Sara Barker
@sarakbarker.bsky.social
Historian of early modern print, news, translation, pamphlets. Scotland/Yorkshire hybrid. Likes old printed things, France, rugby, embroidery. Always stops to talk to cats and dogs. Series editor MUP Studies in Early Modern European History. She/her.
Today I am in another happy place for the morning, getting some writing done, before heading to the IHR for our History UK event on the difficult second album sorry project
January 13, 2026 at 11:18 AM
Today I am in another happy place for the morning, getting some writing done, before heading to the IHR for our History UK event on the difficult second album sorry project
Yesterday was ace: did a fun, work-related thing (there were some excellent prints) before SSFH meeting and a really good lecture about migration & women in C18/19 Indian ocean by @renaudmorieux.bsky.social (yes, I did get very excited when questions came up about translation)
January 13, 2026 at 11:15 AM
Yesterday was ace: did a fun, work-related thing (there were some excellent prints) before SSFH meeting and a really good lecture about migration & women in C18/19 Indian ocean by @renaudmorieux.bsky.social (yes, I did get very excited when questions came up about translation)
Doing a lot of module admin and updating today, including going over all the Alt Text for lecture slides and how have I only just realised that I have a massive mental block over how to spell "soldier"?
January 7, 2026 at 12:54 PM
Doing a lot of module admin and updating today, including going over all the Alt Text for lecture slides and how have I only just realised that I have a massive mental block over how to spell "soldier"?
Reposted by Sara Barker
some news 👇
we're going to find out how to overcome the numerous practical and ethical problems we face when researching the nameless.
we're going to find out how to overcome the numerous practical and ethical problems we face when researching the nameless.
BCDSS Professors Julia Hillner and Pia Wiegmink, together with former BCDSS Guest Researcher Jamie Wood (University of Lincoln), have been granted funding by the VolkswagenStiftung for their collaborative project "The Nameless in History".
@unibonn.bsky.social @dfg.de @volkswagenstiftung.de
@unibonn.bsky.social @dfg.de @volkswagenstiftung.de
December 15, 2025 at 9:36 AM
some news 👇
we're going to find out how to overcome the numerous practical and ethical problems we face when researching the nameless.
we're going to find out how to overcome the numerous practical and ethical problems we face when researching the nameless.
Reposted by Sara Barker
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
December 11, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Ongoing decimation of British universities part 252:
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
Apx. 1000 academic staff at University of Essex just received formal ‘risk of redundancy’ letters via email.
Please share @ucuessex.bsky.social @ucu.org.uk
I am so SO close to finishing two things I should have done actual months ago, so obviously my body has decided this is the perfect time to embrace a head cold. I'm chosing to believe this is going to make my writing much more direct and therefore engaging, rather than a written up fever dream.
December 4, 2025 at 11:27 AM
I am so SO close to finishing two things I should have done actual months ago, so obviously my body has decided this is the perfect time to embrace a head cold. I'm chosing to believe this is going to make my writing much more direct and therefore engaging, rather than a written up fever dream.
Reposted by Sara Barker
Really interesting to hear about the new HistoryUK resource, 'History in Practice', which is a space to collectively share, reflect, and collaborate on all things related to history teaching in universities 🗃️ #skystorians
www.history-uk.ac.uk/history-in-p...
www.history-uk.ac.uk/history-in-p...
History in Practice
‘Doing the Readings’ – Will Pooley ‘Escaping the Lecture: Using game-based learning to engage History students’ – Rebecca Andrew and Sam Chadwick ‘Using Fo…
www.history-uk.ac.uk
November 28, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Really interesting to hear about the new HistoryUK resource, 'History in Practice', which is a space to collectively share, reflect, and collaborate on all things related to history teaching in universities 🗃️ #skystorians
www.history-uk.ac.uk/history-in-p...
www.history-uk.ac.uk/history-in-p...
Ah, "Champagne Problems", I was quite enjoying you taking the piss out of people's obsessions with places like Café de Flore, but then you came up with some of the *worst* Paris geography i have *ever* seen.
November 23, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Ah, "Champagne Problems", I was quite enjoying you taking the piss out of people's obsessions with places like Café de Flore, but then you came up with some of the *worst* Paris geography i have *ever* seen.
Well, the Barker family WhatsApp was fun ce soir
a cartoon of a unicorn holding a scottish flag on its back
Alt: a cartoon of a unicorn holding a scottish flag on its back
media.tenor.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Well, the Barker family WhatsApp was fun ce soir
I have just found out that Mallomars, which i mainly know about from "When Harry Met Sally", which informed me that they are the greatest cookie in the world, are only available in bits of the US for part of the year.
I will never take my ready access to a Tunnocks Teacake for granted ever again.
I will never take my ready access to a Tunnocks Teacake for granted ever again.
November 14, 2025 at 10:58 PM
I have just found out that Mallomars, which i mainly know about from "When Harry Met Sally", which informed me that they are the greatest cookie in the world, are only available in bits of the US for part of the year.
I will never take my ready access to a Tunnocks Teacake for granted ever again.
I will never take my ready access to a Tunnocks Teacake for granted ever again.
Reposted by Sara Barker
I’m pretty pleased by this riff on a @iamdylanlewis.bsky.social / @umdbooklab.bsky.social print I worked up for my “Writing with Robots” class’ visit to @skeuomorphpress.org today
November 13, 2025 at 6:01 PM
I’m pretty pleased by this riff on a @iamdylanlewis.bsky.social / @umdbooklab.bsky.social print I worked up for my “Writing with Robots” class’ visit to @skeuomorphpress.org today
Went over to York today and gave a paper in the building where *gives up trying to count* years ago, I paid my MA tuition fees.
I was invited to give the paper, I wasn't just pitching up and trying my luck. Although one of my pamphlets did involve the name Barker being translated to Barquer...
I was invited to give the paper, I wasn't just pitching up and trying my luck. Although one of my pamphlets did involve the name Barker being translated to Barquer...
November 12, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Went over to York today and gave a paper in the building where *gives up trying to count* years ago, I paid my MA tuition fees.
I was invited to give the paper, I wasn't just pitching up and trying my luck. Although one of my pamphlets did involve the name Barker being translated to Barquer...
I was invited to give the paper, I wasn't just pitching up and trying my luck. Although one of my pamphlets did involve the name Barker being translated to Barquer...
If the sun would like to turn up in Yorkshire at any time today, that would be fine
November 11, 2025 at 11:39 AM
If the sun would like to turn up in Yorkshire at any time today, that would be fine
Good to spend an afternoon talking with other @manchesterup.bsky.social series editors & authors to people moving from thesis to book - lots of really good questions & excellent advice from authors. Good also to be reminded when you're battling your own writing that it is something that can be fun!
October 24, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Good to spend an afternoon talking with other @manchesterup.bsky.social series editors & authors to people moving from thesis to book - lots of really good questions & excellent advice from authors. Good also to be reminded when you're battling your own writing that it is something that can be fun!
Once again, I am grumpy that in order to check my Outlook Calendar on my phone, I have to go through my email to get to it. Yet another tactic on the part of Big Email.
October 14, 2025 at 7:26 AM
Once again, I am grumpy that in order to check my Outlook Calendar on my phone, I have to go through my email to get to it. Yet another tactic on the part of Big Email.
Yeah, maybe watching the Storyville documentary "The Librarians" was not the thing to watch for a relaxing Saturday night.
It is the thing to watch to see how frightening some people find books, and to understand the vital role librarians, especially school librarians, play in a society.
It is the thing to watch to see how frightening some people find books, and to understand the vital role librarians, especially school librarians, play in a society.
October 11, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Yeah, maybe watching the Storyville documentary "The Librarians" was not the thing to watch for a relaxing Saturday night.
It is the thing to watch to see how frightening some people find books, and to understand the vital role librarians, especially school librarians, play in a society.
It is the thing to watch to see how frightening some people find books, and to understand the vital role librarians, especially school librarians, play in a society.
Reposted by Sara Barker
I wrote up the whole book club placement specialist weirdness on the blog - do feel free to pass on to other academics so more folks are aware that this is a thing. #academia #AcademicSky
…I’m sorry, you want me for your book club?
I had a weird e-mail waiting in my inbox when I came back from my summer holiday. It came from someone who identified their role as a Book Club Placement Specialist, asking whether I’d be int…
lizgloyn.wordpress.com
September 29, 2025 at 12:09 PM
I wrote up the whole book club placement specialist weirdness on the blog - do feel free to pass on to other academics so more folks are aware that this is a thing. #academia #AcademicSky
I'm sorry, what in the name of all that's holy was the Green Group on NYT connections today? Is this one of those days when Non-Americans need not bother?
September 23, 2025 at 3:55 PM
I'm sorry, what in the name of all that's holy was the Green Group on NYT connections today? Is this one of those days when Non-Americans need not bother?
I appear to have come down with Freshers' Flu before I've met a single Fresher, and I'd like to know to whom I should address my complaint.
September 21, 2025 at 8:59 PM
I appear to have come down with Freshers' Flu before I've met a single Fresher, and I'd like to know to whom I should address my complaint.
Spending the whole day in the Prado and wondering if anyone's written a buddy movie about Jan Brueghel the Elder and Rubens
September 10, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Spending the whole day in the Prado and wondering if anyone's written a buddy movie about Jan Brueghel the Elder and Rubens
Reposted by Sara Barker
One month left to submit an abstract for our conference 'Bound for Devotion: The Prayer Book as Object and Practice, 1300–1800', 1-3 July 2026 in Leiden:
www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/20...
#medieval #earlymodern #bookhistory
www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/20...
#medieval #earlymodern #bookhistory
Bound for Devotion: The Prayer Book as Object and Practice, 1300–1800
Prayer was central to religious life in the late medieval and early modern period. Despite growing scholarly interest in religious texts, devotional practices, and spirituality, prayer and prayer book...
www.universiteitleiden.nl
September 1, 2025 at 8:17 AM
One month left to submit an abstract for our conference 'Bound for Devotion: The Prayer Book as Object and Practice, 1300–1800', 1-3 July 2026 in Leiden:
www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/20...
#medieval #earlymodern #bookhistory
www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/20...
#medieval #earlymodern #bookhistory
Today I yelped so loudly at the photocopier that our office manager thought someone was having a medical incident. She then congratulated me when I finally got it to do what I needed it to and accidentally cheered.
September 1, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Today I yelped so loudly at the photocopier that our office manager thought someone was having a medical incident. She then congratulated me when I finally got it to do what I needed it to and accidentally cheered.
Started my working week off with a coffee in Esther Simpson because Leeds Campus is currently half building site, and this ended up being the simplest café to get to after I'd done various essential tasks. Now I get to try and get back to my office without too many diversions 🤞
September 1, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Started my working week off with a coffee in Esther Simpson because Leeds Campus is currently half building site, and this ended up being the simplest café to get to after I'd done various essential tasks. Now I get to try and get back to my office without too many diversions 🤞
I was putting up w the utter codswallop that is King & Conqueror because I'm generally well disposed to a lot of the people in it (and I'm not a medievalist) but the Battle of Stamford Bridge apparently taking place by the sea (or at best a giant lake) so Tostig gets a seaside pyre? Nah.
August 26, 2025 at 8:14 PM
I was putting up w the utter codswallop that is King & Conqueror because I'm generally well disposed to a lot of the people in it (and I'm not a medievalist) but the Battle of Stamford Bridge apparently taking place by the sea (or at best a giant lake) so Tostig gets a seaside pyre? Nah.
They've mentioned the Field of the Cloth of Gold within the first few minutes of "Hostage" on Netflix, so I'm counting watching this as work
August 22, 2025 at 12:40 PM
They've mentioned the Field of the Cloth of Gold within the first few minutes of "Hostage" on Netflix, so I'm counting watching this as work