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Veronica Heney

@veronicaheney.bsky.social
207 followers 167 following 22 posts

Research Fellow at Durham University, exploring narratives and experiences of madness, mental illness, and mental distress. Interested in stories and why we tell them.

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Veronica Heney @veronicaheney.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I blogged for the EPIC project about social contagion and epistemic injustice, the dangers of under-researched but persuasive theories, and how people who self-harm are left on the periphery of knowledge-making about their own lives: epistemicinjusticeinhealthcareproject.blogspot.com/2026/09/cont...
epistemicinjusticeinhealthcareproject.blogspot.com
Contagion’s complexities: When persuasive theory takes priority
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Adam Rutherford @adamrutherford.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
I've signed and sent a letter - from authors, broadcasters, journalists, artists, scholars and performers - to express our deep concern at @exeter.ac.uk’s troubling plans to make mass redundancies within the Humanities Dept @uniofexeterhass.bsky.social. I would love it if you read and shared widely.
Dear Vice Chancellor, Provost, Pro-Vice Chancellor and Executive Dean for the Faculty of Humanities,
Arts and Social Sciences and Chair of Council (cc Director of Human Resources and Chief Financial
Officer)
We write, as authors, broadcasters, journalists, artists, publishers, academics and performers in the public
sphere, to express our deep concern at the University of Exeter’s plans to make redundancies within the
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS). The cuts come at a point when Exeter is not in
deficit, and they are not distributed equally across the university. With 114 of the proposed 153 FTE
academic redundancies falling within HASS, the University is dismantling areas of established excellence
and international renown in a Russell Group University whose reputation is known to be outstanding in the
Humanities. Several of the disciplines subject to the proposed cuts, including Classics and Ancient History,
English and Creative Writing, History, and Theology and Religion are among the UK’s strongest according
to league tables, the Research Excellence Framework (REF), the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF),
and other recognised indicators, including QS World Rankings.
The extent of the proposed cuts is both shocking and misguided. Exeter is seeking to make up to 20
academics redundant in English and Creative Writing, out of a headcount of 62. In Languages and Visual
Culture upwards of 17 colleagues will be made redundant, decimating subjects including Art History and
Visual Culture, French, German, Italian, Hispanic Studies, Russian and Chinese. 5 posts will go or have
gone in Classics and Ancient History (2 academics have already left), out of a staff body of 20. In Theology
and Religion up to 5 academics will be made redundant out of a group of 13. In History over 17 colleagues
will be made redundant, out of a staff body of 53. In the Institute for Arab and Islamic Studies staff are
facing a headcount reduction of almost a third (6FTE out …
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Des Fitzgerald @desfitzgerald.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
A few weeks ago, @wellcometrust.bsky.social announced that scholars in the republic of Ireland would no longer be eligible to lead bids to the flagship discovery research scheme. We think this decision is badly flawed, and are asking them to rethink: www.irishhumanities.ie/assets/PDFs/...
irishhumanities.ie
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Laura Salisbury @laurasalisbury.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
More slash and burn across UK Universities. 153 jobs to be lost at Exeter; 117 targeted at Humanities and Social Sciences. Exeter is not in financial crisis; this is a choice to align with narrowly conceived government strategies and priorities. Please sign. www.change.org/p/stop-redun...
change.org
Sign the Petition
Stop Redundancies at the University of Exeter
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Lewis Wade 🗃️ @wadehistory.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
🚨 PLEASE SHARE WIDELY 🚨 If you are an Exeter alumnus, and wish to express your horror at the proposed cuts to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, please sign the Google Doc petition below. Not an alumnus? You can still help by signing the Exeter UCU petition at c.org/msXfsb2g5b 🗃️
docs.google.com
Alumni petition against the cuts to the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Any Exeter alumni who wish for their names to be added to the petition below should please complete the form at this link: https://forms.gle/SpdYvmmsCaJbmZft6. If you are not an alumnus, but still wis...
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Durham Institute for Medical Humanities @durhamimh.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
How are doctors portrayed in memoirs, television, and popular culture – and why does it matter? Join us for a thought-provoking hybrid talk with Danielle Spencer exploring narrative medicine. 📅 25 June 📍 Durham University/Online 🎟️ Free Register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/heroic-doc...
eventbrite.co.uk
Heroic Doctors?: From Medical Memoirs to The Pitt
A hybrid talk by Danielle Spencer about the contemporary genre of physician-author memoirs and their representations in popular media.
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Durham Institute for Medical Humanities @durhamimh.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Around 6.4% of the UK population report having self-harmed in their lifetime. But how is self-harm influenced by culture? Congratulations to @veronicaheney.bsky.social who has won a prestigious Wellcome Early Career award to re-configure understandings of self-harm. @durham.ac.uk
durham.ac.uk
Veronica Heney to shed new light on self-harm - Durham University
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Veronica Heney @veronicaheney.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
I’m so delighted to announce my new Wellcome Trust-funded project ‘Re-knowing Self-harm’. I’m deeply grateful to my collaborators, including SIFT & @makespaceco.bsky.social, and the @durham.ac.uk Dept of Sociology & @durhamimh.bsky.social who will host the project ✨ www.durham.ac.uk/research/ins...
durham.ac.uk
Veronica Heney to shed new light on self-harm - Durham University
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Laura Salisbury @laurasalisbury.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
I know it's usual for a book to be published before it's launched, but we are having an early launch of our co-authored book - Waiting Times: Crisis, Chronicity and Care - at Birkbeck's Social Science week. Please do sign up if you'd like to attend in person/virtually. www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event...
bbk.ac.uk
Social Sciences Festival 2026: Waiting Times Book Launch - Professor Lisa Baraitser
Social Sciences Festival 2026: Waiting Times Book Launch - Professor Lisa Baraitser
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Stop Oxevision @stopoxevision.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
A NHS Trust was ordered to pay compensation to a patient over use of Oxevision (LIO) - what does this mean for other Trusts? What does the guidance from NHS England and CQC say about its use? Plus, read our letter to NHSE asking them to take action stopoxevision.com/2026/04/29/t...
stopoxevision.com
Trust ordered to pay compensation to patient over use of Oxevision - Stop Oxevision
An NHS Trust has had to pay out to a patient after she complained to the Ombudsman about the use of Oxevision during her time as an inpatient. This is not unique - all Trusts are at risk of having to ...
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Veronica Heney @veronicaheney.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
A huge success and a testament to the principled, dedicated, generous campaigning and activism of the wonderful @stopoxevision.bsky.social team
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Ben Doyle @bendoyle.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Can't wait to see this book out. Also looking forward to @veronicaheney.bsky.social own book, which will be up on the website soon!
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Asylum Magazine @asylummagazine.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
www.nsun.org.uk/when-lived-e... Interesting blog via @nsunnews.bsky.social
nsun.org.uk
When lived experience becomes a commodity
Sitting with someone who gets it, without needing everything explained, can be the moment something shifts.
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Veronica Heney @veronicaheney.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
So exciting to see this! @drflewis.bsky.social and I have an essay in here about royal women, the visual politics of madness, and mad relationality. We're so delighted to be included among such august company!
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Dr Beatriz Pichel @beapichel.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
This is happening on Monday 8 December, 2.30 pm, online! It's going to be a fantastic seminar with Dr Ayra Thampuran, Dr Chimwemwe Phiri and @duncanwilson78.bsky.social, who will share short provocations on the topic of consent, followed by plenty of time for questions and discussion #photohist
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Veronica Heney @veronicaheney.bsky.social · 28/05/2025
Really delighted to share this paper drawing on data from my PhD to explore the relation between care, texts, & self-harm. Particularly, I draw out how my participants engaged in active, creative, & relational viewing/reading practices to enable care for self-harm: link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Creating Care for People Who Self-Harm through Transformation of Aesthetic Objects - Journal of Medical Humanities
The role of fiction in enabling care for people who self-harm is primarily framed as a relation of protection through absence or avoidance. It is frequently suggested that fiction should avoid depicti...
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Veronica Heney @veronicaheney.bsky.social · 15/05/2025
This is an urgent and incisive post by my wonderful friend and colleague @kacheston.bsky.social, who writes bravely and convincingly about ME/CFS and about the flawed Opinion piece, regrettably published by the BMJ - please do read and share Katharine’s response
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Fran Amery @franamery.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
If you are a feminist academic, you should sign this letter. forms.gle/oDYgnobrMiSc...
forms.gle
Not In Our Name: Feminist Academics and Educators Speak Out Against Transphobia
We call on all trans-inclusive feminist academics and educators to sign this statement: ‘Not In Our Name’ We are non-trans feminist academics and educators. We write in support of trans rights, tran...
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Veronica Heney @veronicaheney.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
Another sunny morning on the @ducu.bsky.social picket line - spreading the word about how proposed staff cuts are a choice not a necessity, and will harm staff and students alike!
A white woman in a blue dress wearing a pink sticker that reads ‘support the university strikers’A picket line outside a university building on a sunny day
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Veronica Heney @veronicaheney.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
A sunny morning leafleting on the @ducu.bsky.social picket line - we’re out on strike this week protesting proposed staff cuts, and calling on university leadership to recognise that redundancies are a choice not a necessity!
A leaflet explaining UCU strike action to Durham students - title reads ‘Our working conditions are your learning conditions’DUCU member on the picklet line, sign reads ‘Save our staff’
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Veronica Heney @veronicaheney.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
As always, my wonderful friend & colleague @courtneybuckler.bsky.social is wise and principled - I highly recommend these reflections on evidence, expertise, and institutional processes
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Veronica Heney @veronicaheney.bsky.social · 23/04/2025
Following a blissful 6 months away from social media I am somewhat hesitantly returning - looking forward to connecting and re-connecting in this new space! Anyone interested in my work can find more info here: www.durham.ac.uk/staff/veroni...
durham.ac.uk
Veronica Heney - Durham University
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