Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Will Sherwood @willsherwood.bsky.social · 16h

NEW BOOK ALERT!

My penultimate edited proceedings from the @tolkiensociety.org seminar series is now available for pre-order! Arriving on 25th November with @lunapress.bsky.social, it contains 11 papers from the 2023 seminar ‘Númenor, the Mighty and Frail’.

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Dr Francis Young @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social · 2d

I’m pleased to say you can now pre-order my next book, ‘Fairies: A History’ (out in February 2026) from
@politybooks.bsky.social. Thank you to Jeremy Harte, Simon Young, Jo Hickey-Hall and Owen Davies for such generous endorsements! 🌿📚 www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...

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Will Sherwood @willsherwood.bsky.social · 1d

It’s interesting that several of the Valar refer to themselves as Gods as well.

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Dr Francis Young @drfrancisyoung.bsky.social · 1d

“Both discoveries show the crucial role of county council archives and their staff in preserving this musical heritage.”

Dr Ian McCormick @wokestudies.bsky.social · 1d

GOOD NEWS !
"A team of musicologists has unearthed the printed score of a previously unknown Purcell song, as well as the original manuscript for various keyboard compositions."
#baroque #music
www.theguardian.com/music/2025/o...

‘Almost unheard of’: experts find more music by English composer Henry Purcell

Printed score and keyboard manuscript by Purcell, who died in 1695, unearthed in Worcestershire and Norfolk

www.theguardian.com

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KOJAMF🤘🖤🤘 @kojamf.bsky.social · 3d

Dr. Jane Goodall filmed an interview with Netflix in March 2025 that she understood would only be released after her death.

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Miriam Ellis @miriamellis.bsky.social · 7d

🌟New prints today of "Roads go ever ever on"! Faithfully based on Professor Tolkien's own Hobbiton illustration but seen in reverse from The Hill. Bilbo remembers where the Road took him and where it might yet lead. More links in comments. #Tolkien #TolkienArt www.miriamellis.com/product-page...

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Will Sherwood @willsherwood.bsky.social · 7d

Del Toro's 'Frankenstein' looks and sounds incredible! Cannot wait to see the whole thing. www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aul...

Frankenstein | Guillermo del Toro | Official Trailer | Netflix

YouTube video by Netflix

www.youtube.com

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Will Sherwood @willsherwood.bsky.social · 7d

👇👇👇

Prof. Dimitra Fimi @dimitrafimi.bsky.social · 7d

If you’re working on any area of fantasy and the fantastic, come and join us at Glasgow in June 2026 and do consider presenting or running a workshop! All the info you need and the full CFP is here:

fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk/index.php/20...

@uofgfantasy.bsky.social @uofgartshums.bsky.social

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Will Sherwood @willsherwood.bsky.social · 9d

All prepped for this evening's free talk (6pm) with @memrn.bsky.social on 'Tolkien's Romantic Medievalism'! There's still time to get the link - contact MEMRN.

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Donato @donatoarts.bsky.social · 10d

Working on a new cover painting for a science fiction novel and playing with the themes of geometric abstraction which helped build this piece for an anthology, Down These Dark Spaceways.
Psychohistorical Crisis II
30" x 18" Oil on Panel 2005
collection of Edie Stern and Joe Siclari

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Will Sherwood @willsherwood.bsky.social · 11d

THE BEACONS ARE LIT! Recorded at special request by a dear friend and fellow LotR nut. @tolkiensociety.org @uofgfantasy.bsky.social #Tolkien #Music #FilmMusic #Piano #LotR #LordOfTheRings

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Prof. Dimitra Fimi @dimitrafimi.bsky.social · 12d

After 5 years in Scotland, we got to see, at last, red squirrels in action!!!

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Will Sherwood @willsherwood.bsky.social · 13d

My local 😍

Woodland Trust Scotland @wtscotsocial.bsky.social · 13d

🥳🍾The Argyle Street ash has been crowned UK #TreeOfTheYear 2025 🎉🏆

The 1st tree in Glasgow to be protected by a tree preservation order, it's adored & cared for by the community. Thanks to David Treanor for nominating, & players of People's #PostcodeLottery for their support of the contest.

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Dr Ian McCormick @wokestudies.bsky.social · 13d

"all Macpherson's craft as a philological impostor would have been nothing without his literary skill."
--- W. P. Ker, Cambridge History of English Literature.
James Macpherson (1736–1796)
#Ossian #Scottish #Gaelic #Literature #Romanticism

Painting:
Ossian Singing, Nicolai Abildgaard, 1787

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Trees for Life @treesforlife.bsky.social · 16d

The #AutumnEquinox reminds us that nature moves in cycles. As day and night find their #balance, take a moment to slow down, notice the turning leaves, and celebrate the balance of light and dark. 🍂

How will you be embracing the rhythms of nature today? ✨

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History Workshop @historyworkshop.org.uk · 16d

OTD in 1840, the English diarist Anne Lister died.

In this piece from the archive, Jill Liddington reflects on her own journey with Lister – from the heady days of initial discovery, to the phenomenal global success of Gentleman Jack.

Gentleman Jack: from History Workshop to HBO

Jill Liddington is an award-winning historian and writer. Author of One Hand Tied Behind Us (1978), The Long Road to Greenham (1979) and Rebel Girls (2006), Jill's work has always championed women's s...

www.historyworkshop.org.uk

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Edith Hall @edithmayhall.bsky.social · 18d

Thrilled the Special Issue of Green Letters I edited with Alison Sharrock is now online if you have access to Taylor and Francis. Mostly on trees in epic from Homer to Nonnus

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Trees for Life @treesforlife.bsky.social · 18d

The large and long-lived tree: #Scots pine 🌲

A keystone species of the #CaledonianForest - watch to explore how this remarkable tree connects nature, history and heritage.

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Heather Craddock @hcraddock.bsky.social · 19d

Join me for a workshop on archival research in the Environmental Humanities at The National Archives!

We're seeking early career participants - apply to attend to hear from speakers, view original documents, and help test our research guidance. #envhum #envhist

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/archival-r...

Archival Research in the Environmental Humanities Workshop

Learn about archival research in the Environmental Humanities in a workshop at The National Archives.

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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ASLE-UKI @asleuki.bsky.social · 19d

ASLE-UKI Online Seminar Eighteenth-Century Literature and Environment

29 January 2026, 3:00-7:00pm GMT

Convenors: Brycchan Carey (Northumbria University) and Tess Somervell (University of Oxford)

Further details: asle.org.uk/events/semin...

Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/asle-uki-s...

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BSECS @bsecs.bsky.social · 19d

THERE IS STILL TIME TO SUBMIT YOUR PAPER PROPOSAL FOR #BSECS2026!

The deadline is MONDAY 22 SEPTEMBER and there will be no more extensions!

Come & share your research with us @pembrokeoxford.bsky.social, 7-9 January 2026. It's a lovely way to start the new year!
#skystorians #18thC #academicsky 🗃️

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Will Sherwood @willsherwood.bsky.social · 19d

‘Tolkien’s Romantic Medievalism’ is going to be a lot of fun! It’s free to join and I’ll be sharing new research from my PhD! @uofgfantasy.bsky.social @tolkiensociety.org @bars-ecrs-pgrs.bsky.social

MEMRN @memrn.bsky.social · 19d

Looking for a bit of Tolkien in your life? We certainly are, so we’ve got @willsherwood.bsky.social presenting at our September meeting!

Our meetings are free to attend and are open to all, so if you’d like to come along simply drop us an email or social media DM to receive the meeting link.

MEMRN @memrn.bsky.social · Sep 5

We are delighted to announce our September meeting’s guest speaker, @willsherwood.bsky.social from @uofglasgow.bsky.social. Also the Education Secretary for @tolkiensociety.org, we can’t wait to hear him present!

Join us at 6pm BST on Monday 29th September via Teams. DM or email us to attend.

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Woodland Trust Scotland @wtscotsocial.bsky.social · 20d

🌰 Have you noticed a LOT amount of acorns? It’s a #MastYear for #OakTrees!

🐿️ During a mast year, oak trees produce way more acorns than usual. It's nature’s version of a surprise harvest — unpredictable and impressive!

Have you seen signs of the mast year? Share a pic or story below! 👇

Picture of girls hands bowled and holding lots of acorns with grass in the background.

Acorns placed into a heart shape on grass.

Acorns and leaves on the ground. showing lots of acorns this mast year.

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Trees for Life @treesforlife.bsky.social · 20d

With the 2026 Scottish elections just months away, this is a vital moment to call on political parties to include rewilding commitments in their manifestos.

On 1 October, we’ll gather at Holyrood to call out the barriers holding rewilding back

Will you stand with us? Sign up now👉 bit.ly/3GYBRs9

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Joel Merriner @joelmerriner.bsky.social · 20d

My book Illustrating The Lord of the Rings in the Soviet Bloc is released into the wild today! Here's a quick peek at a few more pages, artwork here by Győző Vida, Yassen Panov, Alexander Korotich and Sergei Iukhimov #Tolkien www.bloomsbury.com/uk/illustrat...

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