SHAPE Conference 2026 The British Academy's annual SHAPE conference will be held in London on 4 March 2026.

The Arts and Humanities Alliance is proud to sponsor the 2026 @britishacademy.bsky.social SHAPE conference. Our session is Myth busting for the public with @ritagardner.bsky.social @jennyrichards.bsky.social & @sebgordon1.bsky.social
Chair @emmacayley.bsky.social www.eventbrite.com/e/shape-conf...

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‘These days I snatch words whenever I can, grateful for the books that changed my life’. Wonderful post by @englishassociation.bsky.social CEO Dr Becky Fisher. @ies-sas.bsky.social @jennyrichards.bsky.social @gailmarshall.bsky.social #EnglishCreated

Bamboo hotels for bees!

Hotels for solitary bees @cubotanicgarden.bsky.social. Spring is in the air!

Hear, hear. This @leverhulme.ac.uk award is life-changing for any hard-pressed, long-serving academic, and there is no one more deserving of this honour than @oldfortunatus.bsky.social.

Hooray!

Hello, friends! I am back and will be making a concerted effort to post regularly on here, because the other place is truly hideous. I have a huge platform there and will continue to use it for good, but it will be nice to spend more time in sunnier climes if you’ll have me!

New series of #EnglishCreates beginning now. @ies-sas.bsky.social @englishassociation.bsky.social @engmediacentre.bsky.social @readingagency.bsky.social @britishacademy.bsky.social @lrb.co.uk @profsarahdillon.bsky.social @bobeaglestone.bsky.social @jennyrichards.bsky.social

Why men should really be reading more fiction Novels require a kind of attention that the modern world is steadily eroding

Among the many reasons Jemima Kelly gives for reading fiction is this one: that 'it offers a form of pleasure and attention that the modern world is steadily eroding'. What a great way to empower ourselves. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Photo of Emily Rowe speating at Thomas Nashe and Voice conference.

The brilliant @emilyrowe1.bsky.social opening the first session at today's Thomas Nashe and Voice conference, St John's College, Cambridge, talking about the writing, mining and colonisation.

So much happening this year. We would love to work with you. Join the conversation. ❤️ English Studies. 👇

January's Wolf supermoon over the meadows, Edinburgh.

January's Wolf supermoon over the meadows, Edinburgh. You can't see it here but it was enormous. Do share your photos if you have any.

First full moon (nearly) of 2026, over the meadows, Edinburgh.

First full moon (nearly) of 2026, over the meadows, Edinburgh.

Fireworks over Edinburgh castle, 2026.

Happy 2026 from Edinburgh!

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The EA’s response to DfEs #FE #ITE call for evidence is here, to inform new statutory guidance for content & delivery of programmes -to build FE ITE curriculum in subject specific English & for literacy & oracy essential skills training for all #FE teachers.

englishassociation.ac.uk/the-english-...

Postcard from Paris - Illuminations John Wyver writes: I have been going to Paris to see paintings for more than fifty years, and Friday was my most recent such trip. I took a break from prepping for the publication of Magic Rays of Lig...

Postcard from Paris
I have been going to Paris to see paintings for 50-plus years. Friday I visited the Louvre’s glorious David show, loved Minimal at the Bourse, but had a harder time at the Fondation Cartier and the Palais de Tokyo. More on the blog.
www.illuminationsmedia.co.uk/postcard-fro...

‘Half in, half out’ approach to REF 2029 outputs ‘not enough’ Rollback of decoupling researchers from their work questioned despite policy U-turn on books

With quotes from @eicathomefinn.bsky.social@eicathomefinn.bsky.social and me on the importance of the return of some element of portability for REF2029. www.timeshighereducation.com/news/half-ha...

Labour must not repeat history by sidelining research in post-92 universities The abolition of the binary divide in HE made visible the wealth of research excellence in what became known as the post-92 part of the sector. Katie Normington worries that forcing specialisation ris...

'There in the shadows [of the White Paper] lies the call for HE institutions to specialise, with the lurking threat that many will lose their research funding in some, but perhaps many, areas, in order to better fund those with more intensive research.'

Menu today at Mary's Milk Bar, Edinburgh. My favourite place for gelato, all year around.

Note to UK government 👇👇
@englishassociation.bsky.social

The extreme polarization of arts and sciences is a huge mistake and explains some of the rigidity and extremism we see all around us: in education, in recruitment, in our politics. But one mindset alone cannot fix the mess we are in. We need creativity now more than ever

Reigniting Reading for Pleasure: Empowering Schools with LoveReading4Schools (18 November 2025, 16:45 - 17:30) | The English Association We support the teaching, learning, and enjoyment of English at all levels of education, from early years to further and higher education and beyond.

🥳📚📖Tomorrow ! Free! Online! Sign up! 18 November, 16:45 – 17:30 How schools can nourish a reading-for-pleasure culture with community fundraising, wishlists,purpose-driven support. Deborah Maclaren @LoveReading4Kids.bsky.social& Sana Siddiq primary teacher 💫 englishassociation.ac.uk/reigniting-r...

'The English Association, working alongside other cross-sector bodies in the subject community, welcomes the chance, opened by this watershed Review, to be involved in the further evolution of our national education system'. 👇

Fears Lancaster University job cuts would hit city's businesses Lancaster University is seeking to cut 400 full-time posts as part of efforts to save £30m.

'The prospect of hundreds of job cuts at Lancaster University could damage the city's economy, students have warned.'

'Could'? Surely 'will'.

Want a younger brain? Learn another language A vast study suggests that being multilingual can slow down cognitive ageing.

'people who are multilingual are half as likely to show signs of accelerated biological ageing than are those who speak just one language.'

Good thing that schools, universities and governments are so actively promoting modern languages then, isn't it? 1/2

Nottingham suspends music, language and nursing courses University says financial uncertainties continue as government’s proposed student levy will ‘wipe out any benefits’ from rising tuition fees

'Music and modern foreign languages degrees are among courses being suspended at the University of Nottingham, with the institution saying it “cannot rely on additional income” from the coming tuition fee rises.' 1/3

Do we need humanities graduates to deliver the industrial strategy? Policymakers should take a broad view of the value of degree courses when building our future workforce, says Charlotte Hallahan

Do we need humanities graduates to deliver the industrial strategy? Yes we do. www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/do-we-n...

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We just published a response to the white paper on post-16 education and skills: englishassociation.ac.uk/the-english-...

Let us know what you think!

@bobeaglestone.bsky.social