Zena Kamash

Page 1 of a letter of Mary Shelley to Sir Walter Scott on the authorship of ‘Frankenstein’, 14 June 1818 (MS.3889 f. 118)

Page 2 of a letter of Mary Shelley to Sir Walter Scott on the authorship of ‘Frankenstein’, 14 June 1818 (MS.3889 f. 118)

Did you know Mary Shelley once had to correct Sir Walter Scott for crediting her novel, Frankenstein, to her husband? 🔍

For one day only, see this story on paper at the National Library:
➡️ Mary Shelley's letter to Sir Walter Scott
➡️ Rare early editions & items from our archives
➡️ and more!

Train hero who saved passengers during attack named: Samir Zitouni is credited with saving lives on the train

spread Samir Zitouni’s name far and wide

Figures from the 2023 TVC minutes are even worse at over £7 million in recommended 'reward' valuations (including the £4.3 million Chew Valley hoard).

That’s an awful lot of museum curators’ salaries per year being paid out to individual finders and landowners…

Honestly, this is so grim...😞
6/6

A tabby cat is cuddled up in a knitted yellow blanket; only his head and right shoulder are visible from inside the blanket.

Anyone for a Cyril purrito? 😻

I am very much in favour of this concept...

Hope you get some time for rest as well as catching up next week 💓

Research shows that watching footage of animals we find cute is relaxing.
Here’s one of the voles that lives under my garden steps (back in April). A cherry blossom petal falls on her head but she doesn’t notice because she’s so focussed on her snacks❤️👇🏼

I can, but only know this now!

The "Festive Big Green Book Swap" is back!

Join in and you'll get sent a mystery book in December, based on the kind of stuff you like reading.

Also you'll get some lush choc and a lovely cuppa.

And you can read along with a new book buddy too, if you like!

HERE!

biggreenbookshop.com/index.php

Some encouraging news on #LongCovid

Peopling the Past blog logo and logo for "Egypt's Dispersed Heritage" with text that reads: "What should you do when you encounter one of our Egyptian mummified ancestors? A 12-point Manifesto on How to Dal with Egyptian Mummified Ancestral Remains with Egypt's Dispersed Heritage Project."

In this week’s #PeoplingBlog post, our Egyptian colleagues from the Egypt’s Dispersed Heritage project offer us a 12-point manifesto which highlights the ways in which the public can treat Egyptian mummified ancestral remains with dignity and respect
peoplingthepast.com/2025/10/31/b... 🧵 /1

Oh these are a delight! 😍

💀 SPOOKY SALE TIME🎃

It's our favourite time of year! Let's celebrate with 20% off in our bookshop. Use code HALLOWEEN20. Enter the promo code at checkout to receive 20% off your order.*
Active until 31/10/2025, 11:59pm GMT (UK Time) or until supplies last

T&Cs apply👇

Our archivist creepily waits for visitors behind a glass window, dressed up in a Halloween outfit.

Our staff are fiendishly friendly today, ready to welcome you into the depths of our Library.....if you have the guts to enter....

Spooktacular! 🎃

Please consider signing this very important petition to keep Greek & Roman Studies at uOttawa 👇🏻

Oooh!

Graphic with title of the blog post and an image of an ancient Sumerian cylinder seal impression showing the god Dumuzid being tortured in the underworld by galla demons.

Our countdown to Halloween continues today as we look back to our series exploring the presence of the Undead and highlight #PeoplingBlog 68: Controlling the Restless Dead in Mesopotamia with JoAnn Scurlock
peoplingthepast.com/2022/10/28/b...

Today on "Emma Thompson Is A National Treasure"... 😄

Graphic with title of the blog post and an image of a papyrus fragment featuring Coptic text.

As we approach Halloween, it’s time to dig into the archives to highlight some of our spooky content! 😱
Today, we look back to our series on “Cursing in the Ancient World” with Blog #87 The Perils of Love: Love Spells in Coptic Magic with Roxanne Bélanger Sarrazin
peoplingthepast.com/2023/10/20/b...

Autistic StoryTime You may have noticed that I haven’t been around much this year. I used to post on this blog every week, but now I post very rarely. I used to be on all sorts of Classics-related committees, but ear…

The wonderful @corabeth.bsky.social has created this resource specifically to support parents and their children - hope it helps
classicalstudies.support/2025/10/11/a...

Anyone else get really hungry in the autumn?
I’m ravenous. So is squizzer who has got a nice cup of tea with their bramble pie
(squizzer is looking for a home if you fancy some pie, they said they’d share)

Click here to support Chance Bonar's story *AncientGazanLitTranslation *spotfund is the easiest place to create beautiful and free online fundraisers. It takes just minutes to start raising money today.

🗣️ PLEASE SHARE 🗣️

I'm writing an intro & sourcebook on late ancient Gazan literature for Dar al-Kalima University Press. The press and I plan to produce an Arabic translation to make Gazan literature more accessible to Palestinians. Help me compensate the Gazan translator!

spot.fund/dn8t744sc

Good morning to everyone trying to explain Daylight Saving Time to their cat.

You get an extra hour’s reading time tomorrow.

Use it wisely

While everyone who has never committed a museum theft is opining about the Louvre theft, giving opinions on how it was possible, I thought I'd highlight a museum thief's opinion on a) could it happen again and b) one person's motivations.

www.npr.org/2025/10/23/n...

Yum! 😋

Ha!

Good question! I don't know... My best guess would be another fish or marine creature.

But this misses out the best part of this mosaic! To the left of Odysseus' ship is a smaller boat with a man holding what looks suspiciously like a gigantic prawn. This man is likely to be the homeowner who commissioned the mosaic.
(Mosaic from Dougga, Tunisia; C3rd AD; currently in Bardo Museum)