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Catherine Clarke @cathamclarke.bsky.social · 8d

I'm hugely honoured and very excited to be giving this year's Historical Research #Lecture at @ihr.bsky.social, on 'Can popular #history be radical? Historical research and writing for the #public'. Tuesday 4 November, all welcome. More info in AltText. Book here: www.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...

In this lecture, Catherine Clarke will re-visit the question of what makes history radical, asking what kind of radical history we need in our public life and contemporary context today. In particular, she’ll explore ways in which popular history – trade publishing for a wide public audience – has the capacity to be radical, drawing on experiences and examples from her own new book A History of England in 25 Poems (Penguin Allen Lane, September 2025). Catherine’s lecture will move towards a manifesto for how research-led, scholarship-driven popular history can and does make necessary, vital public interventions – from opening inclusive conversations and confronting the rise of AI, to modelling radical empathy and imagination.

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 12d

We have 20 years of UK evidence that says Rachel Reeves is correct about this.

Deeply depressing that some in government (let alone other parties) seem incapable of grasping it.

migrationobservatory.ox.ac.uk/resources/br....

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Ian Hall @ianhall.bsky.social · 14d

Seven of nine planetary boundaries now breached – ocean acidification joins the danger zone

www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/late...

Seven of nine planetary boundaries now breached – ocean acidification joins the danger zone

24.09.2025 - A new report from the Planetary Boundaries Science Lab at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) reveals that 7 of the 9 critical Earth system boundaries have now been b...

www.pik-potsdam.de

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Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 17d

Is it really *that hard* to say that it is totally morally wrong to say to people who have come here legally, worked, paid taxes, built their lives here, contributed to Britain, that they have to fuck off now, rather than "unfunded".

Adam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 17d

Keir Starmer’s spokesperson asked for the PM's response to Nigel Farage’s plan to deport hundreds of thousands of people living and working completely legally in the UK, replies that he thinks it is “unworkable” and “unfunded”.

So his objection is that they’ve got their sums wrong

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Catherine Clarke @cathamclarke.bsky.social · 17d

Did you miss me - in the excellent company of poet Andrew McMillan and writer Saima Mir - on #StartTheWeek this morning? It's repeated at 9pm tonight and available on BBC Sounds. I loved speaking some of Caedmon's Hymn aloud in the original #OldEnglish! ❤️
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

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Humanists UK @humanists.uk · 21d

Leaving religion can come at a high personal cost – not only socially or culturally, but mentally and emotionally. Yet the psychological impact of religious trauma and deconversion remains one of the most overlooked issues in mainstream mental health discourse. 🧵

humanists.uk/events/apost...

Apostasy Conference 2025 | The effect of apostasy on mental health

humanists.uk

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 21d

Impassioned plea for more mixed-methods research (quant & qual) from @timharford.ft.com

"The hard data is never as eloquent as a good story. Humboldt would measure the cactus but also sketch it; drag his barometer up a volcano, but spin a yarn about the epic climb."

www.ft.com/content/d419...

The UK’s problems aren’t caused by immigration

It’s not hard to see how so many came to worry about the issue. But the data isn’t there

www.ft.com

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RJ Barker @rjbarker.bsky.social · 22d

Hey friends, if you're in THE NORTH (and why wouldn't you be?) then the agency who rep me, Johnson and Alcock, and @newwritingnorth.bsky.social are running a competition for emerging writers with a 2.5k prize and it opens in November. newwritingnorth.com/johnson-alco...

Johnson & Alcock to deliver new award as part of the Northern Writers' Awards - New Writing North

Literary agency Johnson & Alcock will support a new award – the Great Northern Read Award – for debut writers...

newwritingnorth.com

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Silkabelli (mutazione-piromane Edition) @silkabelli.bsky.social · 22d

Queen

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Brian Bilston @brianbilston.bsky.social · 24d

Here’s a poem called ‘English Roundabouts’.

English Roundabouts

They’re making the roundabouts great again
by painting the flag of St George
to keep our circular road systems safe
from the dark, satanic hordes.

What do they want? Patriotic junctions!
When do they want them? Before it’s too late.
Good old-fashioned English roundabouts,
as decreed by Alfred the Great.

Behold the sacred intersection,
this blessed plot, this septic isle.
English roundabouts for English people,
draped in red and white and bile.

St George is cross, as well he may be –
whipped-up hate, he’s seen before.
Give way to the right, the road signs rage,
and the far right most of all.

Brian Bilston

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Red Hot World @redhotworld.bsky.social · 25d

When speaking to Tommy Robinson at the far right demonstration in London today, Elon Musk wore a t-shirt saying "What would Orwell think?"

So let's dive in - what would George Orwell think about Tommy Robinson and Elon Musk? 🧵

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Humanists UK @humanists.uk · 28d

'The meaning of life is to live it, as wholly as we can, as abundantly as we can, as bravely as we can, here and now.' A wonderful words by child psychologist, educationalist and humanist James Hemming ❤️#TheLittleBookofHumanism

The meaning of life is to live it, as wholly as we can, as abundantly as we can, as bravely as we can, here and now, sharing the experience with others, caring for others as we care for ourselves, and accepting our responsibility for leaving the world better than we found it. James Hemming.

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Dave Bulmer @demontomatodave.bsky.social · 29d

Never became as popular as "ET Phone Home" did it

A drawing of ET waving at us on the cardboard packaging for a 1980s product called "E.T. Punch Balls"

As this is a repost of a Feb 2023 tweet of mine, found here https://x.com/DemonTomatoDave/status/1623464715077795840?s=19 , I have taken this photo from the No Context E.T. account who posted it there, and who originally I retweeted.

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Dr Calonddu @drcalonddu.bsky.social · 29d

At least. And if shenanigans were also on the table, much longer.

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Dr Calonddu @drcalonddu.bsky.social · 29d

Where in Wales?

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Jo (unfunded hobbyist) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 @hagenilda.bsky.social · Aug 29

BEST WIKIPEDIA PAGE EVER:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

List of common misconceptions about history - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

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Henry Morris @mrhenrymorris.substack.com · Aug 31

EXCLUSIVE - ASK NIGEL is back!

This week an anonymous Prime Minister asks, 'How can I stop fixating so much on foreigners?'

open.substack.com/pub/mrhenrym...

Ask Nigel

An anonymous Prime Minister asks 'how can I stop fixating so much on foreigners?'

open.substack.com

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Daughters of Ferrix 🧱 @ferrixpod.bsky.social · Aug 27

This year, we presented to a packed audience at Star Wars Celebration—and recorded it. Featuring @chriskempshall.bsky.social, join us to explore the nature of "history," good research, and the messy space between fact and propaganda.

📺: youtu.be/nGYUYj6zYbI
🎧: creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/...

An edited thumbnail image, graphics against a grungy concrete background. Across the top, in blocky serifed white text, reads "Piles of In-Universe Citations." Underneath, arranged in a messy jumble, are rectangular graphics filled with text: citations, with superscript numbers and archival origins, like "20: Imperial Archives, Section: ISB, File: Ferrix Occupation. Or "3: Exegol Excavation Project, Section: Sith Lords, Files: Darth Vader." On each of these graphics is an icon, indicating their origin: the Rebel starbird, the Imperial cog, the shining rays of the New Republic Insignia. And across these citations, familiar words are highlighted in a dull pink colour, to pop against the dark grey: words like "Wilhuff Tarkin," "Senate," "Rebel Alliance Archives," "Leia Organa."

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Institute of Historical Research @ihr.bsky.social · Aug 26

What happens if we do #history through #poetry? What new stories come into focus? Whose voices do we hear? Join us for the 2025 Creighton Lecture: historian Catherine Clarke & poet Hannah Lowe in conversation with IHR Director Claire Langhamer. All welcome. Book: www.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...

Image reads IHR Creigton Lecture 2025. Doing History with Poetry. A conversations with Catherine Clarke and Hannah Lowe. 9 September 18:00 - 19:30, Chancellor's Hall, Senate House. There is an image of a book entitled A History of England in 25 Poems which shows illustrations in bird silhouettes with the title ribboning in between. There are black and white photographs of Catherine Clarke and of Hannah Lowe. There is also some text which can be found by clicking the link to the web page.

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Michael Marshall @mrmmarsh.bsky.social · Aug 19

Pet hate: public bodies that make their FOI process a massive pain in the arse. Just FOI'd one that requires you to make an account first, and enter your contact details, and then verify by a 2FA code - TWICE - before you can FOI them.

Petition to make "foi@<yourdomainname>" a legal requirement.

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Yassmin Abdel-Magied @yassmin.bsky.social · Aug 18

Another shout out for this excellent event happening next week in Sheffield, where the Sheffield Sudanis at???

www.englishpen.org/posts/events...

An Evening of Sudanese Literature - News & Events - English PEN

www.englishpen.org

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Catherine Clarke @cathamclarke.bsky.social · Aug 16

I may have mentioned it before... but my new #history book is available for pre-order now. You can look inside & read the Intro + first chapters on the Penguin website. Pre-orders are a big boost for a new book, so please forgive another plug - and thank you 🙏.
www.penguin.co.uk/books/461263...

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · Aug 12

The employment rate of non-EU born migrants exceeded that of the UK-born for the first time on record.

Confirms other evidence that recent migrants (even if they did not arrive on work visas) are very likely to be working/have high employment rates.

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Judith Jesch @judithjesch.bsky.social · Aug 12

Want to spend a year in Aarhus? I guess someone will have 'fun' doing this job: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DOG511/p... Closing date 1 Sept.

Postdoctoral Position in Play in Old Norse Culture at University of Aarhus

Discover an exciting academic career path as a Postdoctoral Position in Play in Old Norse Culture at jobs.ac.uk. Don't miss out on this job opportunity - apply today!

www.jobs.ac.uk

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The Secret Barrister @barristersecret.bsky.social · Aug 12

One of the most urgent crises in the criminal justice system is that allegations of rape and serious sexual offending take five years to reach trial.

Any politician who claims to care about sexual violence and is silent on this issue has another agenda.

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