Rebecca Goldsmith

New PhD Student Session For the first session of term we will be hosting a meet and greet at the IHR for all PhD students in modern British and imperial history.

*Calling PhD students of modern British and imperial history in London*

The @ihrbritainseminar.bsky.social's first session this Thursday (9 Oct.) is dedicated to PhDs, at any stage, for elevator pitches and meet-and-greet. Do come along! Details in the link.

www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

A woman in a black gown stands in front of a portrait of Lisa Jardine, smiling

Delighted to be admitted as a research fellow at Lise Jardine’s (and Raymond Williams’) college today, in excellent company @jesuscollegecam.bsky.social

Tony Harrison · Poem: ‘V.’

Tony Harrison died on 26 September. The 𝘓𝘙𝘉 published nearly thirty of his poems over the years. He will be much missed.

The most famous of those poems was ‘v.’, first published in our pages forty years ago – a fearless, state-of-the-nation epic.

www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v0...

Patrick is absolutely right that Labour lacks a sufficient intellectual culture - but instead of reading race-war Whatsapp essays from anonymous crackheads, Labour MPs should subscribe to @renewaljournal.bsky.social for serious and informed strategic analysis and argument

Tony Harrison obituary: acclaimed Yorkshire poet and playwright Writer whose poem V upset Mary Whitehouse and who was determined to show that the arts are not the preserve of the middle and upper classes dies aged 88

A fine obituary to the brilliant radical English poet www.thetimes.com/uk/obituarie...

A short post about the Modern British City, out in November: www.lundhumphries.com/blogs/featur...

Reform’s aesthetics of industry Renewal 33.2_HilhorstRenewal 33.2_Hilhorst.pdf110 KBdownload-circle In North Nottinghamshire, Reform UK present themselves as the party of workers, community and coalmining heritage. But this image...

So much talk about Reform voters, but I'm yet to read much about their lives beyond tropes and excuses ('legitimate concerns').

I've been back in the midlands to interview people and learn more. Here's my piece on them and Reform's attempts to present itself as a community-minded, pro-worker party:

Stuart Hall Essay Prize reopens to submissions - Stuart Hall Foundation The second Stuart Hall Essay Prize is reopening to submissions. The new submission window is open from now until Monday 3 November. Open to submissions from UK-based entrants aged 18 to 30 inclusive, ...

Stuart Hall Essay Prize. Please disseminate:

www.stuarthallfoundation.org/foundation/s...

British History 1500-1900 at Christ's College, Cambridge. Deadline 26 September. www.christs.cam.ac.uk/college-lect...

Congrats Colm! Richly deserved

We've recorded nearly 100 hours of oral histories from British South Asians across the UK—spanning generations, identities & regions. Archived with the @britishlibrary.bsky.social & free to access: southasianbritain.org/oral-histories/project-collection/ @UoBArtsMatter @BL_Learning @QMULsed

Very pleased a) to be reviving the Rita Hinden Memorial Lecture, and b) to have secured such an excellent first speaker.

Please do sign up to attend!

Debating the Bachelor Tax: Masculinity and the Politics of Taxation in Britain, 1894–1920 Abstract. ‘Bachelor tax’ was a popular shorthand for controversial changes in government policy regarding income tax and marital status. From 1918, men wer

My first article is out! It examines the conjunction of fiscal policy and gender politics, highlighting the moment in 1920 when different income tax rates for the married and unmarried were first introduced into the British tax system 🧵 1/7

academic.oup.com/tcbh/article...

David Marquand’s Intellectual and Political Legacy David Marquand, who died in April 2024, was a prominent figure in late 20th century British politics. This collection is devoted to analysing, criticising and celebrating his political and academic co...

David Marquand’s Intellectual & Political Legacy

SI edited by @pjsloman.bsky.social Colin Crouch & Ben Jackson with @emilyrobinson.bsky.social Will Hutton @npjgarland.bsky.social @anthonybarnett.bsky.social Hilary Wainwright Andrew Gamble Jean Seaton & +

politicalquarterly.org.uk/collections/...

WHN Undergraduate Dissertation Prize 2024-2025 The Women’s History Network is offering one £250 prize for an undergraduate dissertation on any aspect of women’s or gender history (though with a strong focus on women) written during the 2024-202…

The Women’s History Network is offering one £250 prize for an undergraduate dissertation on any aspect of women’s or gender history (though with a strong focus on women) written during the 2024-2025 academic year.

Find out more! womenshistorynetwork.org/whn-undergra...

#GenderHist #WomensHistory

🚨 | NEW PAPER: Community spaces are vanishing, and with them, the ties that bind us.
A year on from the Southport riots, we explore how the loss of pubs, parks and youth clubs is weakening social connection, and how to rebuild it 👉 ippr.org/articles/places-to-come-together

The Chris of It All Last week the Labour Party shed two Chrises. On Wednesday, the whips suspended Chris Hinchliff MP, for persistent rebellions against the government. On Saturday, Chris Worrall’s defection to the Conse...

As a recess treat, I wrote about the week where the Labour Party lost two Chrises, and what it means for the ongoing discourse on growth, planning and Labour YIMBYism.

renewal.org.uk/blog/the-chr...

We are proud to announce that South Asian Britain: Connecting Histories, a landmark educational website on the histories of South Asians in Britain, is now live!

Visit southasianbritain.org

@qmul.bsky.social @bristoluni.bsky.social @britishlibrary.bsky.social #AHRC @uobartsmatter.bsky.social

Teaching Fellowship in Twentieth-Century British History

2 year teaching role in c20 British history

www.history.ox.ac.uk/event/teachi...

Terrible. When I got my AHRC PhD funding I applied directly to the AHRC with my own project. Now students are increasingly tied in to what universities and partner organisations want them to do, stifling research independence - plus fewer projects getting funded overall.

The British Academy welcomes 92 new Fellows in 2025 92 distinguished scholars have today been elected to the British Academy’s Fellowship, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the humanities and social sciences.

Congratulations to all 92 newly elected FBAs including the wonderful @clairelanghamer.bsky.social whose sterling research is matched by her sterling (or is it platinum?) work for the discipline of History (in all its academic, public and other forms) at the also ace @ihr.bsky.social . 1/2

We'll be launching a book inspired by Peter's research on 26th September in Cambridge. Sign up for tickets here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/democratis...

@camhistory.bsky.social @cammbhw.bsky.social

I ordered one of these from Alex as a Father’s Day present this year - it was perfect, and delighted the recipient. Highly recommend!

Congratulations to Dr Nick Garland!!! (Yes, that is a cake in the shape of Marquand’s Progressive Dilemma — courtesy of the also relatively new Dr Goldsmith)

This looks like such an interesting piece, can’t wait to read

Modern British History Ben Pimlott Memorial Lecture 2025: Helen McCarthy Family Stories: Retirement, Old Age and Generational Thinking in Britain since the 1970s

🗓️ Save the date: Tues 25 November
Join @mbhjournal.bsky.social at KCL for the 2025 Ben Pimlott Memorial Lecture, given by Prof Helen McCarthy on “Family Stories: Retirement, Old Age & Generational Thinking in Britain since the 1970s”
🔗 Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/modern-bri...

As part of my PhD research on space (i.e the built environment/social space) and feminism during the British Women’s Liberation Movement, I’m looking for oral history participants to interview about their experiences. You don’t need to have thought about space and your activism- I’m just interested in your experiences! If you were involved in Reclaim the Night, squatting/housing activism, or feminist architecture from c.1968-1990 (ish), you can contact me on this platform or email me: sinead.carter@pgr.reading.ac.uk. Please share with anyone you think may have contacts!

I'm looking for participants for my oral history on space and feminism! Please share with anybody you feel may have contacts and email me if you have any questions or would like to get involved: sinead.carter@pgr.reading.ac.uk

The Modern British City 1945-2000 is out on November 28th, and is available for pre-order from ‪@lhartbooks.bsky.social‬: www.lundhumphries.com/products/the....

Online now:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

Imperial Heartland: Immigration, Working-Class Culture and Everyday Tolerance, 1917–1947 Published in Cultural and Social History: The Journal of the Social History Society (Ahead of Print, 2025)

Belatedly sharing my review of a book I greatly enjoyed reading, but still finished feeling a little frustrated with. David Holland’s impressive work, ‘Imperial Heartland: Immigration, Working-Class Culture and Everyday Tolerance, 1917-47’, in @cultsochistory.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1080/1478...