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Julie Sanders

@profjsanders.bsky.social

Vice-Chancellor & Principal Royal Holloway University of London. Proud Trustee at Shakespeare’s Globe, Advisory Board member HEPI. Hopeless optimist. Treading gently. Views my own.

1,544 Followers  |  889 Following  |  177 Posts  |  Joined: 21.09.2023  |  1.918

Latest posts by profjsanders.bsky.social on Bluesky

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Pinocchio review – full-tilt family musical swaps Collodi’s darkness for heartwarming lessons and humour Meticulous direction and an excellent cast bring to life the story of Geppetto and the puppet he crafts from wood

www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/d...

07.12.2025 21:06 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
A Christmas tree made of knitted squares with knitted and crocheted decorations

A Christmas tree made of knitted squares with knitted and crocheted decorations

Behold! The famous Orkney Library & Archive knitted #Christmas tree begins another season of festive cheer in the library! 🎄🧶❤️

06.12.2025 10:05 — 👍 450    🔁 55    💬 7    📌 2
"Years and years ago, there was a production of The Tempest, out of doors, at an Oxford college on a lawn, which was the stage, and the lawn went back towards the lake in the grounds of the college, and the play began in natural light. But as it developed, and as it became time for Ariel to say his farewell to the world of The Tempest, the evening had started to close in and there was some artificial lighting coming on. And as Ariel uttered his last speech, he turned and he ran across the grass, and he got to the edge of the lake and he just kept running across the top of the water — the producer having thoughtfully provided a kind of walkway an inch beneath the water. And you could see and you could hear the plish, plash as he ran away from you across the top of the lake, until the gloom enveloped him and he disappeared from your view.
And as he did so, from the further shore, a firework rocket was ignited, and it went whoosh into the air, and high up there it burst into lots of sparks, and all the sparks went out, and he had gone.

"When you look up the stage directions, it says, 'Exit Ariel.”

"Years and years ago, there was a production of The Tempest, out of doors, at an Oxford college on a lawn, which was the stage, and the lawn went back towards the lake in the grounds of the college, and the play began in natural light. But as it developed, and as it became time for Ariel to say his farewell to the world of The Tempest, the evening had started to close in and there was some artificial lighting coming on. And as Ariel uttered his last speech, he turned and he ran across the grass, and he got to the edge of the lake and he just kept running across the top of the water — the producer having thoughtfully provided a kind of walkway an inch beneath the water. And you could see and you could hear the plish, plash as he ran away from you across the top of the lake, until the gloom enveloped him and he disappeared from your view. And as he did so, from the further shore, a firework rocket was ignited, and it went whoosh into the air, and high up there it burst into lots of sparks, and all the sparks went out, and he had gone. "When you look up the stage directions, it says, 'Exit Ariel.”

A story Stoppard told several times, in several places:

29.11.2025 18:10 — 👍 2312    🔁 777    💬 19    📌 31
Sunrise can be seen through bare winter trees. There is an orange glow and a trace of frost on the grass and balustrades that frame the scene

Sunrise can be seen through bare winter trees. There is an orange glow and a trace of frost on the grass and balustrades that frame the scene

One advantage of a very early UUK meeting this morning ahead of our Council strategy away day is catching the sunrise through the trees on campus @royalholloway.bsky.social

26.11.2025 07:49 — 👍 11    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
Monet Houses of Parliament at sunset

Monet Houses of Parliament at sunset

"In London #November isn't a month, it's a state of mind."
Antal Szerb, Journey by Moonlight

23.11.2025 17:00 — 👍 9    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 1
founders building at Royal Holloway university in silhouette against a night sky. The lights of the chapel can be seen through the huge arched windows and the clock tower gleams out

founders building at Royal Holloway university in silhouette against a night sky. The lights of the chapel can be seen through the huge arched windows and the clock tower gleams out

A lilac tinged long view of the empty chapel just before guests arrive. The dramatic black and white floor stretches towards the decorated end of the chapel. Wooden row seating can be seen on either side

A lilac tinged long view of the empty chapel just before guests arrive. The dramatic black and white floor stretches towards the decorated end of the chapel. Wooden row seating can be seen on either side

The choir sings in the chapel beneath an image of St Cecilia . a conductor is directing them dressed in black and on a raised step

The choir sings in the chapel beneath an image of St Cecilia . a conductor is directing them dressed in black and on a raised step

It was quite something 🎶🕯️

23.11.2025 16:25 — 👍 4    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

And looking forward very much to our St Cecilia concert @royalholloway.bsky.social this evening …🎶

22.11.2025 17:17 — 👍 7    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0
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Happy #MobileLibrariesDay! 📚

An annual celebration of all the intrepid Mobile Library drivers who head out across the urban, rural and island communities of Scotland every week, delivering books, knowledge and entertainment. 📚

#BookWeekScotland #LoveLibraries

19.11.2025 09:47 — 👍 283    🔁 60    💬 5    📌 4
Cover of Textile Shakespeare by Hester Lees Jeffries showing a sample of material in close up. The colours are cream and grey predominantly

Cover of Textile Shakespeare by Hester Lees Jeffries showing a sample of material in close up. The colours are cream and grey predominantly

When a book you have been longing to read arrives and when it is by one of the loveliest people you get the privilege to know @starcrossed2018.bsky.social ❤️📚🪡

13.11.2025 16:59 — 👍 10    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
A large gothic church - image taken from high up looking down at an exhibition. There are temporary walls displayed throughout featuring text art and table covered in books

A large gothic church - image taken from high up looking down at an exhibition. There are temporary walls displayed throughout featuring text art and table covered in books

Woman stood in front of an exhibition area where Susie Campbell’s wound is positioned - framed images of torn fabrics are on the wall and a

Woman stood in front of an exhibition area where Susie Campbell’s wound is positioned - framed images of torn fabrics are on the wall and a

Concertina books on a mirror table reflecting the ceiling of a church

Concertina books on a mirror table reflecting the ceiling of a church

Welcome to ‘The Living Library’: a pop-up exhibition of material ecopoetry curated by @royalholloway.bsky.social and the Landmark Arts Centre 🍃🪾🍁🐝🦇

This event forms part of Being Human Festival - the national festival of the humanities 🧡

09.11.2025 12:47 — 👍 10    🔁 3    💬 0    📌 1
Image shows a knitted post box topper decorated with white and red poppies and the message “We Will Remember Them”

Image shows a knitted post box topper decorated with white and red poppies and the message “We Will Remember Them”

On my way back from the Englefield Green Remembrance Sunday events … #LestWeForget 🕊️

09.11.2025 12:10 — 👍 6    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
An old monochrome picture postcard showing a photograph of a magnificently ornate biding, looking like a French chateau. Printed under the photo is "The Royal Holloway College, Egham". Handwritten in pencil is "Passed the College as we walked to Virginia Water. Is not it a fine building? Does it come up to the B F Library?"

An old monochrome picture postcard showing a photograph of a magnificently ornate biding, looking like a French chateau. Printed under the photo is "The Royal Holloway College, Egham". Handwritten in pencil is "Passed the College as we walked to Virginia Water. Is not it a fine building? Does it come up to the B F Library?"

Here's a #HigherEducationPostcard of @royalholloway.bsky.social

Founded in 1879 by Thomas Holloway, who had made his fortune selling patent medicines, it was one of @londonu.bsky.social's colleges for women

If you like this image, please retweet it - remember, BlueSky has #NoAlgorithm

04.11.2025 08:01 — 👍 18    🔁 12    💬 2    📌 2

How fabulous …. Can’t wait to read, huge congratulations ❤️

31.10.2025 21:04 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
A drawing of a bat looking into a hood on a pole.

A drawing of a bat looking into a hood on a pole.

Happy Halloween from the Wren Library, our Halloween Bat is courageously looking into this spooky hood.
mss-cat.trin.cam.ac.uk/Manuscript/B...
f182v

31.10.2025 16:53 — 👍 107    🔁 25    💬 1    📌 1

Have a complete love of gingerbread I must confess so definitely recommend ….

31.10.2025 19:50 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0
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Happy Halloween 🎃

31.10.2025 18:50 — 👍 5    🔁 1    💬 1    📌 0
Cover image of Patrick Cheney Placing Elysiam in Renaissance Britain book published by Oxford university Press

Cover image of Patrick Cheney Placing Elysiam in Renaissance Britain book published by Oxford university Press

The full Early Modern Literary Geographies series on display on a wooden bookshelf. The livery is white with different colours at the base identifying the different volumes …

The full Early Modern Literary Geographies series on display on a wooden bookshelf. The livery is white with different colours at the base identifying the different volumes …

Latest lovely volume by Patrick Cheney is now out in the Early Modern Literary Geographies series with Oxford University Press that I am very proud to co edit with Garrett A Sullivan Jr …

27.10.2025 13:27 — 👍 2    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0
View coming out of Bank station, early evening in autumn. Passers by have umbrellas up due to the rain and the evening lights are coming on providing a contrast with the waning daylight.

View coming out of Bank station, early evening in autumn. Passers by have umbrellas up due to the rain and the evening lights are coming on providing a contrast with the waning daylight.

St Paul’s Cathedral at night, floodlit catching the white stone and the green of trees in front and with lights reflecting yellow and green onto the rain soaked pavements

St Paul’s Cathedral at night, floodlit catching the white stone and the green of trees in front and with lights reflecting yellow and green onto the rain soaked pavements

THe City of London in and just after the rain is always a thing of loveliness

22.10.2025 20:43 — 👍 15    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

It was game changing theatre for me; huge thanks to channel 4 as ever for making it available to so many … that verse and so many moments (yes, god on his forklift), not least Judas handing over coins & the sudden sense of audience complicity.

28.09.2025 19:03 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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'Shakespeare's Globe Theatre' by Fiona Horan
fionahoran.com

23.09.2025 12:15 — 👍 135    🔁 20    💬 2    📌 0

This looks to be such an exciting exhibition - looking forward

20.09.2025 09:22 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
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'October in Bedford Square' by George ER Salter (active c.1956–1959)

(Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre)

16.09.2025 06:37 — 👍 135    🔁 23    💬 0    📌 0

❤️📻An absolute (if occasionally nerve wracking) privilege to have been part of the programme over the years.

03.09.2025 10:51 — 👍 34    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

Beautiful! Can’t wait to have this in my paws 🐾 xxxx

29.08.2025 16:58 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Sending love Richard 🐾❤️

29.08.2025 16:42 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Sending so many hugs xx

29.08.2025 13:41 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

☹️

29.08.2025 11:13 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

This was a beautiful programme, “deeply kind” in its own right. Thank you as always @horatioclare.bsky.social #Choughs

17.08.2025 18:47 — 👍 8    🔁 2    💬 1    📌 1
Meditations in an emergency 

Cameron Awkward-Rich

I wake up & it breaks my heart. I draw the blinds & the thrill of rain breaks my heart. I go outside. I ride the train, walk among the buildings, men in Monday suits. The flight of doves, the city of tents beneath the underpass, the huddled mass, old women hawking roses, & children all of them, break my heart. There’s a dream I have in which I love the world. I run from end to end like fingers through her hair. There are no borders, only wind. Like you, I was born. Like you, I was raised in the institution of dreaming. Hand on my heart. Hand on my stupid heart.

Meditations in an emergency Cameron Awkward-Rich I wake up & it breaks my heart. I draw the blinds & the thrill of rain breaks my heart. I go outside. I ride the train, walk among the buildings, men in Monday suits. The flight of doves, the city of tents beneath the underpass, the huddled mass, old women hawking roses, & children all of them, break my heart. There’s a dream I have in which I love the world. I run from end to end like fingers through her hair. There are no borders, only wind. Like you, I was born. Like you, I was raised in the institution of dreaming. Hand on my heart. Hand on my stupid heart.

“Hand on my stupid heart”

04.08.2025 11:25 — 👍 4    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0
The pavilion is a series of arched panels letting the light in with sections open to the weather. A ginkgo tree is placed at the centre. people can be seen sitting at the edges and also standing and buying coffee at the far end of the structure. It is a cloudy day and the sky is visible in the open sections

The pavilion is a series of arched panels letting the light in with sections open to the weather. A ginkgo tree is placed at the centre. people can be seen sitting at the edges and also standing and buying coffee at the far end of the structure. It is a cloudy day and the sky is visible in the open sections

Marina Tabassum’s summer pavilion at the Serpentine with its references to Bangladeshi wedding pavilions and a welcome pause to drink coffee and chat about space and congregation with my partner. #Saturday

02.08.2025 20:23 — 👍 5    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

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