'The researchers said...“hyper-competitive research culture in universities is likely to increase costs, partly driven by low success rates”, and “without fundamental reform, academics will continue to apply for research grants in pursuit of reward and recognition”.' (Well, also to do research) 1/2
Horrendous - solidarity with you and your colleagues.
Delighted to share our new short film on Agnes Owens, marking her 2026 centenary, now live on AGA’s YouTube. Discover her life, work, and legacy—or watch it on a retro TV at the Lillie Art Gallery exhibition from today!
Please share this advert for the Dr David Summers Master of Research (MRes) Studentship in Scottish Literature @edinburghnapier.bsky.social. Closing date: 31 May 2026.
www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
@jamesbrown95.bsky.social
Flood Tide Joan Eardley Lonely people are drawn to the sea. Not for this artist the surge and glitter of salons, Clutch of a sherry or making polite conversation. See her when she is free: - Striding into the salty bluster of a cliff-top In her paint-splashed corduroys, Humming as she recalls the wild shy boys She sketched in the city, allowing nature's nations Of grasses and wild shy flowers to stick To the canvas they were blown against By the mighty Catterline wind - All becomes art, and as if it was incensed By the painter's brush the sea growls up In a white flood The artist's cup is overflowing with what she dares To think is joy, caught unawares As if on the wing. A solitary clover, Unable to read WET PAINT, rolls over Once, twice, and then it's fixed, Part of a field more human than the one That took the gale and is now As she is, beyond the sun.
Happy #WorldArtDay! 🎨
In 2005, #EdwinMorgan wrote 10 poems responding to the 10 artworks named as Scotland’s favourite paintings held in Scottish public collections.
EM’s personal favourite among the works was ‘Flood Tide’ (1962) by #JoanEardley, painted the year before she died.
From EARTHSEED: THE BOOKS OF THE LIVING Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears. To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunists who control the fool. To be led by a thief is to offer up your most precious treasures to be stolen. To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies. To be led by a tyrant is to sell yourself and those you love into slavery.
Octavia E. Butler, 1998:
Looking forward to speaking at this @bars.bsky.social event - hope to see you online!
PLEASE SHARE ✨
Agnes Owens at 100
‘Out of the Margins’ celebrates her life & work with exhibitions, events & talks across Milngavie & Alexandria this spring. Join us to rediscover a vital Scottish voice. More details soon! Curated by @sorchadallas.bsky.social @agrayarchive.bsky.social
Frae fields whare Spring her sweets has blawn
Wi’ caller verdure our the lawn,
The Gowdspink comes in new attire,
The brawest ’mang the whistling choir…
—Robert Fergusson (1750–1774), “Ode to the Gowdspink”
from The Poetical Works of Robert Fergusson (Glasgow, 1800)
#poem #poetry #C18th
Detail from a woodcut from Dürer's Apocalypse, showing a man (St John) devouring a book. Source: http://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:bvb:29-uer-dr-ah-0333-5
Text mining before the age of LLM training.
Dr Petra Johana Poncarová discussing how researching Gaelic literature inspired her own poetry in the language, mixing elements of Gaelic and Czech cultures and places. 🏴🇨🇿
Listen to the full interview by clicking on the link: pod.link/1865430519
My story in the @heraldscotland.bsky.social
On how poet Kenneth White, who left his house in France to the local council on the proviso they use it for writers residencies, has had his legacy overturne
www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/2...
Petition against the move
www.change.org/p/non-%C3%A0...
Come join our English Literature team in the School of Critical Studies @uofgartshums.bsky.social @glasgow.ac.uk - as a Lecturer in Early Modern Literature with a specialism in Poetry - & pls pass this on:
#AcademicSky
www.jobs.gla.ac.uk/job/lecturer...
I’m pleased to say that we’re advertising for a permanent lectureship in early modern English Literature (grade 7). I’m happy to answer any questions via email. Please circulate.
www.jobs.gla.ac.uk/job/lecturer...
JOB ALERT
Lecturer in Scottish Literature
@standrewsenglish.bsky.social seeks a scholar with a growing international research reputation within Scottish Literature ca. 1760–present. Deadline for application: 16 April
www.vacancies.st-andrews.ac.uk/Vacancies/W/...
Delighted this award winning series I shepherded to hardback publication 5 years ago has come out in more affordable paperback form. A grand collection!
Just had a fantastic discussion with Dr Petra Poncarová. Petra is one of the very few Europeans who’s mastered Gaelic to the point of writing both sound scholarship about it & award-winning poetry in it. She’s got a unique perspective and I can’t wait to air the interview to you all soon! 🏴🇨🇿
So pleased to announce that MUSIC INDUSTRY AND FAMILY NETWORKS IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY BRITAIN: THE CORRI FAMILY IN EDINBURGH AND LONDON, 1771–1825 is now under contract with Boydell and Brewer! Many, many thanks to the series editors and those who have supported this work so far! @bsecs.bsky.social
Great news! Can’t wait to see it in the wild! 🎉
A poster that reads: 'Did you know there is no legal requirement for secondary schools in Scotland to have a school library? We need to change that story.'
A list of library benefits.
A poster with the copy: 'You can help to change the story. Call on your MP and MSPs to make it a legal requirement for secondary schools to have a library staffed by a school librarian.'
📚 Every secondary school pupil in Scotland deserves access to a school library but right now, there's no law to protect them.
Write to your MSP today and tell them that school libraries shouldn't be a luxury.
www.scottishbooktrust.com/our-research...
Kang-Yen Chiu received the 2025 Jack Medal for his chapter 'Translation and Film Adaptation of Ivanhoe in the Modern History of Taiwan,’ published in 'Scotland and China: Literary Encounters' (@scroll-scotlit.bsky.social, @degruyterbrill.bsky.social, 2025). Read the statement: tinyurl.com/255n2rm6
First of five new animations for Gray Day 2026 ✨ Ann Dinh responds to the new Lanark audiobook by Alasdair Gray, narrated by Alan Cumming, commissioned by The Alasdair Gray Archive & @canongate.co.uk. Screened at Òran Mór.
VINCENT LUNARDI, IN HIS BASKET, READY TO ASCEND, "The celebrated aeronaut visited Scotland in the month of September 1785. His first ascent took place at Edinburgh, on the 5th of October following, from Heriot’s Hospital Green." --- A series of original portraits and caricature etchings by John Kay (1742-1826). p. 79
VINCENT LUNARDI, IN HIS BASKET, READY TO ASCEND
"The celebrated aeronaut visited Scotland in the month of September 1785. His first ascent took place at Edinburgh, on the 5th of October following, from Heriot’s Hospital Green."
#Scotland
Edward Gorey
#illustration #EdwardGorey #books
📆 OTD in 1875 Mary Barbour was Born
🗣️ “We should be daring in our demands, not only for better houses but for a higher standard of living generally.”
(1st pic: Protests & Suffragettes Mural on Crossloan Rd & Uist Street— Mary Barbour & Isabella Elder)
Printed copy of "The Ancient Town of Leith", "A New Poem by Sir William Topaz McDonagall, Knight of the White Elephant, Burmah. No 21 Lothian Street, Edinburgh. VR. Copyright. All Rights Reserved. Composed May 1899". It is an original on yellowed paper, signed in pen by the author.
Look I know there's a lot of *waves hand* going on right now, but it's come to my attention that William "Worst Poet Ever" McGonagall composed in 1899 an elegy to "The Ancient Town of Leith" in his own, inimitable style. So if you care to gather round, I shall now retell it for the whole class 🧵🗣️🪑
21 February will mark 200 years since the death of John Kay, the renowned Scottish caricaturist and engraver. Read our blog post to find out more about his life and a new Capital Collections exhibition showcasing around 360 of his portraits and caricatures - zurl.co/Hq5ZS
Promotional graphic for Scottish Universities Press's journal publishing programme inviting journal proposals.
Following the success of our book publishing offer we are preparing to launch our journal publishing programme.
We are now accepting expressions of interest from editors of existing journals. All subjects will be considered.
For more information: www.sup.ac.uk/news/introducing-journal-publishing
A poster advertising a PG symposium for Scottish Literature
CFP: 2026 Scottish Literature PG Symposium
(Mis)placing Scottish Literature
8 May 2026, University of Glasgow
Details: ucsl-scotland.com/2026-pg-symp...
Deadline 15 March, student travel bursaries available!
