Emily Cock

AI HUCKSTER: "i built you a machine that reads books for you."

ME: "can you build me a machine that unloads the dishwasher for me so *i* can read a book?"

"It’s not your job to be resilient, it’s your employer’s job to provide you with decent working conditions. The purpose of your hobbies and your free time is your enjoyment and fulfilment, not recuperation from work stress."

Today is publication day for PAPER AND THE MAKING OF EARLY MODERN LITERATURE! Available in paper or digital form www.pennpress.org/978151282744... @pennpress.bsky.social

Minister rules out international student levy in Wales - BBC News There are plans for such a tax in England to fund maintenance grants for some students.

"Minister rules out international student levy in Wales - BBC News"

You know who doesn't integrate? People like Robert Jenrick. You think he works out at the local leisure centre? Goes to the Tuesday night pub quiz? You think his golf club lets anyone play? Or his private members' clubs let anyone in? He puts the ick in prick

Delighted to see our new book - The Experience of Work in Early Modern England - out now, and open access (free!)

doi-org.bris.idm.oclc.org/10.1017/9781...

Eighteenth-Century Political Participation & Electoral Culture 18th-century Britain is notorious for corrupt and restrictive politics, when few could vote, bribery and debauchery were commonplace. But it was also an age when modern democracy was being shaped.

For anyone who is #teaching #18thcentury politics and/or electoral culture, or is doing #localhistory or #familyhistory, do check out our ECPPEC web resource : it's chock-full of short informative essays, polling data, and artefacts #skystorians ecppec.ncl.ac.uk

CfP for an online workshop on Object Stories in Health and Medicine, 1700-1900
@annafranjam.bsky.social and I can't wait to hear about your objects!

Pro-tip for faculty who are more trusting than me: any time anyone tells me to do something verbally, I always send an email to them right after saying "For my memory, just to recap our conversation a few minutes ago, you asked me to do X. Please let me know if I misunderstood." Paper👏trail👏ALWAYS!👏

BSECS - Submit a Proposal Submit a Proposal. BSECS welcomes proposals for the Annual Conference. The deadline for submission of papers and panel proposals is usually November.

***The #CFP for the #BSECS2026 conference closes on the 15 September 2025***
Submissions are welcome on any aspect of #18thC history, culture, and literature, but particularly on our conference theme 'Big and Small'.
@pembrokeoxford.bsky.social, 7-9 January 2026
www.bsecs.org.uk/conferences/...

If you are also in the midst of updating any early modern teaching materials and student guides for this year, this list is invaluable!

Important reminder for UK peeps today! The alert test is at 3pm so if you’re someone with a secret phone, switch off your phone or put it in airplane mode to avoid it making noise.

Plum chutney Make-ahead this rich plum chutney for special occasions or simply enjoy al fresco with your favourite cold cuts. Flavour with spices such as cumin, paprika and ginger.

I inherited three overgrown plum trees on an allotment this year and can recommend chutney for something different (makes good cheese toasties, especially): www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/rich...

Save the Dates in your planners!
The dates and host institution for the Society for the Social History of Medicine Biennial Conference #SSHM2026 are now confirmed.

Tues 30 June - Fri 3 July 2026
University of Leeds
@sshmedicine.bsky.social

Theme and CFPs to follow later
#histmed

we should all run an informal additional class that’s just ‘how the university works’ — would do wonders for solidarity between staff and students probably

First up, Karen Pierce and Vicky Stallard of @cardiffunilib.bsky.social will tell us about their efforts to make their library catalogue anti-racist and inclusive. #RBSCG25

Introduction to LGBTQ+ Literature Discover LGBTQ+ literature throughout the decades.

Newport locals, I'm running a couple of workshops with The Place on LGBTQ+ literature this month...no no pre-reading necessary, just come along and talk Queer stories!

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introducti...

Cover of THE ROADS TO ROME on a Kindle, with image of straight Roman road running between pine trees towards a distant city.

SEPTEMBER SPECIAL!

Back to work today, but with the happy news that THE ROADS TO ROME is only 99p on Kindle all month so you can get away from it all in virtual fashion and enjoy the ancient routes.

www.amazon.co.uk/Roads-Rome-H...

I read a novel recently in which the main character/narrator was killed midway and narrated the rest of the book as a ghost. Hated it.

Five steps towards writing in fragments The myth of ideal academic writing time persists. We all long to be in a quiet office, surrounded by books, with hours of uninterrupted time to craft elegant arguments. But the reality is very diff…

Use little windows of time to progress your academic writing patthomson.net/2025/08/30/f...

If you have published anything, please consider doing this. The window is closing and you should get your details registered now for a chance at a settlement. The form works wherever in the world you are based.

Thanks!

Possibly the world's creepiest gym

Still can’t believe cutting skilled and experienced frontline admin, hiring a billion Dean level overseers, and passing tasks down to academics who will either do them grumpily or not at all isn’t working? Maybe rolling out a new IT project can smooth this one over

Does a Face Have Ears? In this review of Mat Collishaw’s art installation ‘The Mask of Youth’, Queen’s House, Greenwich, Emily Cock reflects on portraiture and facial difference through the ages Mat Collishaw’s The Mask …

It wasn't common, but Prynne certainly wasn't alone. There are a cluster of high-profile ear-cuttings at this time. I've written bits and pieces about it.
Does a Face Have Ears? – the polyphony share.google/UDm8mkiDy0UZ...

dremilycock.wordpress.com/2021/07/05/d...

Hello world! EAHMH is now officially on Bluesky. Follow us to receive updates about all things #histmed (but also #histsci, #STS) etc.

For those of you joining us in Berlin for our biannual conference, please help us spread the word by using #eahmh25!

The @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social interviews with scholars about their monographs work well for me. Not too chatty, and I get to dip into scholarship I wouldn't otherwise have time for.

Senate House Library announces relaunch of Visiting Research Fellowship Senate House Library and the Friends of Senate House Library are delighted to report that the Visiting Research Fellowships programme has been relaunched.

📣Applications still open for the Senate House Library Visiting Fellowships 📣

In 2025-6 up to two awards of £1500 will be allocated to support a fellowship of up to two weeks.

Deadline: 15 September 2025

More info 👇
https://tinyurl.com/ykudv9tn

YouTube video by Institute of Historical Research INTERVIEWS WITH HISTORIANS - GEOFFREY ELTON

I've never seen a video fo Geoffrey Elton before. Amazing that this footage survives and has been made available.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ayeg...