Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · Sep 3

I’ll be talking next week about the historic fashion for wilderness gardens in the late c17th/early c18th, but also about the stories these objects tell of how people experienced walking through their gardens in the past. Friday 12 Sept at Beningbrough — talk included with entrance to the Hall!

Exhibition talk: Exploring the history of Wilderness Gardens | National Trust

www.nationaltrust.org.uk

1 4

Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · Sep 3

🌳 ’Whispers of the Wilderness’ is officially open at Beningbrough Hall!

Ft. beautiful new art and sound installations inspired by the sensory experience of walking through a wilderness garden, & my 🪴 potted 🪴 history of wildernesses, told through 9 historic objects from throughout the Trust!

Exhibition title card, mimicking cardboard cut-outs; it reads ‘Whispers of the Wilderness: Exploring Wilderness Gardens’

View of the North Gallery containing historic objects

1 5

Reposted by Grace Murray

Sophie Coulombeau @sophiecoulombeau.bsky.social · Sep 1

So turns out I’m the voice of Jane Austen (or her narrators at least) at a National Trust exhibition now

An audio chair, with a cushion labelled ‘sit here’ and a National Trust information placard next to it

Selfie of me sitting in the audio chair listening to my own voice and grinning like a goblin

Audio booklet text contextualising two Austen passages addressing the wilderness from Pride & Prejudice and Mansfield Park

Credits to Ben Eyes for production, Chloe Wigston Smith for coordination, and Sophie Coulombeau for narration (all from uni of York)

7 4 170

Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · Aug 14

YAY CONGRATULATIONS! 🎉

1

Reposted by Grace Murray

Yersinia pestis @yersiniapestis.bsky.social · Jul 29

Dear ESTC:

Thank you for the great error screen!

A dinosaur with a unicorn horn is barfing up a rainbow. The error message reads “we’re sorry, something went very wrong!”

1 12 52

Reposted by Grace Murray

Rebekah Higgitt @rhiggitt.bsky.social · Jul 18

Thanks to @stephenaj.bsky.social's fabulous article (still available at link below) I have had a look at this equally fabulous interactive astrolabe alexboxer.com/astrolabe/. It's a really useful tool for understanding what the instrument does and a lot of fun to play with! #histsci #astronomy

3 16 38

Reposted by Grace Murray

Plants and People 2025 conference @people-plants-2025.bsky.social · Jul 9

That’s a wrap on #plantsandpeople! Thanks to all of our wonderful speakers, keynotes, artists, and attendees for two days of fantastic discussion and hands-on experimentation. Over and out from @zarakesterton.bsky.social and @lucyjhavard.bsky.social !

1 5 7

Reposted by Grace Murray

Plants and People 2025 conference @people-plants-2025.bsky.social · Jul 9

We have two workshops running in tandem this morning at the #plantsandpeople conference - one on botanical images at the Fitzwilliam Museum, and a practical workshop on early modern dye production with Nabil Ali! Thanks to @jesuscollegecam.bsky.social for the use of your greenhouses!

4 6

Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · Jul 8

An inspiring and thought-provoking day one of #plantsandpeople @people-plants-2025.bsky.social, thinking about the peripheries of botanical knowledge-making. Thank you @zarakesterton.bsky.social & Lucy Havard for putting all of this together — looking forward to day two! 🌱 📖

1 3

Reposted by Grace Murray

Society for Renaissance Studies @srsrensoc.bsky.social · Jul 7

WHAT A WEEK! An utter delight to see so many #EarlyModern 'ists chatting, thinking, discussing together in beautiful Bristol. So many conversations started and ideas sparked.

If you're looking for people you met, we tried to update the starter pack of #RenSoc25 delegates:

5 16

Reposted by Grace Murray

Anna-Lujz Gilbert @annalujz.bsky.social · Jul 5

Returning from #RenSoc25 brimming over with early modern goodness, in awe of the incredible research being presented, and buoyed up by the collegiality and community in such abundant evidence, despite everything. A huge thank you to the organisers!

1 3 8

Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · Jul 3

🥺 Thank you so much for coming!

1

Reposted by Grace Murray

Emily Rowe @emilyrowe1.bsky.social · Jul 3

Such a wonderful time talking through our modes of reading satire and/or sincerity this morning! Left with more questions than answers of course. Thanks to my excellent co-panellists and all who came #RenSoc25

Emily Rowe @emilyrowe1.bsky.social · Nov 10

Our roundtable on ‘Satire or Sincerity?’ with me, @elicumings.bsky.social, @mazinggrace.bsky.social, & Mel Harrison! #earlymodern

1 2 21

Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · Jul 3

A blockbuster day at #RenSoc25, talking all things how-to, utility, local identity & readership alongside lovely & brilliant scholars — thank you @emilyrowe1.bsky.social for organising our roundtable on satire & sincerity, & @walla7437.bsky.social for chairing our panel on microgeographies!

Gabriel Harvey’s copy of the instrument book The Mathematical Jewel (1585), with a paper instrument.

4 19

Reposted by Grace Murray

Anna Cusack @annacusack.bsky.social · Jun 27

This is your periodic reminder that every month, there is an early modern pub night in London at a (vaguely) historical pub for PhDs and ECRs (and anyone else interested). They are great fun #earlymodern 1/2

1 6 20

Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · Jun 25

The closure of CLL at York is a huge loss, as Joe says — I also had a wonderful experience co-teaching there with @earlymodernemma.bsky.social during my PhD. We were supported so well by Centre staff and learned a lot from the brilliant students who attended. Very sad and frustrating news.

Joe Saunders @joesaunders1.bsky.social · Jun 25

Devastated that the Centre for Lifelong Learning @york.ac.uk is being closed after 40 years. What a loss to education in the region. Feel for students and staff. Being a tutor has been joy, doing what universities should be doing by sharing knowledge widely with our communities.

3 5

Reposted by Grace Murray

Lucy Holehouse @lucyholehouse.bsky.social · Jun 4

This is tomorrow! Join us at Guildhall Library and Archive to hear Lydia discussing the amazing new research she's doing on identity in Civic Performance!

Lucy Holehouse @lucyholehouse.bsky.social · Apr 8

5th June, 2-3pm: 'Race-making in Early Modern Civic Performance', Dr Lydia Valentine
Civic shows were sites of identity formation where the performance of different cultures constructed distinct racial and national identities. Lydia Valentine explores how these led to a collective 'London' identity.

Race-Making in Early Modern Civic Performance

Throughout the 16th and 17th centuries, civic performance played a key role in shaping a collective identity for London’s residents.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

1 3 5

Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · Jun 2

we should grab (virtual?) coffee!

Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · Jun 2

this is what I’m writing about atm! useless books!

1 1

Reposted by Grace Murray

Anna-Lujz Gilbert @annalujz.bsky.social · May 12

ESTC klaxon! #BookHistory #EarlyModern

David McInnis @dnmcinnis.bsky.social · May 12

Yay! The ESTC is back!

datb.cerl.org/estc/

English Short Title Catalogue

datb.cerl.org

6 11

Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · May 7

Organised by the brilliant @timekeptcity.bsky.social!

Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · May 7

We’re well underway with Birkbeck Arts Week — last call to come along to Gordon Square at 19.30 this evening to read (or listen) to a striking 10th-century #medieval play by a female playwright about the dramatic conversion of a sex worker. Free to all, sign up below! www.bbk.ac.uk/events/event...

A poster for the staged reading of The Conversion of the Harlot Thais with a QR code, featuring a medieval illustration of Thais’ conversion.

1 4

Grace Murray @mazinggrace.bsky.social · Apr 29

Unearthed opens this week at the British Library 🌷 I learned so much from the brilliant curatorial team during my fellowship there in 2023 and with @researchnt.bsky.social in the early days of the exhibition's development, and can't wait to see how it's evolved since then!

HRC York @hrcyork.bsky.social · Apr 28

Congratulations to HRC Postdoctoral Fellow Grace Murray, who was Doctoral Fellow at the British Library and National Trust, working on the Library's horticultural collections and assisting with research/curation for the new exhibition ‘Unearthed: The Power of Gardening’ events.bl.uk/exhibitions/...

Unearthed: The Power of Gardening | British Library

From beautiful botanical illustrations to the world’s oldest mechanised lawnmower, ancient herbals to guerrilla gardening zines, Unearthed reveals how gard

events.bl.uk

1 4

Reposted by Grace Murray

Switchboard - LGBTQIA+ Support Line @switchboard.bsky.social · Apr 16

We know today may feel especially heavy for our trans and non-binary siblings.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or affected by the UK Supreme Court’s decision, please know you’re not alone. We’re here for you every day from 10am to 10pm.

#TransRights #Trans #NonBinary #SupremeCourt #Gender

7 1K 1.2K