Mathew Lyons
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mathewlyons.bsky.social
Mathew Lyons
@mathewlyons.bsky.social
1.9K followers 550 following 2.7K posts
Writer, historian. FRHistS. Recent work: History Today, The Spectator, Slightly Foxed, New Humanist, Engelsberg Ideas.
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Reposted by Mathew Lyons
danrebellato.bsky.social
Second anniversary of our Apple TV’s spectacular attempt to understand me asking for “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas”
December 23, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
peteralanross.bsky.social
"Lucid, profound and moving, it is his best book."
Many thanks to @mathewlyons.bsky.social for including Upon A White Horse in the Engelsberg Ideas Books of 2025. It's an honour to appear in this list of excellent works.
engelsbergideas.com/reviews/book...
Books of the Year 2025
Contributors to Engelsberg Ideas highlight the books they’ve enjoyed in 2025.
engelsbergideas.com
December 23, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
davidhiggins.bsky.social
I'd be most grateful if anyone in possession of a field guide to British birds from the 1950s/1960s could provide me with a photo of the relevant page featuring the turtle dove, along with the bibliographical reference. In return, I'm happy to make a Christmas donation to a charity of your choice.
December 23, 2025 at 12:25 PM
mathewlyons.bsky.social
Another great article on the catastrophe that has been the last fifteen years of management at the British Library.
December 22, 2025 at 11:29 PM
mathewlyons.bsky.social
The vanity, ignorance and tedious predictability of these kinds of projects is shameful.

Of course, 'Animal Farm, but by Beavis and Butthead' is also wrong. But at least it has the virtue of surprise.
December 22, 2025 at 11:28 PM
mathewlyons.bsky.social
Slightly bemused by comments I'm seeing in my timeline suggesting that bringing in a film at 90 minutes is a sign of genius, as opposed to competence.
December 22, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
engelsbergideas.bsky.social
Why not turn Christmastide into a thirteen-day Bach celebration, experiencing the Christmas Oratorio as it was first performed across Leipzig’s feast days in 1734–35?

The wonders of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio | Elisabeth Braw

engelsbergideas.com/notebook/the...
The wonders of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
Why not turn Christmastide into a thirteen-day Bach celebration, experiencing the Christmas Oratorio as it was first performed across Leipzig’s feast days in 1734–35?
engelsbergideas.com
December 22, 2025 at 12:09 PM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
john-self.bsky.social
“I wish to God you could pay more money.”

I wrote about F Scott Fitzgerald’s Christmas wish, and how his difficult final year led him to produce some of his best work: the irresistible, cynical, revealing and very funny Pat Hobby stories.
When F Scott Fitzgerald’s Christmas wish came true
The Pat Hobby stories about a washed-up writer in Hollywood were written to make money fast — they are also the final flowering of Fitzgerald’s eccentric genius
giftarticle.ft.com
December 22, 2025 at 12:12 PM
mathewlyons.bsky.social
The last Writer’s Bookshelf of the year this morning: eight questions about writers, books, and reading with the great Sarah Gristwood!
The writer's bookshelf: Sarah Gristwood
Eight questions about writers, books, and reading…
open.substack.com
December 22, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
joannawyld.bsky.social
Erik Satie predicts:
Kent Live caption (originally above an article about bank holidays): One key change is happening in 2026 with most others remaining the same as 2025
December 21, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
asls.org.uk
On the loom of winter, shadows
gather in a web; then the
shuttle of St. Lucy makes a
pause; a dark weave
fills the room…

—George Mackay Brown, “Maeshowe: Midwinter”
in FOLLOWING A LARK (John Murray, 1996)
#poem #poetry #Orkney #archaeology #prehistory
5/5
Maeshowe: Midwinter by George Mackay Brown Equinox to Hallowmas, darkness falls like the leaves. The tree of the sun is stark. On the loom of winter, shadows gather in a web; then the shuttle of St. Lucy makes a pause; a dark weave fills the room. The blackness is solid as a stone that locks a tomb. no star shines there. Then begins the true ceremony of the sun, when the one last fleeting solstice flame is caught up by a midnight candle. Children sing under a street lamp, their voices like leaves of light.
December 21, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
lisafdavis.bsky.social
Happy #solstice! 10th-c. monk/scholar Aelfric reminds us that the winter solstice heralds spring: "...but when [the sun] turns [northward] again, it drives away the winter chill with its hot rays." (British Library Cotton MS Caligula A XV f. 146r) #MedievalSky
December 21, 2024 at 1:55 PM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
mathewlyons.bsky.social
Some weekend reading from me: a round-up of all my writing this year. (With a half-price subscription offer at the end!)
open.substack.com/pub/mathewly...
Merry Christmas from the Broken Compass
A round-up of everything I've written over the last twelve months
open.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 2:16 PM
mathewlyons.bsky.social
This is a terrific end-of-year reading list! I'm particularly interested in the Selznick book. I hadn't heard of that.
rickburin.bsky.social Rick Burin @rickburin.bsky.social · 6d
He's been! Here's everything I read this year (and a few things I wrote): Henry James! Joseph Heller! Penelope Fitzgerald! A biography of the unsuccessful 1928 Democratic presidential candidate, Al Smith!
advicetothelovelorn.blogspot.com/2025/12/Book...
Something Happened by Joseph Heller The Lost Daughter by Elena Ferrante Memo from David O. Selznick, edited by Rudy Behlmer What It Takes by Richard Ben Cramer
December 20, 2025 at 6:50 PM
mathewlyons.bsky.social
Some weekend reading from me: a round-up of all my writing this year. (With a half-price subscription offer at the end!)
open.substack.com/pub/mathewly...
Merry Christmas from the Broken Compass
A round-up of everything I've written over the last twelve months
open.substack.com
December 20, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
mathewlyons.bsky.social
A round-up of everything I’ve written in 2025!
open.substack.com/pub/mathewly...
Merry Christmas from the Broken Compass
A round-up of what I've written over the last twelve months
open.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:14 AM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
rsmythfreelance.bsky.social
Still shopping? BUY MY BOOKS. Buy this one for anyone who likes the world and was once a kid. www.hive.co.uk/Product/Rich...
www.hive.co.uk
December 19, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
harikunzru.bsky.social
Hard no to this: French publisher Harlequin has told translators that their work will now be done by AI. They can ‘revise’ AI translations at much lower rate. It’s a subsidiary of Harper Collins so treat this as a test for rollout elsewhere
gillossen.bsky.social Emmanuel Chastellière @gillossen.bsky.social · 11d
"Bradage de la traduction, plan social invisible : Harlequin passe à l’IA"

Faites tourner, parce qu'il va falloir se battre encore plus. :/

#traduction #IA #Harlequin #ATLF
Depuis quelques semaines, plusieurs dizaines de traducteurs et traductrices travaillant régulièrement avec les éditions Harlequin reçoivent les unes après les autres un appel téléphonique leur annonçant la fin de leur collaboration avec la maison d’édition. Leurs contrats en cours seront les derniers. Collection par collection, Harlequin abandonne la traduction : un prestataire externe, l’agence de communication Fluent Planet, se chargera de passer les textes dans un logiciel de « traduction automatique » et de recruter directement en freelance des relecteurs et relectrices chargées de post-éditer la sortie machine en français. L’objectif affiché est de gagner en rentabilité en rognant sur le temps de travail. C’est, à notre connaissance, la première fois en France qu’une maison d’édition passe à grande échelle à la « traduction automatique » et à la post-édition, de surcroît en externalisant cette activité. Dès lors, mérite-t-elle encore le nom de « maison d’édition » ? De telles pratiques sont inacceptables. Des personnes, parfois collaboratrices de longue date de la maison, perdent brutalement une source de revenus régulière, ne se voyant offrir comme compensation que la possibilité (sans aucune garantie, d’ailleurs) de travailler au rabais pour un prestataire externe, Fluent Planet, au lieu de traduire pour une maison d’édition. Une perspective que beaucoup des traducteurs et traductrices concernées refusent. Pour cesser de travailler avec nous, artistes-auteurs et autrices, pas besoin de licenciement ni de préavis, même si la collaboration a été régulière pendant cinq, dix, voire vingt ans. La réalité de la perte brutale d’activité et de revenus n’en est pas moins là. Nous subissons de plein fouet la précarité extrême de notre condition d’artistes-autrices et auteurs : nous n’avons aucun droit au chômage, et certaines personnes concernées proches de l’âge de la retraite ne pourront même pas compter sur une pension décente du fait du non-appel des cotisations de la part de l’AGESSA. Dans ces circonstances, nous devons en tant que profession nous élever collectivement face à ce qui s’apparente à un plan social invisible. Ces pratiques sont une trahison des travailleurs et travailleuses du livre, mais aussi une trahison du lectorat. C’est brader totalement l’activité de traduction, au mépris des personnes qui traduisent et de celles qui lisent. C’est mettre le doigt dans l’engrenage de la dégradation des productions éditoriales, dans une logique délétère du « good enough » (qualité passable) qui dépossède les travailleurs et travailleuses du livre de leur savoir-faire et de leur créativité, et le lectorat d’un accès à une littérature humaine et vivante. Travailleurs, travailleuses du livre, directions de maisons d’édition, lecteurs, lectrices : refusons que la « traduction automatique » mette le pied dans la porte des maisons d’édition et réaffirmons notre attachement inconditionnel à des textes humains, créés par des humaines et des humains, dans des conditions de travail dignes. Avec le soutien de : ATAA, Association des traducteurs et adaptateurs de l'audiovisuel ATLAS - Association pour la promotion de la traduction littéraire - CITL Collectif IA-lerte générale CAAP - Comité Pluridisciplinaire des Artistes-Auteurs·trices Editeurs du Sud Fill, Fédération interrégionale du livre et de la lecture Ligue des auteurs professionnels Réseau Les Résidences pour l'art d'écrire Saif - Société des Auteurs des arts visuels et de l'Image Fixe SdS, Syndicat Des Scénaristes Section des correctrices et correcteurs du SGLCE-CGT (Syndicat général du Livre et de la Communication écrite CGT) SFT - Société française des traducteurs SNAPcgt • Syndicat National des Artistes Plasticien·nes cgt STAA-CNT-SO, Syndicat des Travailleur.euse.s Artistes / Auteurs Sud Culture Solidaires Métiers du Livre Toute organisation peut encore soutenir ce communiqué en adressant un mail à : presidence@atlf.org
December 18, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
galleybeggars.bsky.social
This doesn't sound good: www.thebookseller.com/news/waterst... (And it's already terrifying that such an important asset to the UK economy, cultural soft power and to generally making life better is owned by a US hedge-fund.)
Waterstones and Barnes & Noble owner 'looks to list them on stock market'
The owner of Waterstones and Barnes & Noble, a US hedge fund, is reportedly looking to list the booksellers on the stock market.
www.thebookseller.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:35 AM
mathewlyons.bsky.social
A round-up of everything I’ve written in 2025!
open.substack.com/pub/mathewly...
Merry Christmas from the Broken Compass
A round-up of what I've written over the last twelve months
open.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 9:14 AM
mathewlyons.bsky.social
Christmas isn't Christmas without…
December 18, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
historylauren.bsky.social
For the first time Margaret Beaufort is featuring in this years online conference. So #teachers & #students, do sign up! It’s a fantastic resource.
richardiiisociety.bsky.social Richard III Society @richardiiisociety.bsky.social · 18d
We are pleased to announce the speakers &subjects for the 2026 Wars of the Roses Online Schools Conference.Topics include Margaret Beaufort by @historylauren.bsky.social & Margaret of Anjou by @jllaynesmith.bsky.social.Registration is open! www.warsoftheroses.com/schools-onli... @htenuk.bsky.social
Poster promoting the conference. The date is 3 March 2026. Registration is by email to education@Richardiii.net
December 18, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Reposted by Mathew Lyons
engelsbergideas.bsky.social
The poet's breakthrough collection, The Less Deceived, anticipated the sexual freedoms of the 1960s while pre-emptively rejecting its promises.

Philip Larkin’s arrival, undeceived | @jwikeley.bsky.social

engelsbergideas.com/notebook/phi...
Philip Larkin's arrival, undeceived
The poet's breakthrough collection, The Less Deceived, anticipated the sexual freedoms of the 1960s while pre-emptively rejecting its promises.
engelsbergideas.com
December 17, 2025 at 11:28 AM
mathewlyons.bsky.social
This is really poor. Apart from anything else, why are Books Etc selling uncut US copies into the UK market? Can you advise @yalebooks.bsky.social?
December 17, 2025 at 7:18 PM