David Veevers
banner
davidveevers.bsky.social
David Veevers
@davidveevers.bsky.social
Lecturer in Early Modern History | Seventeenth Century, Colonialism, Asia, Caribbean | ‘dazzling’ - BBC History | tired dad | Stephen King aficionado | academia’s longest commute | my third book: Where the Manchineel Trees Grow, coming 2027
Pinned
So: the new book's going well.
Reposted by David Veevers
“Four of my children just evaporated,” Badran said, holding back tears. “I looked for them a million times. Not a piece was left. Where did they go?”

There are no words to adequately describe the evil here.
Israel used weapons in Gaza that made thousands of Palestinians evaporate
US-made thermal weapons burning at 3,500C caused 2,842 people to "evaporate" in Gaza, Al Jazeera investigation finds.
www.aljazeera.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:29 PM
Long day of teaching that finished at 6, but the bonus was going immediately to this fantastic talk hosted by @ystadaucymru.bsky.social from the fabulous Marian Gwyn on ‘TEXTILES AS EXPLOITATION: Clothing, commerce and control on the Penrhyn Jamaica plantations’.
February 10, 2026 at 9:17 PM
Uhh you guys, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is pretty bloody good.
February 10, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Reposted by David Veevers
3/ The Digital Library of the Caribbean @dlocaribbean.bsky.social that works with partner institutions across the Caribbean and Latin America provides several good guides for digitization, digital curation, and training.

dloc.domains.uflib.ufl.edu/technology/
Technology – Digital Library of the Caribbean
dloc.domains.uflib.ufl.edu
February 6, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by David Veevers
A £240m defence contract without tender.

Their fingerprints all over our health care data.

A meeting in the USA but without any minutes.

Everything around Palantir stinks.

www.thenational.scot/news/2584192...
Zack Polanski pressures Wes Streeting over Palantir after Mandelson texts released
ZACK Polanski has piled fresh pressure on Wes Streeting over Palantir’s NHS contracts after the Health Secretary’s newly-released text messages…
www.thenational.scot
February 10, 2026 at 1:55 PM
Reposted by David Veevers
Friends, can I ask you to spread the word that we have a THREE-YEAR postdoc in American history at Cambridge up for grabs - ANY field, but applications are due March 1 so don't delay - apply, apply, apply! networks.h-net.org/jobs/69790/u...
February 10, 2026 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by David Veevers
Let me get this straight. The Royal Academy contemplated throwing Ai Wei Wei out for tweeting about genocide in Gaza.

Meanwhile, back with the parqagons of virtue, @royalsociety.org is whistling on its way, refusing to throw out Elon Musk for overseeing the deaths of millions.

Got it.
Ai Weiwei faced vote about his Royal Academy of Arts, London membership after Gaza tweet
After discussions, the institution voted to retain the artist as an Academician
www.theartnewspaper.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:20 PM
Reposted by David Veevers
I’m beginning every panel I chair for the rest of my career with this frontal attack…
If Bad Bunny can cover the history of Puerto Rico, colonialism, transatlantic slavery, hemispheric consciousness, as well as contemporary life and politics in under 14 minutes, you can do your 15- or 20-minute conference presentation with time to spare.
February 10, 2026 at 12:48 PM
Hi we saw you from across the room and really dig your vibe. Would you like to come back to our jacuzzi?
February 10, 2026 at 12:01 PM
Shots fired from Bangor students. Let’s see their peers across the country rise to the occasion.
February 10, 2026 at 11:04 AM
Honestly couldn’t be more proud of my students at Bangor right now. Take your fascist shit and stick it where the sun doesn’t shine.
This is pretty menacing.

Sarah Pochin wrote to Bangor's university student run debating society requesting that she attend to "answer questions from students."

When they said "no" Reform rolled all it's tanks onto the lawns and said they'll cut funding to the entire university if they win.
February 10, 2026 at 10:54 AM
Reposted by David Veevers
"Government ministers, including former home secretary Yvette Cooper, lied to the public in an attempt to manufacture consent for the draconian ban"
“The admission of lying to the public in order to justify banning Palestine Action shows how baseless the proscription truly is”.

Claims about links between the protest group and Iran appear to have originated from pro-Israel lobbyists novaramedia.com/2026/02/09/g...
Government Terrorism Advisor Casts Doubt on Palestine Action Iran Link
Exclusive: In a forthcoming Channel 4 documentary, the government’s independent reviewer of terrorism legislation, Jonathan Hall KC, says he’s “not aware” of any evidence behind the government’s claim...
novaramedia.com
February 10, 2026 at 10:08 AM
I have just marked an MA dissertation where the student attached a 500 page appendix of her transcription of a late Tudor preacher’s entire Latin notebook and sermons.

I am floored.
February 10, 2026 at 10:09 AM
Reposted by David Veevers
So, in the last 15 years, the % thinking immigration is bad for the economy has gone from 42 to 14 and back to 33.

The % thinking it undermines culture [???] from 40 to 16 to 34.

A nation of goldfish, led by Daily Mail headlines...
UK public now split one third positive v one third negative on economics and culture of immigration, after a dramatic softening after 2016.

Contributors include
- dominance of boats/asylum over free movement/visas
- starker political polarisation
- shifting media and online fragmentation
February 10, 2026 at 9:45 AM
February 10, 2026 at 8:34 AM
Reposted by David Veevers
Attention west Wales!

March 28th at Mwldan, Aberteifi.

Two disgraced ex-Tories under one roof. We'll see you there!

mwldan.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/...
February 5, 2026 at 2:58 PM
On a packed commuter train and crying over the book I’m reading. Awks. But can’t help it goddamnit! The boy’s dog has died!!
a close up of a man 's face with tears running down his face
ALT: a close up of a man 's face with tears running down his face
media.tenor.com
February 10, 2026 at 7:54 AM
Reposted by David Veevers
Israel defenders: Israel has no genocidal intent

Israeli media:
February 10, 2026 at 3:54 AM
Reposted by David Veevers
"Gives Itself More Control"
February 9, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Reposted by David Veevers
For half-term, next Tuesday I’m doing a fun kids’ event at @southbankcentre.bsky.social in London — I’ll be doing a funny talk on the history of Roman Britain, and my ace illustrator @rikinparekh.bsky.social will do a live draw-along tutorial

Tix cheap!

www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/tot...
February 9, 2026 at 12:19 PM
Ten quid says he uses AI to write it.
I’m writing what might turn into a book on rational government. It’s based on maths, science and logic. It doesn’t look anything like your idiotic view of the world.
February 9, 2026 at 5:05 PM
Not forgetting St Helena under the English East India Company, or the very first sugar slave plantation colonies of Madeira Islands and Sao Tome under the Portuguese.
I want to note that sugar cane plantations were not exclusive to the Caribbean — there are multiple ruins or preserved “parks” of sugar cane plantations and sugar mills here in Florida.
February 9, 2026 at 2:22 PM
Hit 'reply all' and responded to an email to the entire University this morning, if you're wondering how I've readjusted to work after my overseas trip.

The upside is I've been chatting over email with about 30 people I never met before, all with good advice about a grant proposal I'm writing.
February 9, 2026 at 1:06 PM
48 hours ago I was walking on a beach in the Caribbean with swaying palm trees. This morning I'm in Tesco cafe waiting for my car to be serviced at Halfords as it pours of rain. Oh, and I stepped in dog-shit on the school run earlier.
February 9, 2026 at 12:15 PM