Dr Laura Varnam
@drlauravarnam.bsky.social
Tutor in English Lit at Univ, Oxford. Medievalist. Poet. She/her. Co-founder @guildmedmak. Church as Sacred Space (2018). Encountering Margery Kempe (2021). Primers Volume Seven: Grendel’s Mother Bites Back (2024). Next books on Du Maurier, and Beowulf.
Watching the 1943 adaptation of Jane Eyre (starring Joan Fontaine & Orson Welles), and look! It’s a young Elizabeth Taylor as Helen Burns! 🤩
February 3, 2026 at 1:35 PM
Watching the 1943 adaptation of Jane Eyre (starring Joan Fontaine & Orson Welles), and look! It’s a young Elizabeth Taylor as Helen Burns! 🤩
Last week my WORD OF THE WEEK was glamour, and the students chose: clue, harry, lotus-eater, chortle, broadcast, carbuncle, song, handsome, and disaster!
This term I’m teaching the #linguistics paper to my first years & one activity we do on a weekly basis is the WORD OF THE WEEK challenge. I send an email with my word of the week, with an explanation about why I’ve chosen it & its appearance in the OED, and then the students reply all!
February 3, 2026 at 8:55 AM
Last week my WORD OF THE WEEK was glamour, and the students chose: clue, harry, lotus-eater, chortle, broadcast, carbuncle, song, handsome, and disaster!
This term I’m teaching the #linguistics paper to my first years & one activity we do on a weekly basis is the WORD OF THE WEEK challenge. I send an email with my word of the week, with an explanation about why I’ve chosen it & its appearance in the OED, and then the students reply all!
February 3, 2026 at 8:54 AM
This term I’m teaching the #linguistics paper to my first years & one activity we do on a weekly basis is the WORD OF THE WEEK challenge. I send an email with my word of the week, with an explanation about why I’ve chosen it & its appearance in the OED, and then the students reply all!
Reposted by Dr Laura Varnam
... each letter was passed around and forwarded to friends and/or communally read at dinner parties or assemblies. And the contents of any given letter were commented upon by its collective audience, both publically and privately. Plus ça change ...
2/2.
2/2.
January 27, 2026 at 8:46 PM
... each letter was passed around and forwarded to friends and/or communally read at dinner parties or assemblies. And the contents of any given letter were commented upon by its collective audience, both publically and privately. Plus ça change ...
2/2.
2/2.
Reposted by Dr Laura Varnam
Spent today in an archive of 19th-century diaries. I know people have commented on how the frequency of mail in e.g. 19th-century London made letters like emails, bouncing back & forth multiple times per day. But I realized today that they were actually more like social media posts, because
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January 27, 2026 at 8:46 PM
Spent today in an archive of 19th-century diaries. I know people have commented on how the frequency of mail in e.g. 19th-century London made letters like emails, bouncing back & forth multiple times per day. But I realized today that they were actually more like social media posts, because
... 1/2
... 1/2
Our first Making Space session of the spring term is this Thursday! 🧶🧵👩🎨✍🏻💖
Our upcoming spring term events are now live on our website and detailed below on our term card!
Join us for more Making Space sessions, and our special 1st Birthday celebrations 👇
Join us for more Making Space sessions, and our special 1st Birthday celebrations 👇
February 3, 2026 at 7:50 AM
Our first Making Space session of the spring term is this Thursday! 🧶🧵👩🎨✍🏻💖
Reposted by Dr Laura Varnam
For those who enjoy their medievalism audible, 'A Whole Giant's Daughter Quest Thing' by @jolloyds.bsky.social offers a creative reinterpretation of the Welsh romance 'Culhwch and Olwen'.
You can listen now on BBC Sounds here:
You can listen now on BBC Sounds here:
January 23, 2026 at 4:01 PM
For those who enjoy their medievalism audible, 'A Whole Giant's Daughter Quest Thing' by @jolloyds.bsky.social offers a creative reinterpretation of the Welsh romance 'Culhwch and Olwen'.
You can listen now on BBC Sounds here:
You can listen now on BBC Sounds here:
Exactly!
Thinkinge of askinge Chat GPT a questioun about your plannes, thoughtes, ideas? Trye a tarot deck ynstead. Cheaper, bettir for the environment, bettir resultes, not evil.
February 2, 2026 at 9:41 PM
Exactly!
For the evening crowd. On the challenges of academic writing. And why modelling vulnerability matters.
NEW on the blog! 'Being Seen, and Revisiting a Former Self': my response to my dear friend Antonia Taylor's 'Being Seen 2026' challenge, reflecting on vulnerability & visibility, and the challenges of academic writing as you move through a career. drlauravarnam.wordpress.com/2026/02/01/b...
February 2, 2026 at 5:52 PM
For the evening crowd. On the challenges of academic writing. And why modelling vulnerability matters.
On 25th Feb, 5.30-6.15pm, I’m giving an online talk, chaired by Baroness Amos, on ‘Poetry as Creative Criticism: A Reading of Beowulf.’ You can sign up at this link! www.univ.ox.ac.uk/event/univ-o...
Univ Online Talks: Dr Laura Varnam - University College Oxford (Univ)
The Master, Baroness Amos, is delighted to invite Old Members, friends of Univ, students, and staff to the next Univ Online Talk...
www.univ.ox.ac.uk
February 2, 2026 at 10:58 AM
On 25th Feb, 5.30-6.15pm, I’m giving an online talk, chaired by Baroness Amos, on ‘Poetry as Creative Criticism: A Reading of Beowulf.’ You can sign up at this link! www.univ.ox.ac.uk/event/univ-o...
NEW on the blog! 'Being Seen, and Revisiting a Former Self': my response to my dear friend Antonia Taylor's 'Being Seen 2026' challenge, reflecting on vulnerability & visibility, and the challenges of academic writing as you move through a career. drlauravarnam.wordpress.com/2026/02/01/b...
February 1, 2026 at 6:02 PM
NEW on the blog! 'Being Seen, and Revisiting a Former Self': my response to my dear friend Antonia Taylor's 'Being Seen 2026' challenge, reflecting on vulnerability & visibility, and the challenges of academic writing as you move through a career. drlauravarnam.wordpress.com/2026/02/01/b...
Reposted by Dr Laura Varnam
Yes. Very few students come to my classes with experience reading long poems (or with Middle English, for that matter) but guess what? With scaffolding and support, they figure it out
My hot take about the “students cannot read whole novels / watch whole films / etc.” is that they can learn to do it. None of us are born with attention spans suited for long media. It is a learned skill and can be developed with practice.
February 1, 2026 at 2:43 PM
Yes. Very few students come to my classes with experience reading long poems (or with Middle English, for that matter) but guess what? With scaffolding and support, they figure it out
Got on the bandwagon with On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle thanks to the recommendation of @backlisted.bsky.social’s Nicky Birch and the subsequent recommendation of @thechesilbeach.bsky.social 💛 Enjoyed it a lot!
February 1, 2026 at 2:10 PM
Got on the bandwagon with On the Calculation of Volume by Solvej Balle thanks to the recommendation of @backlisted.bsky.social’s Nicky Birch and the subsequent recommendation of @thechesilbeach.bsky.social 💛 Enjoyed it a lot!
Delighted to have my beautiful linocut print by @eleanormaybaker.bsky.social in a frame! ‘Salt-in-the-Wound’ is inspired by my poem in Primers Vol 7, ‘The Name of the Father,’ in the voice of Grendel’s Mother, the mere-maid (in Beowulf, she is described as merewif mihtig [mighty mere-woman], 1519).
January 31, 2026 at 12:35 PM
Delighted to have my beautiful linocut print by @eleanormaybaker.bsky.social in a frame! ‘Salt-in-the-Wound’ is inspired by my poem in Primers Vol 7, ‘The Name of the Father,’ in the voice of Grendel’s Mother, the mere-maid (in Beowulf, she is described as merewif mihtig [mighty mere-woman], 1519).
First time I’ve given a lecture at the Schwarzman without a previous group coming out first! It was giving ‘alone in the VIP’ 😂 (I’m glad an audience did turn up!! Much appreciated everyone, esp on a Friday morning!).
January 30, 2026 at 12:16 PM
First time I’ve given a lecture at the Schwarzman without a previous group coming out first! It was giving ‘alone in the VIP’ 😂 (I’m glad an audience did turn up!! Much appreciated everyone, esp on a Friday morning!).
Reposted by Dr Laura Varnam
‘No wonder I got drunk that night. I’d been Chaucer for a week!’
- my article on Kipling’s Dayspring Mishandled, his entertaining and peculiar account of a Chaucerian forgery, is out now with the Review of English Studies! I absolutely *loved* working on this.
academic.oup.com/res/advance-...
- my article on Kipling’s Dayspring Mishandled, his entertaining and peculiar account of a Chaucerian forgery, is out now with the Review of English Studies! I absolutely *loved* working on this.
academic.oup.com/res/advance-...
‘I’d been Chaucer for a week!’: Forging the Medieval in Kipling’s ‘Dayspring Mishandled’
ABSTRACT. Rudyard Kipling’s ‘Dayspring Mishandled’ describes the creation of a Chaucerian forgery in immense detail. The short story, first published in 19
academic.oup.com
January 30, 2026 at 10:36 AM
‘No wonder I got drunk that night. I’d been Chaucer for a week!’
- my article on Kipling’s Dayspring Mishandled, his entertaining and peculiar account of a Chaucerian forgery, is out now with the Review of English Studies! I absolutely *loved* working on this.
academic.oup.com/res/advance-...
- my article on Kipling’s Dayspring Mishandled, his entertaining and peculiar account of a Chaucerian forgery, is out now with the Review of English Studies! I absolutely *loved* working on this.
academic.oup.com/res/advance-...
Reposted by Dr Laura Varnam
In our latest blog post, Kirsty Bolton reflects on her experience of claiming a space of her own and the ways mothers occupied and used space within #medieval romances. Read the blog 👉 buff.ly/ZGItAjv
@lusignanmermaid.bsky.social #medievalsky #skystorians #womenhistory
@lusignanmermaid.bsky.social #medievalsky #skystorians #womenhistory
January 30, 2026 at 7:15 AM
In our latest blog post, Kirsty Bolton reflects on her experience of claiming a space of her own and the ways mothers occupied and used space within #medieval romances. Read the blog 👉 buff.ly/ZGItAjv
@lusignanmermaid.bsky.social #medievalsky #skystorians #womenhistory
@lusignanmermaid.bsky.social #medievalsky #skystorians #womenhistory
Reposted by Dr Laura Varnam
York St William shrine shown in Minster for first time in 500 years - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
York St William shrine shown in Minster for first time in 500 years
St William's shrine in York Minster was dismantled and buried in the city during the Reformation.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 30, 2026 at 7:35 AM
York St William shrine shown in Minster for first time in 500 years - BBC News
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Still listening to this- it’s excellent!- but it reminded me that when we did the Gawain & the Green Knight episode in 2024, I meant to recommend Murdoch’s novel THE GREEN KNIGHT as a fantastic adaptation / response. Check it out @backlisted.bsky.social friends!
So excited for the @backlisted.bsky.social episode on Iris Murdoch! I was OBSESSED with her when I was a grad student, and for years I refused to read the one last novel of hers on my list because I didn’t want to live in a world where there was no more Iris for me to read!! 🥹
January 29, 2026 at 5:37 PM
Still listening to this- it’s excellent!- but it reminded me that when we did the Gawain & the Green Knight episode in 2024, I meant to recommend Murdoch’s novel THE GREEN KNIGHT as a fantastic adaptation / response. Check it out @backlisted.bsky.social friends!
Reposted by Dr Laura Varnam
I ADORE this poem ❤️🔥🔥 @drlauravarnam.bsky.social
Congratulations on your incredible accomplishment and well deserved success. Thank you also for your kindness and generosity. 🥰
Congratulations on your incredible accomplishment and well deserved success. Thank you also for your kindness and generosity. 🥰
Absolutely over the moon to have three new poems from my Beowulf collection in the latest issue of @rialtopoetry.bsky.social 🎊✨ A dream publication! My queer love poem for Grendel’s Mother is dedicated to, and inspired by, the brilliant work of @pilgrimteresa.bsky.social ✨🙏🏻🥰
January 29, 2026 at 9:09 AM
I ADORE this poem ❤️🔥🔥 @drlauravarnam.bsky.social
Congratulations on your incredible accomplishment and well deserved success. Thank you also for your kindness and generosity. 🥰
Congratulations on your incredible accomplishment and well deserved success. Thank you also for your kindness and generosity. 🥰
Absolutely over the moon to have three new poems from my Beowulf collection in the latest issue of @rialtopoetry.bsky.social 🎊✨ A dream publication! My queer love poem for Grendel’s Mother is dedicated to, and inspired by, the brilliant work of @pilgrimteresa.bsky.social ✨🙏🏻🥰
January 29, 2026 at 8:43 AM
Absolutely over the moon to have three new poems from my Beowulf collection in the latest issue of @rialtopoetry.bsky.social 🎊✨ A dream publication! My queer love poem for Grendel’s Mother is dedicated to, and inspired by, the brilliant work of @pilgrimteresa.bsky.social ✨🙏🏻🥰
Reposted by Dr Laura Varnam
Welcome to all our new followers thanks to the latest @backlisted.bsky.social episode! If you're new here, you might like to check out our podcast series, perhaps starting here:
soundcloud.com/user-5488042...
soundcloud.com/user-5488042...
Iris Murdoch for Beginners Podcast
Joining me to present a general introduction to Murdoch's life and work are Prof. Cheryl Bove (Ball State University, USA), Prof. Avril Horner (Kingston University, UK), and Kieran Setiya (MIT, USA).
soundcloud.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Welcome to all our new followers thanks to the latest @backlisted.bsky.social episode! If you're new here, you might like to check out our podcast series, perhaps starting here:
soundcloud.com/user-5488042...
soundcloud.com/user-5488042...
Reposted by Dr Laura Varnam
Some powerfully resonant quotes from 'Salvation by Words' near the end of @backlisted.bsky.social on Iris Murdoch:
'Tyrants always fear art because tyrants want to mystify while art tends to clarify. The good artist is a vehicle of truth'
@irismurdoch.bsky.social
www.backlisted.fm/episodes/256...
'Tyrants always fear art because tyrants want to mystify while art tends to clarify. The good artist is a vehicle of truth'
@irismurdoch.bsky.social
www.backlisted.fm/episodes/256...
256. The Sacred and Profane Love Machine by Iris Murdoch — Backlisted
Ian Patterson, author of Books: A Manifesto (W&N), returns to Backlisted for a joyful discussion of Iris Murdoch and her sixteenth novel The Sacred and Profane Love Machine  ...
www.backlisted.fm
January 27, 2026 at 3:21 PM
Some powerfully resonant quotes from 'Salvation by Words' near the end of @backlisted.bsky.social on Iris Murdoch:
'Tyrants always fear art because tyrants want to mystify while art tends to clarify. The good artist is a vehicle of truth'
@irismurdoch.bsky.social
www.backlisted.fm/episodes/256...
'Tyrants always fear art because tyrants want to mystify while art tends to clarify. The good artist is a vehicle of truth'
@irismurdoch.bsky.social
www.backlisted.fm/episodes/256...
Reposted by Dr Laura Varnam
Faber is set to publish several new editions of Sylvia Plath works in 2026, including new editions of The Bell Jar and Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams, a "landmark" volume of Plath’s poetry and a selection of her reflections on writing 👇 #BookSky
Faber unveils 'ambitious' raft of Sylvia Plath publishing
ebx.sh
January 28, 2026 at 9:45 AM
Faber is set to publish several new editions of Sylvia Plath works in 2026, including new editions of The Bell Jar and Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams, a "landmark" volume of Plath’s poetry and a selection of her reflections on writing 👇 #BookSky
This term the Team English Breakfast Reading Group is Richardson’s PAMELA (1740) and you know what? I bloody LOVE it!!! Very well chosen by our students. Epistolary novel, incredible page-turner, fascinating female characters, and goes well with bacon & egg 😉 Can’t wait for next week!
January 28, 2026 at 10:02 AM
This term the Team English Breakfast Reading Group is Richardson’s PAMELA (1740) and you know what? I bloody LOVE it!!! Very well chosen by our students. Epistolary novel, incredible page-turner, fascinating female characters, and goes well with bacon & egg 😉 Can’t wait for next week!