iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Looking for support with your current writing project? I’m a proofreader, copyeditor, and indexer, specialising in academic and non-fiction writing. I have availablility this autumn/winter, and would love to help! For more information, drop me a DM or email me at foxtales-editorial@outlook.com.

Availability for editorial work: September, November, and December.

001

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

Merry solstice. This year, I am spending each evening for the next two weeks listening to the BBC’s wonderfully atmospheric dramatisation of Susan Cooper’s The Dark is Rising.

Shows a screenshot of episode 2, Midwinter Day, The Dark is Rising.

010

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

Vote for/support us and our policies because we are the lesser of two evils is a terrible basis for any party, and is a sign of the absence of any moral centre or political conviction.

Snippet from BBC News: Mahmood will suggest that while some of her plans may seem immoderate, the alternative could be a further rise in support for Reform UK.

020

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 13/10/2025

1,600 words written today 💪🏼

Laptop in background with blurred word document. In foreground, 3 books on the Windrush.

020

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

It is likely that I will have to leave academia soon. It makes me mad/sad, because in what other job could I read the inspiring work of a student, collect autumn leaves for a research/outreach project, and write words for a book on migration communities and care, all in the space of one day?

Autumn leaves in an array of red, yellow, brown, and green colours against a white backdrop.

010

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Reading this excellent and thought-provoking conversation between Judith Butler and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak on the politics of the nation-state, statelessness, and borders.

Picture shows a book (Judith Butler’s and Gaytri Chakravorty Spivak’s Who Sings the Nation-State) sitting on top of handwritten notes.

050

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

Last week I hosted the conference ‘Hostile Environments and Hospitable Praxes: Literary and Cultural Responses to Racial and Migratory Politics’ at the University of Kent. The organisation of this conference was part of my research project on migration and storytelling with @leverhulme.ac.uk.

Loraine Masiya Mponela gives a poetry reading.

Members of the team for the documentary Encounter, give a Q&A.

121

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Feeling a bit overwhelmed at the end of ‘Hostile Environments and Hospitable Praxes’. After months of organising it’s been such a reward to hear so many amazing papers and conversations amongst academics and practitioners. There is a route to hospitality, and the start of that journey is to listen.

Pictured is the back of my conference programme. A handwritten distillation of the themes, ideas, and thoughts shared over the last two days, presented as closing remarks at the end of today.

020

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

We ended the day with a podcast recording! Zalfa Feghali and Gillian Roberts recorded an episode for their podcast ‘Borders Talk: Dots, Dashes, and the Stories They Tell’, with critical reflections on practice and hospitality, before audience members shared their border stories.

Zalfa Feghali and Gillian Roberts show a slide of their title-in-progress.

Zalfa and Gillian in conversation, with microphones.

Jenneba Sie-Jalloh shares her border story with the podcast.

Loraine Masiya Mponela shares her border story.

030

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

This afternoon, Gaura Narayan and Ambreen Hai discussed the work of Kamila Shamsie and Leila Aboulela, respectively. A thought-provoking discussion on the politics of belonging and interpretative narrative gaps in the representation of diasporic characters.

Ambreen Hai and Gaura Narayan answer questions from the audience. Zalfa Feghali chairs.

110

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Next, Matthew Whittle and Ines Mzali presented on eco-dystopias and border politics in light of projected climate migration, green militarism, and racial capitalism/colonial extraction.

Matthew Whittle presents a slide nationalism and the role this plays in ecological and capitalist narratives around migration.

Ines Mzali deconstructs the legal language of the ‘refugee’ and the absence of ecological environmental factors in its definition.

110

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Today’s morning panel focused on the impact of the Hostile Environment on/in community spaces. With stunning papers by Sophie Fennelly, Peach Hoyle, and Subhadip Mukherjee.

Sophie Fennelly presents a detailed and incisive close reading of (un)safe spaces in Caleb Azumah Nelson’s Small Worlds.

Peach Hoyle draws our attention to material and contingent hospitalities in interfaith communities and organisations.

Subhadip Mukherjee, talks about the politics of engaged reading via the Refugee Tales project.

121

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Starting Day Two of ‘Hostile Environments and Hospitable Praxes’ with our second keynote, Leah Cowan, presenting on ‘Death and resistance within the border regime’.

Keynote Leah Cowan presents. On the slide: Leah’s books, ‘Border Nation’ and ‘Why would feminists trust the police?’

Keynote Leah Cowan presents. On the slide: generative memoir/history texts, Saidiya Hartman, Wayward Lives and Christina Sharpe’s In The Wake

Keynote Leah Cowan presents. On the slide: The dock: arrival (shipping dock) and departure (court dock).

Keynote Leah Cowan presents. On the slide: Resisting everyday borders, through documentation, community care, and listening.

110

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Finishing Day One with a screening of Encounter by Kent’s School of Arts, a film documenting a programme of workshops for asylum seekers, refugees, and first-generation migrants. Q&A led by Bahriye Kemal with Kaveh Abbasian, Angie Varakis-Martin, Margherita Laera, and Ismael Nchoutnsu Nsangou.

Scene from Encounter: participants sat together discussing the workshops reflectively. Subtitles read: ‘whether happiness or sadness, we get to learn that little by little’.

Scene from Encounter shows group in masks, performing to audience.

Q&A led by Bahriye Kemal with Kaveh Abbasian, Angie Varakis-Martin, Margherita Laera, and Ismael Nchoutnsu Nsangou.

120

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

This afternoon, discussion has moved through the subject of the language used around migration, asylum, and refugee identities, across policy documents, novels, and poetry. Papers by Rachael Gilmour, Ragesree Roy, Evie Lewis, and Apala Barat.

Rachael Gilmour presents on the role of language and listening in asylum interviews and podcasts.

Ragesree Roy presents on social realist novels about the South Asian diasporic communities in the UK.

Evie Lewis and Apala Barat answer questions on their papers on Harare North (Brian Chikwava) and Rehabilitation (Sankha Ghosh) respectively.

110

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

This morning, the first panel focused on migration narratives in/to Europe. Nadia Kiwan, Eri Kobayashi, and Maria Ridda presented on the potential routes to hospitality, land and sea migration routes, and the unique border spaces of island and coastal edges.

Nadia Kiwan presents a slide on UK-French migration legislation.

Eri Kobayashi close reads Caryl Phillips’s A Distant Shore.

Maria Ridda addresses two texts: The Conscript and My Fourth Time, We Drowned.

241

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Next, Dr Agnes Woolley delivers her wonderfully informative and engaging keynote on ‘Documenting the Hostile Environment in Recent British Film’.

Agnes Woolley delivers her keynote. On the slide: docudrama posters (Small Axe, Hostile, and Snowflakes)

Agnes Woolley delivers her keynote. On the slide: posters of migration films, including His House.

120

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

Started the day with an evocative and moving poetry reading by Loraine Masiya Mponela.

Loraine Masiya Mponela reads her poem in front of the lecture hall.

130

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Paper cuts galore while putting the conference programmes together for next week.

Lots of stacks of paper on the table, assembling conference programme. Not pictured: 2 paper cuts (with 30+ programmes still to go).

020

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

In the midst of one of busiest few weeks of the year so far, both personally and professionally, taking an hour this morning to drink tea and read.

A table in a coffee shop. To the left, a cup of steaming tea. To the right, Vincent Delecroix’s Small Boat. Cover: blue, with a small dinghy in the centre.

110

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

Proud to share the programme for the Hostile Environments and Hospitable Praxes conference running at the University of Kent, 23-24 June. Organised with support from @leverhulme.ac.uk. If you’re interested in attending, register by 2 June. Find full details at: blogs.kent.ac.uk/hostileenvir...

Conference schedule for 23 June. Find full readable copy at: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/hostileenvironments-hospitablepraxes/

Conference schedule for 24 June. Find full readable copy at: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/hostileenvironments-hospitablepraxes/

111

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 07/04/2025

In lighter news, this blue sky spring day brings me some small joy 🌸

Higher Education may be a pit of utter despair, but the blue sky and white blossoming tree on campus is pretty.

010

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 01/04/2025

Spent some time reading ANYWHERE BUT HERE by @nicolakellywrites.bsky.social today. Wonderfully informed and informative, placing the experiences of the people on the frontlines of the conversation about immigration at its centre.

Picture show book, Anywhere But Here, sat on a white table. The book cover features an orange life jacket.

141

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

This morning, I am reading Conversations from Calais. Followed by book writing this afternoon.

Copy of Conversations From Calais sitting on a table, with a yellow cup of black tea beside it. The book cover is black, with bold white font and a silhouetted sunrise.

030

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

There’s just over a week left to get your abstracts in for ‘Hostile Environments and Hospitable Praxes: Literary and Cultural Responses to Racial and Migratory Politics’. If you’re working on #hostileenvironments, #borders, #migration communities, and/or #humanrights please consider submitting.

Read details of CFP here: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/hostileenvironments-hospitablepraxes/

110

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 11/02/2025

Some books translate really well to audio. Orbital is one of them 🌎🌕

Screenshot of audiobook: Orbital, by Samantha Harvey

010

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 03/02/2025

Abstracts are due for ‘Hostile Environments and Hospitable Praxes: Literary and Cultural Responses to Racial and Migratory Politics' at the end of this month, 28th February. See the following link for more info: blogs.kent.ac.uk/hostileenvir.... #hostileenvironment #migration #refugeestudies

Details of CFP, which can be found here: https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/hostileenvironments-hospitablepraxes/.

045

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Was watching the finale of The Traitors on Friday, but catching up on Radio 4’s programme on diaries this evening.

Screencap of Radio 4’s Free Thinking: Diaries and the day to day

000

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 27/01/2025

Revisiting some foundational books today.

Pile of research monographs on the subject of migration and the Hostile Environment.

020

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

I’m currently reading ‘breach’ by Olumide Popoola and Annie Holmes, a collection of short fiction, distilled from interviews and meetings with people in Calais refugee camps in 2015. The stories convey a rich emotional complexity and, at times, a deliberate narrative uneasiness to astounding effect.

The book, ‘breach’, sits on a white surface. The book cover shows a wire fence, half torn open, a horizon visible ahead.

020

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

Choose 20 books that have stayed with you or influenced you. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just covers. #Books #BookSky 💙📚 #BookChallenge 14/20 Night Waking, Sarah Moss

Night Waking cover: a silhouette of a mother crouched in front of a child. A cloud filled dawn sky in the background.

020

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

You have until 28th February to get your abstract in for 'Hostile Environments and Hospitable Praxes', running at the University of Kent in June. Excited for keynotes by Leah Cowan and Agnes Woolley. #hostileenvironment #migration #refugeestudies #borders #humanrights #windrushscandal #colonialism

Full details on poster available at https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/hostileenvironments-hospitablepraxes/#.

Full details available on poster can be found at https://blogs.kent.ac.uk/hostileenvironments-hospitablepraxes/#

011

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

Cover for Minor Detail. Greyscale, with two images overlaid, a dried landscape, and a blurry picture of a face.

020

Dr Rachel Gregory Fox @rgf26.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

This morning we had a fight with a printer, before giving up and trekking across campus in search of a different printer. Now ensconced with caffeine and ready to edit the monograph introduction(!).