Diane Watt
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dianewatt.bsky.social
Diane Watt
@dianewatt.bsky.social

Writer, academic, medievalist, queer

Diane Watt FLSW is a British medievalist, currently professor of medieval English literature at the University of Surrey. She previously held a personal chair at Aberystwyth University, where she was deputy director of the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS). She was Charles A. Owen Jr. Distinguished Visiting Professor of Medieval Studies at the University of Connecticut in 2005. She was awarded a Snell Exhibition to study at Balliol College, University of Oxford, and was awarded her DPhil in English Literature in 1993. She is a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales. .. more

History 53%
Philosophy 22%
Pinned
Margaret Paston’s will at the British Library’s Medieval Women Exhibition. You’re welcome.

Near Worthing

Solstice sunrise
Clay letters from ancient Mesopotamia are alive with idiom, sayings, and everyday language that I love.

Here are just a few random ones so you can enjoy them too.

Reposted by Diane Watt

When I was in Camden Town yesterday getting my eyes tested, I saw that the historic ladies loo on Parkway now had a plaque (local Camden scheme, not blue, yet): www.blueplaques.net/show_images....
The Yugin Plaques website
www.blueplaques.net

Linguists start compiling first ever complete dictionary of ancient Celtic www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Linguists start compiling first ever complete dictionary of ancient Celtic
More than 1,000 words used as far back as 325BC to be collected for insight into past linguistic landscape
www.theguardian.com
“we estimate employment-weighted share of Americans using AI at work has fallen by a percentage point & now sits at 11%. Adoption has fallen sharply at the largest businesses, those employing +250 people. 3 yrs into the genAI wave, demand looks surprisingly flimsy” www.economist.com/finance-and-...
Investors expect AI use to soar. That’s not happening
Recent surveys point to flatlining business adoption
www.economist.com

H is for Hawk. Encountered this falconer and his Harris Hawk out hunting in the woods while we were on our morning run!

Yesterday at West Horsley Place aka Button House from BBC’s Ghosts. Seriously haunting! I was in conversation with local historian June Davey about its putative links to Juliana Berners and The Book of St Albans. Amazing event, fabulous audience.

Indeed. The only way is Barking

Reposted by Kathleen Kennedy

Did medieval nuns care for their appearance? Rings, brooches, combs, manicure sets all found on the site of Barking Abbey.

A 4000 year old carved figure found buried in Dagenham marshes alongside the skeleton of a deer 🦌

Look forward to reading it!

Amazing! 🤩

Surrey in Autumn 🍂

Reposted by Diane Watt

The problem of course is that women will vote for misogynists, but men won’t vote for women.

Reposted by Diane Watt

🚨 THIS WEEK ON PATREON & APPLE 🚨 Not all of the five came from the stereotypes we’ve been fed. 🏰 Annie Chapman’s early life near Windsor and the royal world is a story few expect. Discover it with @hallierubenhold.bsky.social

🎧 www.patreon.com/post...
#History #TrueCrime #Victorian

@bristolcms.bsky.social here you go: on a trip to the Ridgeway with John Burrow and Basil Cottle!
Unprecedented, potentially unlawful retrograde proposals made by @solentuniversity.bsky.social

If you have a vested interest in HE, this concerns you.

We must stand together to resist these outrageous proposals.

#HE #TPS #LGPS #Pension #post-92

www.ucu.org.uk/article/1423...
Solent University threatens P&O-style 'Fire & Rehire' with pension cuts
UCU today announced that it has entered a formal trade dispute with Southampton Solent University over plans to force all its staff onto inferior pension schemes, paving the way for a strike ballot if...
www.ucu.org.uk

Pleased to see such a great selection of books shortlisted!

Reposted by Diane Watt

New analysis shows over 15,000 university job cuts and c. 4,000 courses "shuttered"
www.ucu.org.uk/article/1422...
#Highered #Edchat #students #research
New analysis shows over 15,000 university job cuts as UCU launches UK wide strike ballot
Universities have announced cuts equivalent to over 15,000 jobs in the last year.
www.ucu.org.uk
I wrote something on my time on returning to Goldsmiths as an associate lecturer, 17 years after graduating with my first degree. It’s a plea to Frances Corner’s successor to learn from mistakes made over the last 6 years and change course. #UCU #UKHE

ucucommons.org/2025/10/06/c...
Cutting Corners: a message to the next Vice Chancellor at Goldsmiths
On 1 October 2025, a short announcement was put on Goldsmiths’ website to say that Vice Chancellor Frances Corner was stepping down with immediate effect. This came off the back of an announcement …
ucucommons.org

@constancebantman.bsky.social something to circulate amongst colleagues!

🚁

Digital surveillance, stalking, helicoptering, whatever you want to call it. None of it anarchistic…

😂😂😂😂

It is!

Love it when a reviewer gets my book ❤️

T o celebrate the forthcoming print publication of our Encyclopaedia and Palgrave’s 25th anniversary this year, four chapters are free-to-view throughout October. blogs.surrey.ac.uk/medievalwome...
Pleased to announce @univeng.bsky.social small funding scheme now open to members. UE will fund up to 20 projects up to £250 each to support research/pedagogy/continuing professional development activities in Lit, Lang, Creative Writing. See details here: universityenglish.ac.uk/englishcreat...
University English Funding
universityenglish.ac.uk