Richard Irvine
@robotforaday.bsky.social
Anthropologist and on-call firefighter. Rousay, Orkney / St Andrews, Fife.
Author of _An Anthropology of Deep Time_ (Cambridge UP, 2020) and _The Vow of Stability_ (Scottish UP, 2025).
Counter-revolutionary.
Author of _An Anthropology of Deep Time_ (Cambridge UP, 2020) and _The Vow of Stability_ (Scottish UP, 2025).
Counter-revolutionary.
Pinned
Richard Irvine
@robotforaday.bsky.social
· May 20
"this continuity is not simply the comfort of familiarity; it is an unsettling of the ordinary and the everyday... Stability is a work of perseverance open to the unknown."
My new book, The Vow of Stability, now published open access with @scotunipress.bsky.social
books.sup.ac.uk/sup/catalog/...
My new book, The Vow of Stability, now published open access with @scotunipress.bsky.social
books.sup.ac.uk/sup/catalog/...
Reposted by Richard Irvine
Join us this Wednesday for Dr Richard Irvine’s talk:
“The scourge that lays waste at noon: Monks, acedia, and the anthropology of depression.”
📅 21 Jan, 3–5pm | 📍 RB01 & hybrid
More info:
camhra.soas.ac.uk/event/the-scourge-that-lays-waste-at-noon-monks-acedia-and-the-anthropology-of-depression/
“The scourge that lays waste at noon: Monks, acedia, and the anthropology of depression.”
📅 21 Jan, 3–5pm | 📍 RB01 & hybrid
More info:
camhra.soas.ac.uk/event/the-scourge-that-lays-waste-at-noon-monks-acedia-and-the-anthropology-of-depression/
The scourge that lays waste at noon: Monks, acedia, and the anthropology of depression - CAMHRA
Event Abstract Attentive to the ways that inertia can take hold of life, Catholic monks recognise despondency as a potential…
camhra.soas.ac.uk
January 19, 2026 at 4:29 PM
Join us this Wednesday for Dr Richard Irvine’s talk:
“The scourge that lays waste at noon: Monks, acedia, and the anthropology of depression.”
📅 21 Jan, 3–5pm | 📍 RB01 & hybrid
More info:
camhra.soas.ac.uk/event/the-scourge-that-lays-waste-at-noon-monks-acedia-and-the-anthropology-of-depression/
“The scourge that lays waste at noon: Monks, acedia, and the anthropology of depression.”
📅 21 Jan, 3–5pm | 📍 RB01 & hybrid
More info:
camhra.soas.ac.uk/event/the-scourge-that-lays-waste-at-noon-monks-acedia-and-the-anthropology-of-depression/
Tim Stanley was a contemporary of mine at Cambridge. Everybody saw him then for what he was: an amoral controversialist, adopting whatever noisy stance was likely to get him most attention. If there had been a "most likely to turn out to be Lord Haw Haw" poll at the time, he would have topped it.
These so-called "patriotic" 🇬🇧newspapers who brought you Brexit were never really patriotic at all.
They are driven by a disdain for Britain's European neighbours, and a fawning obsession with America.
They do not really want 🇬🇧 to be sovereign. They're content being a 🇺🇸vassal.
They are driven by a disdain for Britain's European neighbours, and a fawning obsession with America.
They do not really want 🇬🇧 to be sovereign. They're content being a 🇺🇸vassal.
January 18, 2026 at 6:02 PM
Tim Stanley was a contemporary of mine at Cambridge. Everybody saw him then for what he was: an amoral controversialist, adopting whatever noisy stance was likely to get him most attention. If there had been a "most likely to turn out to be Lord Haw Haw" poll at the time, he would have topped it.
"It appears that progress in understanding will depend on our ability to free the notion of death from its encapsulation in behaviour, custom and folklore and to restore the experience of the termination of individual life to its full problematic status."
RIP Johannes Fabian
RIP Johannes Fabian
January 12, 2026 at 4:45 PM
"It appears that progress in understanding will depend on our ability to free the notion of death from its encapsulation in behaviour, custom and folklore and to restore the experience of the termination of individual life to its full problematic status."
RIP Johannes Fabian
RIP Johannes Fabian
Currently reading Delíria by Jeff Young. A theory of the city for day drinkers and nightwalkers. roughtradebooks.com/products/del...
DELÍRIA (SIGNED COPIES) - Jeff Young
ROUGH TRADE EDITION NO. 56 Set against the backdrop of ‘the city’—as activation point for dreams, for visions, as a receptacle for memory, as a canvas for meaning, for art, poetry, sex, for the very s...
roughtradebooks.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Currently reading Delíria by Jeff Young. A theory of the city for day drinkers and nightwalkers. roughtradebooks.com/products/del...
Greenland belongs to its people. Orkney has a close relationship with its north Atlantic neighbours in the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Aggression towards our neighbours will not be forgiven. Appeasement by the UK government will not be forgotten. theorkneynews.scot/2026/01/09/g...
Greenland belongs to its people.
Greenland is a self governing territory in the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes, as well as Greenland, Denmark and the Faroe Islands. Although we think of it as one island – it actual…
theorkneynews.scot
January 9, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Greenland belongs to its people. Orkney has a close relationship with its north Atlantic neighbours in the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Aggression towards our neighbours will not be forgiven. Appeasement by the UK government will not be forgotten. theorkneynews.scot/2026/01/09/g...
Playing GTA V and I think I've just noticed there's a reference to Mike Davis' City of Quartz in it (Davis quartz quarry).
January 5, 2026 at 11:55 PM
Playing GTA V and I think I've just noticed there's a reference to Mike Davis' City of Quartz in it (Davis quartz quarry).
Rousay coming back from 5-0 down to win 10-8 against South Ronaldsay in the Orkney parish darts quarter final.
Favorite sports moment of 2025? 🎉
December 31, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Rousay coming back from 5-0 down to win 10-8 against South Ronaldsay in the Orkney parish darts quarter final.
Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto
ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est.
ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est.
Pope Leo at Christmas Eve Mass: “While a distorted economy leads to treating people as commodities, God makes Himself like us, revealing the infinite dignity of every person. While man wants to become God to dominate over others, God wants to become man to free us from every slavery.”
December 25, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto
ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est.
ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est.
Reposted by Richard Irvine
The low sunlight enters Taversoe Tuick, Rousay, on the Winter Solstice.
"At the time of the year's deepest darkness, a finger of light touches the chamber of death; there is a hint of a promise of resurrection." George Mackay Brown
"At the time of the year's deepest darkness, a finger of light touches the chamber of death; there is a hint of a promise of resurrection." George Mackay Brown
December 21, 2024 at 1:26 PM
The low sunlight enters Taversoe Tuick, Rousay, on the Winter Solstice.
"At the time of the year's deepest darkness, a finger of light touches the chamber of death; there is a hint of a promise of resurrection." George Mackay Brown
"At the time of the year's deepest darkness, a finger of light touches the chamber of death; there is a hint of a promise of resurrection." George Mackay Brown
Reposted by Richard Irvine
Aside from the doublespeak of this being "ethical", the irony is that young people are going to absolutely rip the piss out of such nonsense. And rightly so. It reeks of "how do you do fellow kids" desperation.
December 9, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Aside from the doublespeak of this being "ethical", the irony is that young people are going to absolutely rip the piss out of such nonsense. And rightly so. It reeks of "how do you do fellow kids" desperation.
RIP Adam McNaughtan, legendary Glasgow singer who carried the traditional songs and added new songs to the tradition - above all his Jeely Piece Song www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Jeely Piece songwriter Adam McNaughtan dies aged 86
Adam McNaughtan wrote a host of songs including The Yellow on the Broom and Oor Hamlet.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 5, 2025 at 5:33 PM
RIP Adam McNaughtan, legendary Glasgow singer who carried the traditional songs and added new songs to the tradition - above all his Jeely Piece Song www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
I think it was about 17 years ago, supervising 3rd year anthro undergrads, that I asked them to write an essay addressing the following: "If affect is the answer, then what is the question?"
Conversations today and yesterday have made it pretty clear that I STILL don't know.
Conversations today and yesterday have made it pretty clear that I STILL don't know.
December 4, 2025 at 1:51 PM
I think it was about 17 years ago, supervising 3rd year anthro undergrads, that I asked them to write an essay addressing the following: "If affect is the answer, then what is the question?"
Conversations today and yesterday have made it pretty clear that I STILL don't know.
Conversations today and yesterday have made it pretty clear that I STILL don't know.
For those interested in how Catholic Social Teaching is responding to AI, this in-passing remark of Pope Leo XIV when receiving an audience of actors and film producers is quite striking: "The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what 'works', but art opens up what is possible."
Pope Leo XIV Talks Movies To A-List Crowd At Vatican: Read His Speech
Pope Leo XIV Talks Movies To A-List Crowd At Vatican: Read His Speech
deadline.com
November 19, 2025 at 1:23 PM
For those interested in how Catholic Social Teaching is responding to AI, this in-passing remark of Pope Leo XIV when receiving an audience of actors and film producers is quite striking: "The logic of algorithms tends to repeat what 'works', but art opens up what is possible."
RIP Keith Hart
"I never got over that primal scene of moving between Manchester and Cambridge. They seemed to be two completely different civilizations...
"I never got over that primal scene of moving between Manchester and Cambridge. They seemed to be two completely different civilizations...
November 7, 2025 at 1:36 PM
RIP Keith Hart
"I never got over that primal scene of moving between Manchester and Cambridge. They seemed to be two completely different civilizations...
"I never got over that primal scene of moving between Manchester and Cambridge. They seemed to be two completely different civilizations...
Reposted by Richard Irvine
Mongolian National University of Education (MUBIS) last year posted a series of videos about reading Classical Mongolian on Youtube.
Hat tip to Dr. Dotno Pount for sharing.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=peFi...
#mongolsky #tengri
Hat tip to Dr. Dotno Pount for sharing.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=peFi...
#mongolsky #tengri
Монгол бичгийн хичээл 1
YouTube video by Хэлний бодлогын үндэсний зөвлөл
www.youtube.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Mongolian National University of Education (MUBIS) last year posted a series of videos about reading Classical Mongolian on Youtube.
Hat tip to Dr. Dotno Pount for sharing.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=peFi...
#mongolsky #tengri
Hat tip to Dr. Dotno Pount for sharing.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=peFi...
#mongolsky #tengri
Neepie lantern. Happy Halloween.
October 31, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Neepie lantern. Happy Halloween.
Excellent commentary from Will Hayward on the Caerphilly by-election.
This bit is crucial: "I have already heard Labour folks talking about the need to change messaging or direction. While this is true, I believe it misses something fundamental - they need to make people’s lives better."
This bit is crucial: "I have already heard Labour folks talking about the need to change messaging or direction. While this is true, I believe it misses something fundamental - they need to make people’s lives better."
Plaid smash Reform to win in Caerphilly
These are the key takeaways from a massive night in Welsh politics
willhaywardwales.substack.com
October 24, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Excellent commentary from Will Hayward on the Caerphilly by-election.
This bit is crucial: "I have already heard Labour folks talking about the need to change messaging or direction. While this is true, I believe it misses something fundamental - they need to make people’s lives better."
This bit is crucial: "I have already heard Labour folks talking about the need to change messaging or direction. While this is true, I believe it misses something fundamental - they need to make people’s lives better."
I go on a lot about mass extinction & catastrophism when writing about deep time... but this fascinating article cuts across the accepted idea of the "big five" mass extinctions, introducing the work of palaeontologists who question how & where we read catastrophe within the fossil record
There’s growing evidence the big five mass extinctions never happened
Surprising new fossil evidence undermines the idea that there was ever a mass extinction on land – and may force us to reframe the current biodiversity crisis
www.newscientist.com
October 17, 2025 at 3:14 PM
I go on a lot about mass extinction & catastrophism when writing about deep time... but this fascinating article cuts across the accepted idea of the "big five" mass extinctions, introducing the work of palaeontologists who question how & where we read catastrophe within the fossil record
"it was all just too polite."
I absolutely agree with this review of the 2025 Liverpool Biennial, which left me quite underwhelmed and honestly a bit disheartened.
I absolutely agree with this review of the 2025 Liverpool Biennial, which left me quite underwhelmed and honestly a bit disheartened.
this year's Liverpool Biennial might be too polite
thewhitepube.co.uk/texts/2025/l...
thewhitepube.co.uk/texts/2025/l...
September 29, 2025 at 1:06 PM
"it was all just too polite."
I absolutely agree with this review of the 2025 Liverpool Biennial, which left me quite underwhelmed and honestly a bit disheartened.
I absolutely agree with this review of the 2025 Liverpool Biennial, which left me quite underwhelmed and honestly a bit disheartened.
Reposted by Richard Irvine
1813 a Great Auk killed at Papa Westray, Orkney, the penultimate Great Auk record for Britain. Which Miss Traill was kind enough to send Mr. Bullock the specimen for his London Museum?
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/wor...
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/wor...
September 20, 2025 at 11:53 AM
1813 a Great Auk killed at Papa Westray, Orkney, the penultimate Great Auk record for Britain. Which Miss Traill was kind enough to send Mr. Bullock the specimen for his London Museum?
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/wor...
www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/wor...
Danny Kruger's book Covenant was a deeply thoughtful outline of the post-liberal position (not to say I agreed with it all). Disappointing that he's thrown it in the bin & defected to Farage's grifters, who have no interest in a "renewed social contract", only divide and rule for personal enrichment
September 15, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Danny Kruger's book Covenant was a deeply thoughtful outline of the post-liberal position (not to say I agreed with it all). Disappointing that he's thrown it in the bin & defected to Farage's grifters, who have no interest in a "renewed social contract", only divide and rule for personal enrichment
Happy Gibraltar National Day!
Today commemorates the sovereignty referendum of 1967, when the people of Gibraltar voted to reject Franco and retain their British sovereignty. Wonderful to be back on fieldwork here.
Today commemorates the sovereignty referendum of 1967, when the people of Gibraltar voted to reject Franco and retain their British sovereignty. Wonderful to be back on fieldwork here.
September 10, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Happy Gibraltar National Day!
Today commemorates the sovereignty referendum of 1967, when the people of Gibraltar voted to reject Franco and retain their British sovereignty. Wonderful to be back on fieldwork here.
Today commemorates the sovereignty referendum of 1967, when the people of Gibraltar voted to reject Franco and retain their British sovereignty. Wonderful to be back on fieldwork here.
Reading over the fieldnotes for my undergraduate dissertation research in Gibraltar - 22 years ago (!) - before heading out there again for National Day and a short bit of fieldwork.
Still the best fieldnotes I've written but it's hard not to cringe at the po-faced scrawlings of youth.
Still the best fieldnotes I've written but it's hard not to cringe at the po-faced scrawlings of youth.
September 2, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Reading over the fieldnotes for my undergraduate dissertation research in Gibraltar - 22 years ago (!) - before heading out there again for National Day and a short bit of fieldwork.
Still the best fieldnotes I've written but it's hard not to cringe at the po-faced scrawlings of youth.
Still the best fieldnotes I've written but it's hard not to cringe at the po-faced scrawlings of youth.
Hard to explain the impact of this deeply personal work by @wildtwin.bsky.social. There's a sadness to it, no doubt, but in the afterglow I felt uplifted and the Liverpool streets seemed full of mystery and promise again. Well worth seeing for anyone who's in town.
Just back from a lovely 24-hour trip to Liverpool to see our award-winning friend/Colossive Cartographer @wildtwin.bsky.social's beautiful and multi-layered Haunted Paper show at Dorothy on Jamaica Street.
It's on until September 19th - so do catch it if you can!
It's on until September 19th - so do catch it if you can!
August 31, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Hard to explain the impact of this deeply personal work by @wildtwin.bsky.social. There's a sadness to it, no doubt, but in the afterglow I felt uplifted and the Liverpool streets seemed full of mystery and promise again. Well worth seeing for anyone who's in town.