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David Scourfield

@jhdscourfield.bsky.social

Classicist and Modernist, Em. Prof. Working on a monograph on E. M. Forster and Classics, and a new edition of his novel The Longest Journey for Cambridge UP. Welsh/Irish.

1,621 Followers  |  569 Following  |  775 Posts  |  Joined: 31.08.2023
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Posts by David Scourfield (@jhdscourfield.bsky.social)

It does! Almost baffling!

04.03.2026 14:28 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Worried about the demise of reading? Come to France, where we’re up to our eyes in print | Alexander Hurst From hefty literary magazines to thriving book sales, the French publishing industry refuses to let printed matter die, says Paris-based writer Alexander Hurst

Hurrah for France, land of the printed book.

Worried about the demise of reading? Come to France, where we’re up to our eyes in print | Alexander Hurst www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

04.03.2026 14:21 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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After two months of what seems like perpetual rain, what a joy to be out in the first real spring day of the year here in Maynooth. A balmy 15 degrees C.

04.03.2026 13:02 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Llongyfarchiadau!

03.03.2026 09:11 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Read our letter today published in the Irish Times - regarding the announcement of the 12 members appointed to the National Science Advice Forum.

02.03.2026 11:58 β€” πŸ‘ 10    πŸ” 7    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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On St David's Day, I remember my maternal grandmother, born 1 March 1904 in Maesteg. Married a coal miner, had three daughters, very poor much of her life, beyond generous.

01.03.2026 12:05 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Dydd Gšyl Dewi hapus i chi gyd! A very happy St David's Day to everyone! 🏴󠁧󠁒󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

01.03.2026 08:32 β€” πŸ‘ 15    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The UK can't be dragged into another protracted Middle Eastern war by a US President. Keir Starmer needs to rule out the use of UK bases for any future unilateral US strikes.

28.02.2026 12:26 β€” πŸ‘ 989    πŸ” 262    πŸ’¬ 59    πŸ“Œ 25
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The Guardian view on Plaid Cymru’s rise: Welsh politics is on the brink of a revolution | Editorial Editorial: After a century of Labour dominance, disillusionment with both Westminster and Cardiff has given progressive nationalists a historic opportunity

The party for 'voters who see themselves as primarily Welsh and European rather than British, and associate that identity with socially liberal and redistributive politics'.

The Guardian view on Plaid Cymru’s rise: Welsh politics on the brink of a revolution | www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

27.02.2026 08:52 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

An indictment of (some of) the insurance industry, but yet more of the US medical system, which the Faragistas want to mirror in the UK.

20.02.2026 14:04 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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On this day, women first allowed to argue Supreme Court cases On February 15, 1879, President Rutherford B. Hayes signed a new law that would admit women as members of the Supreme Court bar and allow them to submit and argue cases at the high court.

#OnThisDay in 1879, President Rutherford B. Hayes signs a new law that would admit women as members of the Supreme Court bar and allow them to submit and argue cases at the Court.

constitutioncenter.org/blog/on-this...

15.02.2026 13:23 β€” πŸ‘ 91    πŸ” 29    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 4

Is the β€˜Restore Britain’ madness just a wheeze to make Reform seem moderate?

15.02.2026 14:03 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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RFK Jr. made promises to get his job as health secretary. He's broken many of them In his confirmation hearings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told U.S. senators that he would not cut funding for vaccine research or change the nation's official vaccine recommendations. He did both.

In his confirmation hearings, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. told U.S. senators that he would not cut funding for vaccine research or change the nation's official vaccine recommendations. He did both. n.pr/46QDn9p

13.02.2026 14:20 β€” πŸ‘ 4985    πŸ” 2241    πŸ’¬ 581    πŸ“Œ 388

Sky News Politics Hub excelling itself tonight with an interview of Farage and Reform member Tim Montgomerie as one of the two panellists. Total over-exposure of the far right.

12.02.2026 19:20 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Mind you, when I worked in the House of Lords in the 1980s, the dimmest were (a) hereditary backwoodsmen, (b) ex-MPs of no distinction. Life peers who were not former politicians were often superb, though. A straightforwardly elected upper chamber would be a complete waste of time.

12.02.2026 18:39 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ˜„

12.02.2026 18:34 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

I don't think it's just my age that makes me despair about the calibre of politicians in every party. There are only a few exceptions to the endemic mediocrity.

12.02.2026 18:31 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Who knows?

12.02.2026 18:25 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Go for it!

12.02.2026 16:29 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Could deliver a great aria in a new opera called Tales of Hof(f)man(n)

12.02.2026 16:27 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

or indeed Hofmann*

12.02.2026 16:22 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Well, um, yeah, 18 months on.

12.02.2026 16:19 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Well said. Not a great day to be a United fan.

12.02.2026 13:09 β€” πŸ‘ 55    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 0

Much good sense here. Strongly recommended.

12.02.2026 11:22 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Absolutely delighted to receive a copy of the first-ever German translation of Forster's The Longest Journey (1907), by Niklas Fischer, and to have helped a little on matters of interpretation as the project proceeded. A splendidly produced book!

12.02.2026 10:12 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Why are presenters of #r4today not relentlessly making fun of Mr Ratcliffe for getting his figures hopelessly wrong re UK population and immigration? They did that when Diane Abbott got her facts mixed up. I wonder why the different approach?

12.02.2026 07:04 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

A great move! Supporting the arts in Ireland.

10.02.2026 20:36 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The resignation (following McSweeney) of Starmer's comms director must surely be good news for the Government and the Labour Party.

09.02.2026 12:00 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

He is a perpetual liability.

07.02.2026 18:21 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Can we stop pretending that Plumtree and Ben Thomas are anything like international-level players? #ENGvWAL #6N

07.02.2026 18:20 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0