Heather Williams

The British library is in crisis: why does nobody care? The widespread indifference to the British Library's crippling cyberattack demonstrates a perilous failure to value the knowledge infrastructure vital for national prosperity

I’ve written a piece on the curious lack of media and political interest in the issues faced by our national @britishlibrary.bsky.social. This is strange given we live in a world where ideas, knowledge and research are a long-term source of innovation and insight
www.cityam.com/the-british-...

University of Nottingham considers axing language and music degrees Total of 48 degrees could disappear from Russell Group institution, with falling revenues and rising costs blamed

'Nottingham will be the only Russell Group university not to teach modern foreign languages degrees if it approves plans to close a swath of courses including Spanish and French as well as music and dozens of others.' 1/3

La liberté de récolter: seaweed, conflict and citizenship in coastal communities in Brittany during the Third Republic Abstract. In Brittany, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, seaweed was more than just a fundamental element of coastal ecologies. It sust

I am beyond thrilled to announce that my first solo article has just come out in French History!

The article can be accessed in open access using the link below: doi.org/10.1093/fh/c...

R. Gapper Postgraduate Essay Prize The Society for French Studies is the UK's premier scholarly organisation for encouraging and supporting intellectual enquiry in French studies at all levels.

Submissions for this year's R. Gapper Postgraduate Essay Prize – awarded to an essay of outstanding academic merit at postgraduate level – will open tomorrow, 1 November 2025.

For more information about eligibility and how to submit an entry, see the link below:

www.sfs.ac.uk/prizes/r-gap...

Times Higher article out today explains the folly of yet more proposed closures in languages (also music, film, philosophy, and others). This time at the Universities of Leicester and Nottingham. Oversight of the changing UK HE landscape for our disciplines has never been more needed or vital.

🚨 Postponed 🚨

Unfortunately we have to postponed this afternoon’s ECR training session. A new date will be circulated in due course.

The latest threat to UK modern languages is yet another faux pas Nottingham and Leicester are taking a swing at language departments. But those proposing closures have taken their eye off the ball, say four linguists

The latest threat to UK modern languages is yet another faux pas

www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/late...

The latest threat to UK modern languages is yet another faux pas Nottingham and Leicester are taking a swing at language departments. But those proposing closures have taken their eye off the ball, say four linguists

Every university should renovate the disciplinary framework of its courses and ask whether it is responding to its global responsibilities. But no university should recognise any merit in withdrawing from the study of other languages, cultures & societies
www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/late...

Malcolm Bowie Prize The Society for French Studies is the UK's premier scholarly organisation for encouraging and supporting intellectual enquiry in French studies at all levels.

The call for nominations for the Malcom Bowie Prize, for the best article published in 2024 by an ECR in the broader discipline of French Studies, is now open and will close on 27 February 2025. 🖇️📚

For more information see the link below:

www.sfs.ac.uk/prizes/malco...

Just a reminder that Friday’s session on impact is open to all of our members.

If you are not a member, but would like to become one, you can sign up here: uksdn.co.uk/membership/

Looking forward to taking part in this session on impact and engagement this Friday with @drhelenmckelvey.bsky.social and Helen Abbott ⬇️

Change starts here Join over 500,000,000 people creating real change in their communities.

Staggering harm is being done to #language learning in Higher Ed. No oversight or strategic thinking, with cold spots now present. Petitions alone this week in response to closures:

Nottingham · Change.org
Leicester · Change.org

#edusky #langsky @britishacademy.bsky.social @hetanshah.bsky.social

Sign the Petition Stop the removal of Modern Languages courses at the University of Nottingham!

You might have heard that the University of Nottingham plans to suspend all languages courses. This is very disappointing and heartbreaking.

Here you can find their petition aimed at protecting Modern Languages at Nottingham. You can show your support by signing it.
www.change.org/p/stop-the-r...

Sign the Petition Stop the removal of Modern Languages courses at the University of Nottingham!

Please consider signing against this nonsensical absurdity! c.org/vGgNqmXhNx

University of Nottingham students fight 'insane' cull of courses Traitors composer Sam Watts is among those against plans to cut University of Nottingham courses.

Excellent article here. Our students are our greatest advocates. Counter proposals will be put forward, and we are supporting colleagues in Music, Modern Languages, Philosophy, Theology and Religious Studies at Nottingham with their campaigns www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The French department at Nottingham invited me to give a talk early on in my postdoc days and I still have fond memories of that event. Horrible to see those colleagues now suffer from terrible mismanagement.

Music and modern languages courses suspended at University of Nottingham In a statement the institution also says it is

Well this is awful news: tinyurl.com/yr65mjkx
'All modern language and music courses are being suspended for new students at the University of Nottingham.'

Nottingham friends: please be assured that we will join you in protesting against this decision in the strongest possible terms. Solidarity.

Music and modern languages courses suspended at University of Nottingham In a statement the institution also says it is

Oh God. My first lecturing post was in French at Nottingham in 1998. It had one of the best departments in the UK. Just awful.
tinyurl.com/yr65mjkx

Music and modern languages courses suspended at University of Nottingham In a statement the institution also says it is

Nottingham has one of the most vibrant and forward-looking departments of modern languages around. Music too. To cut them like this, leaving no chance for future rebuilding, is educational vandalism.

tinyurl.com/yr65mjkx

Always pleased to share research findings from the European Travellers to Wales project. Looking forward to this one!

News Languages and literatures of the Francophone world in libraries and archives 21 November 2025 Maison Française d’Oxford The French Studies Library Group (FLSG) is organising a study…

frenchstudieslibrarygroup.wordpress.com/home/news/
Can't wait to speak about the Breton archive in the National Library of Wales at this event.

Bardic liberties: Bardism and slavery in the poetry of Iolo Morganwg The Celtic Seminar is held jointly by Oxford and the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies (CAWCS), Aberystwyth. All Oxford seminars will be at 5.15 pm on Thursdays either hybrid (online and in...

Speaking online/in-person tomorrow (17:15 UK Time) @oxfordceltic.bsky.social @jesusoxford.bsky.social on Iolo Morganwg's anti-slavery poetry and the slippery metaphor of enslavement in C18th radical Celticism

Email David Willis if you want a Teams link!

talks.ox.ac.uk/talks/id/2dc...

Y Cymry yn 'arwyr i Lydawyr' oherwydd cryfder y Gymraeg Dywed y cerddor a'r actores Nolwenn Korbell bod dychwelyd i Lydaw yn gallu bod yn anodd ar ôl cyfnod yng Nghymru oherwydd statws y Llydaweg.

www.bbc.co.uk/cymrufyw/ert...

YouTube video by Y Ganolfan Geltaidd / CAWCS ‘The Joseph Loth Dilemma: Scientific Authority and Cultural Identity in Brittany’

youtu.be/fNeKCpd6mA8?...
Catch up with this research paper by Elisabeth Chatel on the history of Celtic Studies, #Brittany #Llydaw #Bretagne

Souscription pour la Collection Romans fin-de-siècle / Romans d’avant-garde des éd. du Lérot : Rachilde et G. Kahn La collection « Romans fin-de-siècle / Romans d’avant-garde », portée par Du Lérot, éditeur et la Société des Amis d’Alfred Jarry et dirigée par Yosuké Goda et Julien Schuh, invite à redécouvrir des œ...

We are delighted to share a link to a discounted price for Rachilde, La Sanglante Ironie, édition critique, by Helen Craske. The deadline for discounted subscription orders is 10 October. Helen was supported in this work by the 2024 Tim Unwin ECR grant.

www.fabula.org/actualites/1...

Advances in Nineteenth-Century Research Explore the latest peer-reviewed articles and learn how to publish your work in Advances in Nineteenth-Century Research.

This is another routine reminder that our journal @advancesjournal.bsky.social is actively seeking proposals for themed issues. Do get in touch with me directly if you are interested in submitting a proposal.

Journal details 👇
www.tandfonline.com/journals/ran...

Health and happiness / La santé et le bonheur (Cardiff University, 2026) Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Le Déjeuner des canotiers, 1881. TWENTY-FOURTH ANNUAL CONFERENCESociety of Dix-Neuviémistes Health and happiness / La santé et le bonheur Cardiff University, 8–10 April 2026 …

It’s mid-September and we are fully feeling those “back-to-school” vibes here at SDN. Start the new academic year on a high by sending us your abstract for #SDNCardiff2026, on the theme of health and happiness.

More details here: uksdn.co.uk/health-and-h...

Coming up this Friday!

📢 Bydd cofrestru'n cau fory / Registration will close tomorrow.

The second session on Impact will take place on 14th November, 4pm GMT. It will be hosted by Professor Helen Abbott (Birmingham) and Dr Hannah Scott (Newcastle).

Sign ups will open in October for this event.