @booksforkeeps.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Congratulations to the winners of #Carnegies2026 @carnegiemedals.bsky.social Beth O'Brien wins the Medal for Writing AND the Shadowers Choice Award. Kate Rolfe wins the Medal for Illustration. Shadowing Medal for Illustration goes to Aimée de Jongh 💐#booksky booksforkeeps.co.uk?p=60318&prev...
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Dominic Dean @drdominicdean.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
I'm only adding to the praise others have been giving this piece, but it's the best response I have so far read to today's events, by quite some margin. Every paragraph, every line is pointed, accurate, and powerful. www.liberalcurrents.com/starmer-out/
liberalcurrents.com
Starmer Out
Starmer did not "do nothing": he made the country radically more regressive. No wonder he fell.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
So my five year old daughter has lived under 2 monarchs, 2 popes, and is about to see her 5th PM.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Hah! I had a mostly tame childhood / adolescence but it still included knocky nine doors and occasionally building fires and exploding deodorant bottles in them. There wasn’t even a McDonalds in my town so we had to make our own fun.
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Bethany Black @bethanyblack.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Is it social media publishing hate speech and disinformation that’s the problem?
No it’s the children who are wrong
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British Pregnancy Advisory Service @bpas.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Important reporting on the growing links between UK politicians and US anti-abortion organisations. The aggressive rollback of reproductive rights in parts of the US has shown how quickly hard-won rights can be undermined. Read the iPaper article via the link in our bio.
BPAS graphic featuring a newspaper headline and message about protecting reproductive rightsBPAS graphic featuring a newspaper headline and message about protecting reproductive rightsBPAS graphic featuring a newspaper headline and message about protecting reproductive rightsBPAS graphic featuring a newspaper headline and message about protecting reproductive rights
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Every time my child brings a book home from school I am reminded of the need for qualified librarians in all schools. 2/3 are unsuitable for her age / contain something she finds scary / just plain terrible. Today was especially bad : a ‘variant spellings’ book for about five stages further on.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Very sorry to hear of the death of @raulpachecovega.bsky.social . I never met him but - like many others - greatly benefited from his generosity in sharing details of his research processes and pedagogy. @jovanevery.bsky.social has written a lovely memorial piece: jovanevery.co.uk/in-memoriam-...
jovanevery.co.uk
In memoriam: Raul Pacheco-Vega - Jo VanEvery
Raul had been conscious of his mortality for a long time. Many years ago he came to terms with his workaholism and took serious steps to change his behaviour for the sake of his health. I know he stil...
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
If you, like me, have been wondering what the hell you can do in relation to the relentless stripping away of trans rights, this is one clear concrete action.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Modern fairy tale adaptations: ‘the original tale is probably too bloody for children‘. My child, watching the ballet of Cinderella: ‘They should take those bad sisters and put them in the bin and mash their heads!’
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
Absolutely this. Already a lot of things are operating on the goodwill of staff keeping it all going. It’s pretty astounding how universities seem to have bought into a cultural narrative that theyre full of dead weight which can be shed without consequence
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Trish Greenhalgh @trishgreenhalgh.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
Every summer I repost this article on how to spot drowning. Please read it and pass on. In the last few years I’ve had SIX messages from people who saved a kid’s life after clicking on the link from my feed. slate.com/technology/2...
slate.com
Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning
Drowning is not the violent, splashing call for help that most people expect.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Honestly believe most people still don't care, but the endless dripping of poison means they also don't care that much about defending trans people.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
This is the opposite of the gotcha the author thinks it is. If the museum took the railway set it would need to catalogue it, assess it for conservation, store / display it appropriately. Acquisitions are a substantial financial commitment!
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Absolutely fuck right off. I’m so sorry trans friends.
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Lucy Pearson @lrpearson.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
That feeling when your fun little side project turns into a hydra with multiple theoretical tentacles
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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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Alex Prichard @profalexp.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
The House of Commons Committe has now reported on the likely impacts of a university insolvency: "In this report, we recommend that the Government fully recognise and reflect the economic and civic anchor role of universities when developing policy and responding to financial distress in the sector"
publications.parliament.uk
Higher Education and Funding: Threat of Insolvency and International Students
Report of the Education Committee
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