Alkisti
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everalkisti.bsky.social
Alkisti
@everalkisti.bsky.social
130 followers 100 following 26 posts
Doctoral researcher working on children’s/fantasy literature & identity @ University of Edinburgh.
Writer, reader, adventurer.
Ever changing. ☕️📚❄️
It’s pronounced AHL-kee-stee.
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everalkisti.bsky.social
Alkisti @everalkisti.bsky.social · Nov 23
Hello folks! I’m Alkisti (Alix for short), a PhD student at the University of Edinburgh. My current research focuses on representations of giftedness as a form of otherness in children’s and YA literature. For this project I mainly study contemporary writers and mostly fantasy novels.
Reposted by Alkisti
swinc-edi.bsky.social
We’re delighted to share details of ‘Nature Nurture: Edinburgh’s Childgarden Heritage, Cultures of Care, and Scottish Women’s Writing’, a symposium on 6 June, organised by our friends and colleagues @selcie.bsky.social!

Get your free ticket here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nature-nur...

See you there!
Nature Nurture: SELCIE Symposium
Edinburgh’s Childgarden Heritage, Cultures of Care, and Scottish Women’s Writing
www.eventbrite.co.uk
April 17, 2025 at 6:11 AM
Reposted by Alkisti
selcie.bsky.social
SAVE the DATE for a new SELCIE Symposium!🦉 6 June 2025, 12.00-17.00, University of Edinburgh. 'Nature Nurture: Edinburgh's Childgarden Heritage, Cultures of Care, and Scottish Women's Writing' 🌱 Details & booking info coming soon! #scottishliterature #children #nature #edimburgh @asls.org.uk
Image shows a photograph from the 1900s of eight children playing with a black and white rabbit. Another rabbit is running away in the foreground.
April 14, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Reposted by Alkisti
whereisyvette.bsky.social
It’s April Fools Day, meaning astronomers write joke paper preprints on topics, so here’s one about Taylor Swift’s eras compared to the eras of the universe:

arxiv.org/abs/2503.22795

🔭🧪
The Eras Tour: Mapping the Eras of Taylor Swift to the Cosmological Eras of the Universe
This paper explores an unexpected yet compelling parallel between the evolution of the universe, as described by cosmological eras, and the artistic evolution of Taylor Swift, delineated by her distin...
arxiv.org
April 1, 2025 at 10:30 AM
everalkisti.bsky.social
Any mutuals attending #BSLS2025?
March 19, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Reposted by Alkisti
astroroyalscot.bsky.social
So many things to be excited about with today’s #ESAEuclid data splash, but this👇is the result I’m most in awe of: “mass curves spacetime” in action, revealed in exquisite detail for absolutely oodles of galaxies, all thanks to citizen scientists❤️ 🔭🧪
science.esa.int ESA Space Science @science.esa.int · Mar 19
Using #AI models & #CitizenScience contributions, another first catalogue of 500 galaxy-galaxy strong lens candidates is also released today, almost all of which were previously unknown. 8/
🔭🧪 #astrosci
A collage of fourteen by eight squares containing examples of gravitational lenses. Each example typically comprises a bright centre with smears of stars in an arc or multiple arcs around it as a result of light travelling towards Euclid from distant galaxies being bent and distorted by normal and dark matter in the foreground. In some rare cases the smearing is in a complete ring, creating a so-called Einstein Ring.
March 19, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Reposted by Alkisti
ijyalnews.bsky.social
The International Journal of Young Adult Literature is now on BlueSky!
March 17, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Reposted by Alkisti
adrianaguatame.bsky.social
A friend included this anti-acknowledgement section on her PhD thesis. She also added the proposition: “Systematic bullying and undermining of girls and women in STEM starts early on and is the reason why they do not stay in science and related fields.”
Absurd we still need to go through this
🧪👩‍🔬
There have been people less than helpful in my journey here. I wanted to acknowledge those too, bc I know I am not unique in this experience. No thank you to the physics study assoc that made me sing songs about how women couldn't study physics without sleeping with the professor, the day I stepped into university life. No thank you to the 5th year physics student that decided to assign me a stripper name within the first minute of meeting me in the physics coffee corner in my first year. No thank you to the technician that was responsible for onboarding me on the use of the cluster in my third year who raised his eyebrows and asked me if that meant I was some sort of computer girl. No thank you to the senior researcher that sent me utterly inappropriate texts after a conference, then proceeded to apologise months later by telling me they had not been meant for me anyway so no hard feelings remain hopefully And no thank you to him for attending every conference I've been to since. No thank you to the people who told me that it was surprising that I was doing a PhD since I was a girl. No thank you to the man who mistook me for a coffee lady at a conference, and after having to correct him two times that I did not work there, responded with you should consider it. No thank you to the researcher that asked me what I was wearing underneath my outfit during a conference. No thank you to the physicist who declared to a room full of other physicists that biologists don't know how to design an experiment. No thank you to the people who have called me scary instead of strong and intimidating instead of intelligent. And finally, no thank you to the exec board of the TU Delft, whose knee-jerk reaction to being held up a mirror about the social safety at the university, was to sue the party holding up the mirror instead of looking at the problems they highlighted. ... You have made me feel like I do not belong in science & I cannot forgive you for that.
March 6, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Reposted by Alkisti
selcie.bsky.social
'Nature [is] a metaphorical stand-in for those with neither voice nor power'. Calvin Goh explores the link between nature, children & fairy tales in our new blog 🌿💚 #childrensbooks #fairytales #naturenurture 🐦🌸🦉 blogs.ed.ac.uk/selcie/2025/...
The Magical Nature of Nature in Andersen’s Fairy Tales – SELCIE
In the first of a new series of blogposts in the run-up to the opening of our new spring exhibition, Nurture Through Nature with Children’s Books, Calvin Goh revisits the poignant, magical nature worlds which come alive in the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen.
blogs.ed.ac.uk
February 14, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Reposted by Alkisti
selcie.bsky.social
To mark the run-up to our exhibition at Museum of Edinburgh, in partnership with Museum of Childhood, we have a new series of blogposts on Nature Nurture in children's books! Starting Valentine's Day 💚🍃 #lovenature #children #books #museums blogs.ed.ac.uk/selcie/about/ @uoe-llc.bsky.social
About – SELCIE
blogs.ed.ac.uk
February 7, 2025 at 1:16 PM
everalkisti.bsky.social
What are people’s favourite #podcasts? Hit me up with some #recommendations pls. Any theme goes.
February 5, 2025 at 8:31 AM
everalkisti.bsky.social
Some days are just difficult like that. Motivation is low, anxiety soars and all the admin annoyances merely add to the despair. Then a good supervision meeting, one where you genuinely enjoy the discussion, reminds you why you started in the first place. I guess that’s good, right? #PhD #PhDlife
January 31, 2025 at 9:41 PM
everalkisti.bsky.social
Currently reading #Quantum in Pictures (Coecke and Gogioso). Can anyone help a total newbie with some questions on cups and caps?
January 24, 2025 at 1:03 PM
everalkisti.bsky.social
#CFP: If you’re interested in constructed languages in #fantasy do have a look at this. The Inklings Society symposium was a lovely, welcoming experience for me last year.
Phantastische Bibliothek - Wetzlarer Tage der Phantastik 2025
Die Phantastische Bibliothek Wetzlar ist eine Spezialbibliothek für phantastische Literatur (Science Fiction, Fantasy, Utopien, Horror, Phantastik, Märchen/Sagen/Mythen, Reise- und Abenteuerliteratur)...
www.phantastik.eu
January 17, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Reposted by Alkisti
menysnoweballes.bsky.social
Just found out that as of today that History as a whole is being notified that we’re at risk of redundancy. This’ll be the second time I’ve had to reapply for my own job in under 5 years! Our sector is at breaking point.
menysnoweballes.bsky.social Rachel Moss @menysnoweballes.bsky.social · Jan 8
The University of Northampton is making significant cuts that put many programmes at risk, including our MA in History. Our Union branch has started a petition about these cuts in general, please sign and share. chng.it/HmQLFK8Lry We also have letters from learned socs & groups supporting History. 🗃️
Sign the Petition
STOP The Job Cuts at the University of Northampton
chng.it
January 16, 2025 at 12:25 PM
everalkisti.bsky.social
Is anyone aware of starter packs for children’s literature and literature and science?
January 12, 2025 at 2:12 PM
everalkisti.bsky.social
Can’t help but wonder if this tendency to disparage winter contributes to the collective approach towards and the underlying basis of climate change.
saimihanma.bsky.social Saimi Hanma ⚔️ @saimihanma.bsky.social · Jan 10
I'm already really tired of my timeline being full of people disparaging winter, so, fellow winter lovers, let's share how wonderous this season is.

These photos were from one winter day along the Straight of Juan de Fuca.
a photo from a rocky jetty of the sea which is a greenish color contrasted with dark blue clouds above, a single seagull stands on the jetty a huge ass chonky sea lion half in the water with eyes closed and a derpy smile, his back golden from the low winter sun a view down a spit covered in low grass, driftwood and kelp, water on both sides a forest in the distance and behind that snow covered mountains a frothy surf with waves on a shingle beach with driftwood and washed up kelp, mountains in the distance
January 11, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Reposted by Alkisti
asls.org.uk
CFP: Cultures of Care in Scottish Women’s Writing

Special issue of SCOTTISH LITERARY REVIEW
ed. by Dr @sarahdunnigan.bsky.social & Dr @ainsley76.bsky.social

Please send abstracts for consideration by 30 January 2025
Full details below
CALL FOR PAPERS 'CULTURES OF CARE IN SCOTTISH WOMEN'S WRITING' Papers are invited for a special issue which will explore the myriad ways in which the concept of care has been imagined by Scottish women writers. 'Care' encompasses a diversity of meanings across philosophical, moral, and spiritual traditions; in practices which range from social to medial to therapeutic, and beyond; and in semantic terms evokes ideas of nurture, protection, welfare; feelings of solicitude, concern, love. ‘To care for’ someone, or something, is both to experience, and to enact, such affect with vigilance and a kind of watchful attention. We are interested in the ways in which Scottish women writers - across a variety of genres and forms - have imaginatively explored the concept of care as ethos and/or practice. We also invite a range of theoretical and disciplinary approaches from (for example) environmental humanities; medical humanities; history of emotion studies. Themes which might be explored include, but are not limited to: care of, and for self; care of, and for others, including communities and networks; care for nature, environment, and non-human others; therapeutic and/or medical care; concepts of welfare (individual and collective); ideas of nurture; expression of affect and emotion (including anxiety); care as cultural activism; writing/ creating as an act of care; the experience of being taken care of. Please send 200-word abstracts and a short bio to s.m.dunnigan@ed.ac.uk and amcinto9@ed.ac.uk by Thursday 30 January 2025
December 30, 2024 at 12:02 PM
Reposted by Alkisti
dimitrafimi.bsky.social
18 December on the #fantasyadvent: #Tolkien wasn’t the only fantasist to send his children 🎅 letters! Here’s Mark Twain’s letter from Santa Claus to his 3yo daughter Susie, first published in My Father, Mark Twain (1931) by Clara Clemens: twainquotes.com/santaclaus.html
@uofgfantasy.bsky.social
December 18, 2024 at 8:14 AM
everalkisti.bsky.social
Just published! ijyal.ac.uk/12/volume/5/...
Volume 5 - Issue 1 - 2024 | The International Journal of Young Adult Literature
The International Journal of Young Adult Literature is an academic peer-reviewed journal dedicated to publishing original and serious scholarship on young adult literature from all parts of the world....
ijyal.ac.uk
December 16, 2024 at 6:55 PM
everalkisti.bsky.social
I am writing on #intelligence in #childrensliterature and struggling to come across relevant research on this topic. Has anyone read anything interesting lately?
December 15, 2024 at 10:13 AM
everalkisti.bsky.social
This coupled with the tendency to merely read aloud, without any interaction with the audience or intonation, having a speaker seem utterly uncomfortable if they lose their place in reading, makes me completely unable to follow a presentation, let alone engage with it.
effjayem.bsky.social Farah Mendlesohn @effjayem.bsky.social · Dec 7
Dear academic colleagues: if you are presenting a paper, SLOW DOWN. No, not that slow, S L O W E R. I don't care how many words you have to get in. I care about being able to listen to your paper at a speed that allows me to think about it. And some of you wonder why you don't get questions.
December 7, 2024 at 3:26 PM
Reposted by Alkisti
mrsemilyfinch.bsky.social
A good word from Mary Oliver this morning. 💙
@maryoliverdaily.bsky.social
December 7, 2024 at 2:01 PM
everalkisti.bsky.social
What’s the point of universities offering #distancelearning options if those students don’t receive the same opportunities as in person ones, incl. in funding, tutoring, working etc.? Ughhh so so frustrated this morning #Phdlife
December 3, 2024 at 10:09 AM
everalkisti.bsky.social
😍
shakespeareandcompany.com Shakespeare and Company @shakespeareandcompany.com · Nov 28
Our latest newsletter is out, and it features this little beauty. Find out more: mailchi.mp/shakespearea...
November 29, 2024 at 12:22 PM