Gail Marshall

@gailmarshall.bsky.social

430 followers 360 following 41 posts

Head of School and Prof of Victorian Literature at University of Reading. Chair of University English

Videos

Education 26%

Art 24%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Gail Marshall

PRL @usrbinprl.bsky.social · 29d

One of the finest software engineers I've ever had the pleasure to work with had a degree in music. Another had a degree in Egyptology.
The important thing was that their degrees taught them how to think. Their love of the subjects just made things better.

Reposted by Christine Kooi, Michael H. Whitworth, Fiona Moore , and 3 more Christine Kooi, Michael H. Whitworth, Fiona Moore, Gail Marshall, Annette Yoshiko Reed, Karin Wulf

Andrea Kaston Tange @aktange.bsky.social · 29d

My latest: "Numerous studies show that majors in the humanities—typically, in departments of English, history, philosophy, religious studies, classics and languages—lead students to employment and life satisfaction outcomes as positive as those for majors traditionally championed as 'practical.'”

Counterpoint | Minnesota humanities graduates thrive in meaningful careers

"The stereotype of the underemployed history major is simply not true," professor Andrea Kaston Tange writes.

www.startribune.com

Reposted by Gail Marshall

Rob Townsend @rbtownsend.bsky.social · Oct 6

“Prioritising a narrow set of disciplines could mean we lose talented arts, humanities and social sciences graduates who help drive innovation and tackle huge societal challenges. Student choice is vital.” bit.ly/3KAReIQ

Maintenance grants only for priority courses ‘deeply concerning’

Using financial incentives to influence student choice risk undermining Labour’s widening access goals, critics fear

bit.ly

Gail Marshall @gailmarshall.bsky.social · Sep 19

#EnglishCreates @univeng.bsky.social @englishassociation.bsky.social

Gail Marshall @gailmarshall.bsky.social · Sep 11

📚Join us on 30 Oct 2025 at Senate House for The History of English Studies in Britain symposium
🎤 Speakers include Carole Atherton, Gail Marshall, Ronan McDonald, Christopher Stray, Stuart Jones, & Stefan Collini
Free (booking required)👉 tinyurl.com/43z9mxnc
#EnglishStudies #Humanities #Literature

The History of English Studies in Britain: a Symposium

tinyurl.com

Reposted by Lesley A. Hall, Alan Clarke, Michael H. Whitworth , and 2 more Lesley A. Hall, Alan Clarke, Michael H. Whitworth, Gail Marshall, Dan Hicks

Davenant 📸 @marcdavenant.bsky.social · Aug 24

I’ve documented protests for decades. The asylum hotel protests I’ve photographed have all been very small. When I first turned up at the Newcastle protest, and asked the police where the protesters were, they pointed to one man and said he’s over there.

Four police officers on horses and a single protester with a union flag

Gail Marshall @gailmarshall.bsky.social · Aug 21

It’s deeply ingrained. I’m just finishing a book about 1859 and the same exceptionalist attitudes are on full display there too

Reposted by Gail Marshall, Ros Ballaster

Simon Kövesi @kovesi.bsky.social · Aug 18

The Ronald Blythe Fellowship is John Clare Society's new scheme awarding a PhD student focusing on Clare a £1000 bursary to support their work.
Please pass on - &/or contact me or Honorary Secretary of the Society, Karen Lakey, for further information:
johnclaresociety.wordpress.com/contact-us/

Reposted by Michael H. Whitworth, Gail Marshall

Dr Lindsay Maxwell @parisdaguerre.bsky.social · Aug 15

BBC Today is reporting that “at least 94” data centres will be built in the next 5 years in the U.K.
How can we possibly justify doing that when we can’t get a full electric car charging network built, & the power infrastructure is insufficient to connect new wind farms, never mind water shortages

Reposted by Anne Chapman, Gail Marshall

Holidays Ryan @ryanboyd.bsky.social · Mar 15

Every research report: Humanities majors have great career prospects!

Every research university: Here's why sadly we must restructure the humanities,

Reposted by Gail Marshall

Rickard Sisters @rickardsisters.com · Jul 25

You can pre-order This Slavery here from us, or even better, you can pre-order it at any real-life tax-paying bookshop from knowledgeable friendly booksellers on real wages ✊

🔥 Publication is 11th Sep in UK and 7th Oct in US & Canada 🔥

rickardsisters.com/product/this-slavery/

A book cover. The text reads ETHEL CARNIE HOLDSWORTH’S THIS SLAVERY, a graphic novel by Scarlett & Sophie Rickard. The full page illustration shows two women standing back to back in a steep terraced street at sunset. The blonde woman holds a violin, the dark haired woman wears a man’s coat. A young man looks at them from an upstairs window on the left, and on the right there is a perky white and brown dog. In the distance the factory chimneys smoke. It’s all very ‘mills & doom’

Gail Marshall @gailmarshall.bsky.social · Jul 22

Did AI write this??

Gail Marshall @gailmarshall.bsky.social · Jul 19

Yes, all of them, plus first parts of Tennyson’s Idylls, Mrs Beeton, and The Woman in White

Gail Marshall @gailmarshall.bsky.social · Jul 19

I’m finishing a book on 1859 and was reading your account of the voting reform efforts that year

Gail Marshall @gailmarshall.bsky.social · Jul 19

@robertsaunders.bsky.social I was just reading your excellent book on the 1867 Reform Act. It was really helpful. Thank you!

Gail Marshall @gailmarshall.bsky.social · Jul 19

Footballer Héctor Bellerín’s reading list

Gail Marshall @gailmarshall.bsky.social · Jul 16

I just signed this petition calling for better cooperation with the EU on the environment. Will you add your name, too? www.europeanmovement.co.uk/uk-eu-enviro...

Reposted by Simon Roux, Ian Hall, Charles West , and 4 more Simon Roux, Ian Hall, Charles West, John A. Graves, Greg O’Brien, Gail Marshall, Steve Murdoch

Glen O'Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social · Jul 13

Decades of mechanistic talk about university degrees as if they were bundles of 'skills' and 'prep' are about to be proved completely wrong (obviously). Want to get a real boost? Do History or English.

Reposted by Claire Connolly, Gail Marshall

University English @univeng.bsky.social · Jul 6

Huge thanks to Helen Smith wordsmith.bsky.social for an excellent English: Shared Futures conference. It was inspiring, exciting, and fun, and especially moving to hear so many friends and colleagues speaking about why and how English matters to them

Helen Smith (@wordsmith.bsky.social)

Professor, @UoYEnglish. Printer, @thinicepress. Opinions mainly culled from the dustier corners of the sixenteenth century.

wordsmith.bsky.social

Reposted by Gail Marshall

Loughborough English @lboroenglish.bsky.social · Jun 17

@drclaireocall.bsky.social is the keynote speaker at this ‘Violence, Health, and the Health Humanities’ workshop @uniofreading.bsky.social’s Centre for Health Humanities. It’s tomorrow 1-5pm @sophiefranklin.bsky.social

Reposted by Gail Marshall, Adrian Streete

Simon Kövesi @kovesi.bsky.social · Jun 17

Excited to chair an online discussion this Thursday, hosted by @englishassociation.bsky.social, on why boys in the GCSE / A level system (not so much in Scotland) are drifting away from study of English.
Featuring some brilliant speakers from across our subject:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/boys-and-e...

Boys and English: Why are young men turning away from our subject?

Explore trends, root causes, and solutions alongside the contributors to the English Association's Spring Newsletter

www.eventbrite.co.uk

Reposted by Gail Marshall

University English @univeng.bsky.social · Jun 16

Above all, Simon was the essence of generosity, an engaging and wonderful speaker, the person you’d be delighted to see at any conference or seminar, a rich and very present presence.
University English sends its condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.

Reposted by Gail Marshall

University English @univeng.bsky.social · Jun 16

He was a well-known scholar of the late-19th century, publishing especially influentially on Wells and Gissing. Simon was one-time editor of The Wellsian journal, and edited Vile Bodies for OUP’s landmark Collected Works of Evelyn Waugh.

Reposted by Gail Marshall

University English @univeng.bsky.social · Jun 16

We're really sorry to hear of the death of our dear colleague Professor Simon James.
From 2016-19, Simon was PI on the Arts Council England and Durham University collaboration, the Durham Commission on Creativity which investigated the benefits of creativity for young people.

Reposted by Gail Marshall

Tim Waterman @tim-waterman.co.uk · Jun 16

"the antidote to our overlapping crises is not just better data or smarter technologies—it is expansive imagination. And that imagination is cultivated not in labs or spreadsheets, but through the critical, creative, and interpretive work of the humanities." wonkhe.com/blogs/our-fu...

Our future may depend on the humanities

For Peter Sutoris, the humanities hold the key to understanding and responding to the many civilisational crises we face

wonkhe.com

Reposted by Gail Marshall

University English @univeng.bsky.social · Jun 10

Championing Scots, influencing public policy, and working with communities and creatives

Reposted by Gail Marshall

University English @univeng.bsky.social · Jun 10

More impact stories from #EnglishCreates including this project based in www.reading.ac.uk/english-lite... building local pride and championing working-class writers
More great work at: www.reading.ac.uk/english-lite...

Reposted by Gail Marshall

University English @univeng.bsky.social · Jun 9

And yet more: creative writing colleagues at www.aber.ac.uk/en/english/ help patients with long covid. More evidence that English can help to create a better, healthier world #EnglishCreates

Reposted by Gail Marshall

University English @univeng.bsky.social · Jun 9

How English at www.aber.ac.uk/en/english/ is helping the NHS #EnglishCreates

Reposted by Gail Marshall

University English @univeng.bsky.social · Jun 9

More great impact from www.aber.ac.uk/en/english/
bringing literature and literary opportunities to new groups

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