Alexandra Wilson

Have had to engage with this only recently. It's dreadful. Gmail is so much easier.

Opera Wars was my original title for the research grant that underpinned my book - title got changed along the way.

Looks interesting. May I draw your attention to my new book on the debates that have raged around opera and who it is for in Britain over the last century?

global.oup.com/academic/pro...

Thanks!

I am told shipments of my book are on their way by air/sea from the US, as OUP try to meet demand, which has exceeded their expectations. A reprint is also now underway. The key message is, if you want this for Christmas, ORDER IT NOW. It's had glowing reviews.
Also available on Kindle immediately.

I saw this with interest. But then I saw the age/career stage stipulation. What a shame. So many of these schemes are open only to youngsters. But academics are being pushed out of their jobs further down the line. Now unsalaried, I would have really liked to have a go!

That's not quite the case. I spoke to OUP yesterday and there's a batch arriving in the next few days by air that should amply cover the existing back orders. Hopefully yours is among those. There will be some more available on top and thereafter it reprints. Fingers crossed for you!

Six sheets of A4 paper taped to wooden cupboard doors. Each has a printed heading giving dates, in order, from Monday 17th November to Saturday 22nd November; below each heading are lists of times. Initials are scribbled in red marker pen next to the times (JR, NC and CH). Monday's sessions are ticked off in black marker.

It's that week again, when all the new intake at Lowestoft's Benjamin Britten Academy get to visit the Red House and find out about their town's most famous native. A busy week for us all but immensely rewarding: with luck they leave here with a sense of ownership about heritage and the arts.

Last month marked my first sustained period of on-site archival research since before the pandemic. Here are a few reflections (1/13).

Anna Ancher's language of light In the northernmost corner of Denmark, the painter Anna Ancher found the light of Skagen to be her lifelong muse.

In the northernmost corner of Denmark, the painter Anna Ancher made light her lifelong muse.

Anna Ancher’s language of light | @amwilson.bsky.social

engelsbergideas.com/reviews/anna...

Redundancy?? 🫤

Gosh, that's bleak, written out like that. The Winner Takes It All hits hard too.

Wagner's Women An exploration of the development of Richard Wagner's early operatic heroines.

Looking forward to talking WAGNER on Friday! With music from soprano Valerija Iljin and pianist Daniel Silcock, at the National Opera Studio.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wagners-wo...

It is a Wilde quotation but that doesn't correct directly to the book. Rather, it's about the British, in some contexts, thinking it's not "their music" because it's too foreign and too posh. Though then I overturn the stereotype. Thank you for ordering it!

If universities are allowed to submit the work of highly productive staff they have got rid of, that gives them every incentive to lay more off. Save on the salary, lap up the cash: win win for them.

Researchers at any stage. I was made redundant from a professorship and have published six books, won large grants etc. I can't even get on shortlists now. In fact, everything suggests early career researchers are being prioritised, because they are cheaper.

The stuff in the article about being denied emeritus status is really neither here nor there. There will be many people with no ongoing relationship to their university whose publications are vulnerable to being exploited in this way.

'Victimised' academic says Cardiff University should not use his work in research excellence submission Martin Shipton A retired academic who believes he was victimised by Cardiff University says it would be unethical for the university to use his publications as part of its submission to be validated a...

Guidelines for the next REF are not out yet but it would be unethical for any university to try to submit the publications of an academic whom they have made redundant. Laying someone off to save money and then exploiting their work for financial gain is immoral. /

nation.cymru/news/victimi...

Musicologists: attending #AMS2025 #SMT2025? Please check out my new book on the British relationship with opera over the last century at the OUP stall and speak to the editors about how you can order a copy. Thank you. 🙏

Not enough attention is being paid to the effective closure of the bulk of one of the 2 or 3 most important public archives for modern British history. A terrible own goal for the BBC as a public-service agency.

One of our students has created a petition. Please sign and share: www.change.org/p/stop-the-s...

Ah, that's for Kindle (which has to be bought from Amazon I think) - you can definitely buy the hard copy from OUP, but Presto is excellent too. Thank you for ordering it and I hope it comes soon!

Thanks for letting me know. I wish that ship would hurry up! Anyway I am really grateful to you both for buying it. Thank you!

Yes. I am sure her books sell better than mine, because they will be heavily marketed. I am happy if the algorithms send customers my way rather than hers, but I don't particularly want her reviews. 😂

Same problems everywhere, alas, because the copies are in the middle of the Atlantic and many will be accounted for in existing orders. OUP's own website is probably best! I'm so sorry for this disappointing delay!

Thank you!

It's certainly exceeded their expectations but I have no idea what those were. The boat and plane the next copies are on would appear to travelling at slow speed!

Thank you. And yes, completely agree - feel very let down.

All of OUP's music books are handled from the New York office - that's where the editors are. If anyone wants it for Christmas they need to order it now, as OUP are clearly responding to demand in terms of how many copies to ship over.

Bizarre about that review, ahem!