Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social
Imperial Island: A History of Empire in Modern Britain (Penguin 2023)/An Alternative History of the British Empire (HUP 2024). Is Free Speech Under Threat? (2024).
https://linktr.ee/charlottelydiariley
repped by Carrie Plitt @FBA
views are all mine 💫
https://linktr.ee/charlottelydiariley
repped by Carrie Plitt @FBA
views are all mine 💫
Pinned
We’re thrilled to celebrate our colleague @lottelydia.bsky.social, whose book Imperial Island (Harvard University Press, 2024) has just been awarded the Herbert Baxter Adams Prize by the American Historical Association! This prestigious award acknowledges Charlotte’s thought-provoking work.
American Historical Association Announces 2025 Prize Winners – AHA
The American Historical Association is pleased to announce the winners of its 2025 prizes.
www.historians.org
🥳
I can’t bring myself to read this, but one day I hope there is as much time and energy devoted to the problem of the online radicalisation of vulnerable pregnant people and parents, as there is to the online radicalisation of young white men.
This might be one of the most disturbing pieces I’ve ever read. Staggering investigative work from Sirin Kale and Lucy Osbourne www.theguardian.com/world/ng-int...
Influencers made millions pushing ‘wild’ births – now the Free Birth Society is linked to baby deaths around the world
A year-long investigation reveals how mothers lost children after being radicalised by uplifting podcast tales of births without midwives or doctors
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 6:23 PM
I can’t bring myself to read this, but one day I hope there is as much time and energy devoted to the problem of the online radicalisation of vulnerable pregnant people and parents, as there is to the online radicalisation of young white men.
the “ban on gender selection” has always been objectionable and unworkable anyway. sorry but either pregnant people have a right to abortion or they do not. you don’t get to decide why someone might choose to terminate a pregnancy, nor do they have to tell anyone the “real” reason.
Good people of Bluesky, I know you will be as shocked, confused and discombobulated as I am to see a “gender critical” parroting religious right, anti-abortion talking points. I am shooketh I tell you!
WHY DID NOBODY WARN US?
Narrator: trans people & allies have been warning us for years…
WHY DID NOBODY WARN US?
Narrator: trans people & allies have been warning us for years…
November 20, 2025 at 10:37 PM
the “ban on gender selection” has always been objectionable and unworkable anyway. sorry but either pregnant people have a right to abortion or they do not. you don’t get to decide why someone might choose to terminate a pregnancy, nor do they have to tell anyone the “real” reason.
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
There is something intensely bleak about students using gAI in an assignment asking them to respond to a text about enslaved people--so sad.
Students are being misled into stripping themselves of the ability to read, write, think by our own universities and Big Tech
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
Students are being misled into stripping themselves of the ability to read, write, think by our own universities and Big Tech
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
November 20, 2025 at 9:03 PM
There is something intensely bleak about students using gAI in an assignment asking them to respond to a text about enslaved people--so sad.
Students are being misled into stripping themselves of the ability to read, write, think by our own universities and Big Tech
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
Students are being misled into stripping themselves of the ability to read, write, think by our own universities and Big Tech
www.huffpost.com/entry/histor...
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
Ok but this is totally something Charlotte Church would do
Just realised this is referring to a church in North Carolina and not the Welsh singer
November 20, 2025 at 9:15 PM
Ok but this is totally something Charlotte Church would do
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
The Valley Girl’s prayer
make me ready, Lord, for whatever
November 20, 2025 at 8:37 AM
The Valley Girl’s prayer
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
The whole problem with current Labour is encapsulated right here in this paragraph. One hand tries to ameliorate child poverty while the other hand makes it worse.
Some of us think immigrants and their children count. That they, too, are people. Some of us don’t.
Some of us think immigrants and their children count. That they, too, are people. Some of us don’t.
November 20, 2025 at 8:44 AM
The whole problem with current Labour is encapsulated right here in this paragraph. One hand tries to ameliorate child poverty while the other hand makes it worse.
Some of us think immigrants and their children count. That they, too, are people. Some of us don’t.
Some of us think immigrants and their children count. That they, too, are people. Some of us don’t.
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
I find these cash-grab pastiches particularly pointless in the case of Wodehouse. He wrote 71 novels and 200+ short stories! There's almost certainly some Wodehouse you haven't read yet!
Jeeves Again review – new Jeeves and Wooster stories by celebrity fans
Jeeves Again review – new Jeeves and Wooster stories by celebrity fans
This collection of new short stories about Bertie and his valet pays homage to the genius of PG Wodehouse – just in time for Christmas
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:36 AM
I find these cash-grab pastiches particularly pointless in the case of Wodehouse. He wrote 71 novels and 200+ short stories! There's almost certainly some Wodehouse you haven't read yet!
“Seven women told Bloomberg about alleged rapes or sexual assaults across the university in the past five years, while more than 30 described direct experiences of harassment or bullying over the past 20 years.”
But the truth will always out. Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
Here is the full article from Bloomberg:
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Here is the full article from Bloomberg:
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Oxford University Has Failed Women Over Harassment Concerns, Staff Say
The university has repeatedly been slow to act against male academics accused of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior, a Bloomberg investigation found.
www.bloomberg.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:16 PM
“Seven women told Bloomberg about alleged rapes or sexual assaults across the university in the past five years, while more than 30 described direct experiences of harassment or bullying over the past 20 years.”
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
One of the giants of social psychology was a serial sexual harasser.
This new report reveals how Miles Hewstone touched, bullied, and sexual harassed numerous women during his 18 years at the University of Oxford. It's amazing how often bullying and sexual harassment go together in academia.
This new report reveals how Miles Hewstone touched, bullied, and sexual harassed numerous women during his 18 years at the University of Oxford. It's amazing how often bullying and sexual harassment go together in academia.
November 19, 2025 at 10:30 PM
One of the giants of social psychology was a serial sexual harasser.
This new report reveals how Miles Hewstone touched, bullied, and sexual harassed numerous women during his 18 years at the University of Oxford. It's amazing how often bullying and sexual harassment go together in academia.
This new report reveals how Miles Hewstone touched, bullied, and sexual harassed numerous women during his 18 years at the University of Oxford. It's amazing how often bullying and sexual harassment go together in academia.
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
Part 1 of Why the Hell am I learning Irish series is here.
If ‘My tiger ate the apple on a cloudy but sunny day in Clonee with my sister Patrick’, is what you'd like to learn, then I take it all back, DuoLingo is for you."
Enjoy!
timwrite.net/factual-work...
If ‘My tiger ate the apple on a cloudy but sunny day in Clonee with my sister Patrick’, is what you'd like to learn, then I take it all back, DuoLingo is for you."
Enjoy!
timwrite.net/factual-work...
I learn Irish – Part 1 – Duolingo sucks
In which DuoLingo gets short shrift. Let me begin like a churl. The Irish language (Gaeilge) is far from the beautiful, lyrical, poetic encoding of deep emotions and profound contemplation that some ...
timwrite.net
November 19, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Part 1 of Why the Hell am I learning Irish series is here.
If ‘My tiger ate the apple on a cloudy but sunny day in Clonee with my sister Patrick’, is what you'd like to learn, then I take it all back, DuoLingo is for you."
Enjoy!
timwrite.net/factual-work...
If ‘My tiger ate the apple on a cloudy but sunny day in Clonee with my sister Patrick’, is what you'd like to learn, then I take it all back, DuoLingo is for you."
Enjoy!
timwrite.net/factual-work...
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
BREAKING: The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of a Belfast-based non-religious father and his child that the exclusively Christian teaching of Religious Education and mandatory Christian collective worship in Northern Ireland are discriminatory under human rights law.
November 19, 2025 at 10:03 AM
BREAKING: The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of a Belfast-based non-religious father and his child that the exclusively Christian teaching of Religious Education and mandatory Christian collective worship in Northern Ireland are discriminatory under human rights law.
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
I disagree. It’s central to the country’s bad vibes that we cut state support for the working poor and have compensated for that, poorly, by shunting some of the costs onto businesses and the rest onto to telling the people who have lost out “life’s tough, adapt”.
Weird thing: the UK minimum wage has risen against inflation for years. It's now really high. Millions of people are earning more than they were as a direct result of this policy. And the impact on the vibes of the country is… entirely absent?
November 19, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I disagree. It’s central to the country’s bad vibes that we cut state support for the working poor and have compensated for that, poorly, by shunting some of the costs onto businesses and the rest onto to telling the people who have lost out “life’s tough, adapt”.
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
There needs to be a socially normal way of sending up a message to everyone you know that says "ATTENTION: I have forgotten something. If I have an upcoming obligation to you please remind me about it post-haste even if it obviously can't be that."
Nightmare. Been battling a sense of dreadful unease for the last hour. Turns out I had scheduled a panel for today that I had put in as happening next week (now in a cab to it), which is both embarrassing but also a fascinating insight into how unhelpful the brain can be.
November 19, 2025 at 4:48 PM
There needs to be a socially normal way of sending up a message to everyone you know that says "ATTENTION: I have forgotten something. If I have an upcoming obligation to you please remind me about it post-haste even if it obviously can't be that."
This just made me really sad.
A few months ago @thelocal.to got a promising pitch from a writer with bylines in whole bunch of reputable publications—The Cut, The Guardian, Dwell, Architectural Digest, etc. Then I started investigating. Here's a story about fabulists in journalism's AI slop era. thelocal.to/investigatin...
Investigating a Possible Scammer in Journalism’s AI Era | The Local
A suspicious pitch from a freelancer led editor Nicholas Hune-Brown to dig into their past work. By the end, four publications, including The Guardian and Dwell, had removed articles from their sites.
thelocal.to
November 19, 2025 at 4:48 PM
This just made me really sad.
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
Alf Dubs is a 92 year old man who spent his life fighting for refugees, and in particular for refugee children. He fought the Tories tooth and nail during their last three terms, only to see Labour adopt far-right policies on immigration.
“But to use children as a weapon ... I’m lost for words.”
“But to use children as a weapon ... I’m lost for words.”
Labour Peer Who Fled The Nazis Condemns His Party's Immigration Crackdown
Lord Dubs said he was "lost for words".
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 8:20 AM
Alf Dubs is a 92 year old man who spent his life fighting for refugees, and in particular for refugee children. He fought the Tories tooth and nail during their last three terms, only to see Labour adopt far-right policies on immigration.
“But to use children as a weapon ... I’m lost for words.”
“But to use children as a weapon ... I’m lost for words.”
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
Join us online, at 2.30pm this afternoon, for the launch of our new co-hosted Applied History Fellowships for postdoc historians, with @ihr.bsky.social & DC Thomson bit.ly/4ofWArN
Fellowships will enable holders to develop historical skills for use in workplaces beyond higher education #Skystorians
Fellowships will enable holders to develop historical skills for use in workplaces beyond higher education #Skystorians
New programme of 'Applied History Fellowships': launch and introductory event - RHS
In 2025-26 the Institute of Historical Research (IHR), Royal Historical Society and DC Thomson will launch a new Applied History Fellowship partnership. Join us at this online session -- 2.30pm on Wed...
bit.ly
November 19, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Join us online, at 2.30pm this afternoon, for the launch of our new co-hosted Applied History Fellowships for postdoc historians, with @ihr.bsky.social & DC Thomson bit.ly/4ofWArN
Fellowships will enable holders to develop historical skills for use in workplaces beyond higher education #Skystorians
Fellowships will enable holders to develop historical skills for use in workplaces beyond higher education #Skystorians
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
NARRATOR: Roth quite clearly did not name call & we need our leaders to stop granting <every bad faith premise> of the far right authoritarians' lawless assault on higher education before we push back.
November 18, 2025 at 10:10 PM
NARRATOR: Roth quite clearly did not name call & we need our leaders to stop granting <every bad faith premise> of the far right authoritarians' lawless assault on higher education before we push back.
Sort of amazing (derogatory) that not a single male reporter objected to this in the moment
When asked if there was anything "incriminating" in Epstein's emails, Trump pointed a finger in a female reporter's face and snapped. 'Quiet. Quiet, Piggy.'
people.com/donald-trump...
people.com/donald-trump...
Donald Trump Snaps at Female Reporter Who Asks About Epstein Files: 'Quiet Piggy'
Donald Trump Says 'Quiet Piggy' to Female Reporter Asking About Epstein Files
people.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Sort of amazing (derogatory) that not a single male reporter objected to this in the moment
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
the Americans are giving it that about Olivia Nuzzi but it's worth remembering that in Westminster it is really quite common for political correspondents and journalists in general to be having sex with government ministers or spokespeople, if only because they are married to them.
November 18, 2025 at 11:13 PM
the Americans are giving it that about Olivia Nuzzi but it's worth remembering that in Westminster it is really quite common for political correspondents and journalists in general to be having sex with government ministers or spokespeople, if only because they are married to them.
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
Is it milk?
A handy guide to measuring like a Brit.
A handy guide to measuring like a Brit.
November 18, 2025 at 7:08 AM
Is it milk?
A handy guide to measuring like a Brit.
A handy guide to measuring like a Brit.
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
mr president sir theres a story coming about how you intervened to help a sex criminal. no sir, not that sex criminal you helped….no not that one either…sir, please stop guessing sex criminals that you helped. ill give you a hint sir, hes a trafficker. no sir, not that trafficker a different one
NEW: When Andrew Tate landed in the US, Customs & Border Protection seized his electronic devices. But @propublica.org found that a White House official told DHS to return the devices, emphasizing that the request came from the White House.
By @robert-faturechi.bsky.social & Avi Asher-Schapiro
By @robert-faturechi.bsky.social & Avi Asher-Schapiro
The White House Intervened on Behalf of Accused Sex Trafficker Andrew Tate During a Federal Investigation
Federal authorities were chided for seizing electronic devices from Tate and his brother, and told to return them, records and interviews show. Experts said the intervention was highly inappropriate.
www.propublica.org
November 18, 2025 at 1:10 PM
mr president sir theres a story coming about how you intervened to help a sex criminal. no sir, not that sex criminal you helped….no not that one either…sir, please stop guessing sex criminals that you helped. ill give you a hint sir, hes a trafficker. no sir, not that trafficker a different one
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
'Nottingham will be the only Russell Group university not to teach modern foreign languages degrees if it approves plans to close a swath of courses including Spanish and French as well as music and dozens of others.' 1/3
University of Nottingham considers axing language and music degrees
Total of 48 degrees could disappear from Russell Group institution, with falling revenues and rising costs blamed
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:01 PM
'Nottingham will be the only Russell Group university not to teach modern foreign languages degrees if it approves plans to close a swath of courses including Spanish and French as well as music and dozens of others.' 1/3
The thing about Tories complaining about soaring welfare spending is: the UK spends £174.9 billion a year on pensions. That number will continue to increase as life expectancy increases (hopefully). The only meaningful way to reduce this burden is to increase the working age population!
November 18, 2025 at 7:45 PM
The thing about Tories complaining about soaring welfare spending is: the UK spends £174.9 billion a year on pensions. That number will continue to increase as life expectancy increases (hopefully). The only meaningful way to reduce this burden is to increase the working age population!
Reposted by Charlotte Lydia Riley
God grant me the confidence of a conservative politician engaged in doctrinal debate with a religious denomination
Badenoch describes Church of England as 'Labour party at prayer', as she says letting welfare spending soar 'not Christian' - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
November 18, 2025 at 4:56 PM
God grant me the confidence of a conservative politician engaged in doctrinal debate with a religious denomination
this would have the knock on effect of putting a load of 100k earners over the free childcare hours threshold (and I’m not exactly getting out my violin for people who earn 100k but it’s an utterly ridiculous policy — as is the child benefit cap, even with its new tapered approach)
A Cycle to Work cap would be a mistake – we need as many people buying bikes as possible
www.cyclingweekly.com/news/a-cycle...
www.cyclingweekly.com/news/a-cycle...
A Cycle to Work cap would be a mistake – we need as many people buying bikes as possible
Proposals to limit the amount claimed tax-free for bikes are regressive
www.cyclingweekly.com
November 18, 2025 at 5:10 PM
this would have the knock on effect of putting a load of 100k earners over the free childcare hours threshold (and I’m not exactly getting out my violin for people who earn 100k but it’s an utterly ridiculous policy — as is the child benefit cap, even with its new tapered approach)