Prof. Ben Pohl
@benpohl.bsky.social
3K followers 420 following 580 posts
Professor of Medieval History, University of Bristol | Books with Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, Boydell & Brewer (×2), Schnell & Steiner, ARC Humanities Press | Manuscript Detective™ 🕵️‍♂️ 📜 📖
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benpohl.bsky.social
Have had quite a few notifications saying people (no idea who) have been sending me DMs on here. I can’t/won’t read them because of the UK’s age-verification process, so please email me instead. Thanks!
benpohl.bsky.social
Truly excellent move by @manchesterup.bsky.social, as a result of which two of my own articles in BJRL are now Open Access, effective immediately: doi.org/10.7227/BJRL... and doi.org/10.7227/BJRL...
manchesterup.bsky.social
MUP and @thejohnrylands.bsky.social are thrilled to announce that Bulletin of the John Rylands Library is now fully #OpenAccess🔓

Throughout October, the Bulletin's Editorial Board are highlighting journal issues or articles of particular importance on the MUP blog.
Image of a cover from an issue of The Bulletin of the John Rylands Library. Blue banner sits across the centre of the image reading: Now Open Access.
benpohl.bsky.social
This is excellent news. Will OA be applied retroactively to past issues and articles therein? (Asking for a friend… 😉)
benpohl.bsky.social
Including one of the latest titles from our Bristol Studies in Medieval Culture series with @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social @bristolcms.bsky.social
ihrlibrary.bsky.social
We've updated our new books displays on the 1st and 2nd floors. There's a wide range of subjects spanning from the medieval to the 21st century.

If this interests you and you're not a member, membership to the library is open and free to everyone - www.history.ac.uk/library-digi...
Image showing some new acquisitions to the Institute of Historical Research Library - October 2025 Image showing some new acquisitions to the Institute of Historical Research Library - October 2025 Image showing some new acquisitions to the Institute of Historical Research Library - October 2025 Image showing some new acquisitions to the Institute of Historical Research Library - October 2025
benpohl.bsky.social
That’s a massive relief!
richove.bsky.social
MLGB is back!! Delighted that Medieval Libraries of Great Britain @bodleian.ox.ac.uk is now back online. We are also working had on plans for the next phase of the resource, enhancing & adding data & functionality. HUGE thanks to my colleagues for their hard & clever work mlgb.bodleian.ox.ac.uk
benpohl.bsky.social
It is, and I don’t think I implied the opposite?
benpohl.bsky.social
Exactly. Very worrying indeed.
benpohl.bsky.social
I’m aware of several recent examples in which well-established journals have left these presses or are in the process of doing so. I’m less interested in commercial publishers… 😉
benpohl.bsky.social
The latest but by no means the only example of an alarming trend in which the UK’s foremost academic publishers are haemorrhaging highly prestigious journals at a rate of knots…
benpohl.bsky.social
It’s what we do best at @bristolcms.bsky.social: celebrating community and world-class research!
bristolcms.bsky.social
What an amazing CMS event! We were so excited to celebrate not only Kathleen and Melek’s wonderful new book, but a bumper crop of new books from CMS members Matt Lampitt, Leah Tether, Rachael Harkes, Marianne Ailes, Adrian Ailes, Ad Putter, and Ben Pohl! 🎉🥳 Congratulations once again to all!
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
benpohl.bsky.social
Here’s the image by itself:
benpohl.bsky.social
Here’s the image by itself:
benpohl.bsky.social
Took me a second or two to realise that KLM’s napkins show a pair of windmills, rather than a crudely sketched crucifixion scene!
benpohl.bsky.social
Wait, are you saying this ISN’T your office??
benpohl.bsky.social
Home is where a LIDL is!
benpohl.bsky.social
One happy @bristolcms.bsky.social family!
bristolcms.bsky.social
Start of term = time for a new CMS photo! We love getting the CMS family back together! #medievalsky #skystorians
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
bristolcms.bsky.social
Hwæt?! The amazing Old English Reading Group is BACK and with a new friend?!?

Join Hattie and Co for Old English Reading Group at 3pm Friday in Hattie’s office, followed by the brand new Old Norse Reading Group at 4pm! No prior knowledge or experience needed, and everybody welcome!
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
roseschmits.bsky.social
It really is just relentless the constant dehumanisation in this country. Prove you deserve to be here. Prove you deserve to be cared for. Prove your gender. Prove you deserve to have human rights. Prove you deserve to stay after a whole decade. It just chisels away at your humanity
chrischirp.bsky.social
Just fuck off with this. How about start the conversation by highlighting how much immigrants contribute to the UK - not least by propping up the NHS and social care system!

Also - forced volunteering is not volunteering, it's unpaid labour.
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
bristolcms.bsky.social
We're so excited for the first Centre for Medieval Studies Research Seminar of the year!

Join us on Thursday at 4pm, with our CMS Welcome Party to follow straight after!

All welcome! We hope to see you there! #medievalsky #skystorians
benpohl.bsky.social
I’m sick to the back teeth of this so-called progressive govt spouting utter xenophobic nonsense & throwing migrants under the bus to curry favour with the lowest of the low. We’re not your scapegoat. We’re not the enemy. We’re what’s holding this community together. With all due respect: F*CK YOU!
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
ingridm.bsky.social
ChatGPT Edu is built for conning education executives into subsidising and edu-washing planet-burning slop machines via non-consensual access to young people’s creativity AND DATA while attacking their ability to learn. At a university.
ox.ac.uk
NEW: Oxford will be the first UK university to give all staff and students free ChatGPT Edu access, from this academic year.

ChatGPT Edu is built for education, with enhanced privacy and security.
Graphic from the University of Oxford, featuring an image of a glowing, digital brain with the text: 'Generative AI at Oxford'. Highlights that ChatGPT Edu is now available to all staff and students. Includes a link for more information: ox.ac.uk/gen-ai
benpohl.bsky.social
The future of our profession 👇
bristolcms.bsky.social
Anyone know the collective noun for a reunion of medieval PGRs?!

One of the things we’re proudest of at the CMS is our amazing PGR community! We have such an active, supportive, and accomplished group of PGRs. We can’t wait to see what they get up to this academic year! #medievalsky
Reposted by Prof. Ben Pohl
bristolcms.bsky.social
Anyone know the collective noun for a reunion of medieval PGRs?!

One of the things we’re proudest of at the CMS is our amazing PGR community! We have such an active, supportive, and accomplished group of PGRs. We can’t wait to see what they get up to this academic year! #medievalsky