Luke Seaber
@thelong1930s.bsky.social
Senior Teaching Fellow in Modern European Culture, UCL. Proudly Cornish and quasi-Italian. Interested in the 1930s (1848-1950). Biographer of Celia Fremlin.
Reposted by Luke Seaber
I wrote about The 1930s (co-edited with @elinormtaylor.bsky.social & @thelong1930s.bsky.social) on my own blog (4/-)
The 1930s: A Decade of Modern British Fiction
Nick Hubble, Luke Seaber and Elinor Taylor, eds, The 1930s: A Decade of Modern British Fiction, London: Bloomsbury, 2021. Ten years ago, very few people were predicting that we would move into a pe…
socialhumanities.home.blog
February 19, 2026 at 1:43 PM
I wrote about The 1930s (co-edited with @elinormtaylor.bsky.social & @thelong1930s.bsky.social) on my own blog (4/-)
Reposted by Luke Seaber
Today is the publication day of the paperback editions of 3 volumes in the Decades series @bloomsburylit.bsky.social. These means that 9 of the 10 volumes are now in paperback, with only the recently published The 1920s still outstanding (and that will appear in due course). Further details below 1/
February 19, 2026 at 1:35 PM
Today is the publication day of the paperback editions of 3 volumes in the Decades series @bloomsburylit.bsky.social. These means that 9 of the 10 volumes are now in paperback, with only the recently published The 1920s still outstanding (and that will appear in due course). Further details below 1/
Reposted by Luke Seaber
Okay, this is quite outstanding from Bedford Council.
February 19, 2026 at 8:26 AM
Okay, this is quite outstanding from Bedford Council.
I have camouflaged company on my bed tonight, it seems.
February 19, 2026 at 12:11 AM
I have camouflaged company on my bed tonight, it seems.
Reposted by Luke Seaber
The SWP: how to sustain a half-century of existence amongst a tiny subset of the comfortable middle classes by playacting the notion that you're Bolsheviks in 1916 just awaiting your big moment.
Bonus free sex with naive first-year students...
Bonus free sex with naive first-year students...
Good summary by ex-member Dave Renton here on the SWP:
davidrenton590934.substack.com/p/is-it-time...
davidrenton590934.substack.com/p/is-it-time...
Is it time to forgive the SWP?
The SWP has gone public with its plans to remove four people from its central committee: Alex Callinicos, Charlie Kimber, Weyman Bennett and Mark Thomas.
davidrenton590934.substack.com
February 18, 2026 at 5:16 PM
The SWP: how to sustain a half-century of existence amongst a tiny subset of the comfortable middle classes by playacting the notion that you're Bolsheviks in 1916 just awaiting your big moment.
Bonus free sex with naive first-year students...
Bonus free sex with naive first-year students...
Reposted by Luke Seaber
2026 basically
February 18, 2026 at 4:23 PM
2026 basically
Reposted by Luke Seaber
On this date in 2022, I told the story of Kathleen Sully, the working-class self-taught novelist whose books are stunning in their violence, outsiderness, odd comedy, and originality. Sadly, her copyrights are now in the hands of the Church of Scientology.
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
February 18, 2026 at 2:00 PM
On this date in 2022, I told the story of Kathleen Sully, the working-class self-taught novelist whose books are stunning in their violence, outsiderness, odd comedy, and originality. Sadly, her copyrights are now in the hands of the Church of Scientology.
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
Reposted by Luke Seaber
An extraordinary story here
On this date in 2022, I told the story of Kathleen Sully, the working-class self-taught novelist whose books are stunning in their violence, outsiderness, odd comedy, and originality. Sadly, her copyrights are now in the hands of the Church of Scientology.
neglectedbooks.com/?...
neglectedbooks.com/?...
February 18, 2026 at 4:27 PM
An extraordinary story here
Yeghes da, a Gernow!
February 18, 2026 at 3:26 PM
Yeghes da, a Gernow!
Reposted by Luke Seaber
He liked to unwind with Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson or Deighton. This is a footnote in my book of essays about SB (due out in 2027) but I can't put my finger on the source.
Home | Sagging Meniscus Press
www.saggingmeniscus.com
February 18, 2026 at 3:03 PM
He liked to unwind with Conan Doyle, Robert Louis Stevenson or Deighton. This is a footnote in my book of essays about SB (due out in 2027) but I can't put my finger on the source.
Reposted by Luke Seaber
Deighton also very low profile - no interviews, signings, festivals etc. Selg0-effacement is admirable but means he lacks the cutlrual visibility he deserves. But he's more than a match for Le Carré.
February 18, 2026 at 2:58 PM
Deighton also very low profile - no interviews, signings, festivals etc. Selg0-effacement is admirable but means he lacks the cutlrual visibility he deserves. But he's more than a match for Le Carré.
Reposted by Luke Seaber
YES
maybe 15 years ago, the NYT had an op ed by the son of a midwest bank president
The son wrote: my father would get worried if anyone started working to hard; he thought they might have problems at home or were developing "workitis"
and yet, at the same time, the Victorians were, I think this
maybe 15 years ago, the NYT had an op ed by the son of a midwest bank president
The son wrote: my father would get worried if anyone started working to hard; he thought they might have problems at home or were developing "workitis"
and yet, at the same time, the Victorians were, I think this
February 18, 2026 at 2:22 PM
YES
maybe 15 years ago, the NYT had an op ed by the son of a midwest bank president
The son wrote: my father would get worried if anyone started working to hard; he thought they might have problems at home or were developing "workitis"
and yet, at the same time, the Victorians were, I think this
maybe 15 years ago, the NYT had an op ed by the son of a midwest bank president
The son wrote: my father would get worried if anyone started working to hard; he thought they might have problems at home or were developing "workitis"
and yet, at the same time, the Victorians were, I think this
I think Deighton at his best is *wonderful*: it’s bad and telling that Le Carré has had the critical adulation instead; I think he’s far weaker (though more consistent).
That said, I suspect the Samson nonology is in part about why Deighton didn’t get the plaudits Le Carré did.
That said, I suspect the Samson nonology is in part about why Deighton didn’t get the plaudits Le Carré did.
February 18, 2026 at 1:49 PM
I think Deighton at his best is *wonderful*: it’s bad and telling that Le Carré has had the critical adulation instead; I think he’s far weaker (though more consistent).
That said, I suspect the Samson nonology is in part about why Deighton didn’t get the plaudits Le Carré did.
That said, I suspect the Samson nonology is in part about why Deighton didn’t get the plaudits Le Carré did.
Reposted by Luke Seaber
Greatest living British writer!
February 18, 2026 at 10:17 AM
Greatest living British writer!
Reposted by Luke Seaber
Officially one the greatest author photos ever , plus bio oh and let's have some love for his book design #LenDeighton
February 18, 2026 at 10:51 AM
Officially one the greatest author photos ever , plus bio oh and let's have some love for his book design #LenDeighton
Reposted by Luke Seaber
Samuel Beckett admired Deighton.
February 18, 2026 at 1:36 PM
Samuel Beckett admired Deighton.
I timetabled classes and tutorials so they could work from Mexico to Japan: that alone meant that my working days could be unbelievably long, and that’s before we even think about what I was having to prepare and pivot!
And I was *lucky*: I think UCL genuinely came really well out of those years.
And I was *lucky*: I think UCL genuinely came really well out of those years.
I cannot overstress how fucking constantly we were working
This is emblematic of the consumer culture that fees have engendered.
What the hell did the students expect? It was a ONCE IN A CENTURY PANDEMIC. There were LAWS against congregating in public. Staff worked themselves to the bone to get online delivery working.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
What the hell did the students expect? It was a ONCE IN A CENTURY PANDEMIC. There were LAWS against congregating in public. Staff worked themselves to the bone to get online delivery working.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
February 18, 2026 at 12:35 PM
I timetabled classes and tutorials so they could work from Mexico to Japan: that alone meant that my working days could be unbelievably long, and that’s before we even think about what I was having to prepare and pivot!
And I was *lucky*: I think UCL genuinely came really well out of those years.
And I was *lucky*: I think UCL genuinely came really well out of those years.
Reposted by Luke Seaber
I cannot overstress how fucking constantly we were working
This is emblematic of the consumer culture that fees have engendered.
What the hell did the students expect? It was a ONCE IN A CENTURY PANDEMIC. There were LAWS against congregating in public. Staff worked themselves to the bone to get online delivery working.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
What the hell did the students expect? It was a ONCE IN A CENTURY PANDEMIC. There were LAWS against congregating in public. Staff worked themselves to the bone to get online delivery working.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Students begin Covid compensation claim against 36 more universities
It comes after University College London settled a claim from students there over lost learning in the pandemic.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 16, 2026 at 9:56 PM
I cannot overstress how fucking constantly we were working
Reposted by Luke Seaber
Every meeting is like this, and for years. New visa restrictions, international enrollments down? Well you're just not working hard enough and we're going to need some of you to go. It is endless.
February 17, 2026 at 8:55 AM
Every meeting is like this, and for years. New visa restrictions, international enrollments down? Well you're just not working hard enough and we're going to need some of you to go. It is endless.
Reposted by Luke Seaber
I guess I have to say this too: staff worked ourselves ill to do our best for students and we didn't make the decisions that led to their dissatisfaction *but we know that we'll bear the fallout from it.* We are already losing jobs, departments, campuses, fields of expertise to government decisions.
I cannot overstress how fucking constantly we were working
This is emblematic of the consumer culture that fees have engendered.
What the hell did the students expect? It was a ONCE IN A CENTURY PANDEMIC. There were LAWS against congregating in public. Staff worked themselves to the bone to get online delivery working.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
What the hell did the students expect? It was a ONCE IN A CENTURY PANDEMIC. There were LAWS against congregating in public. Staff worked themselves to the bone to get online delivery working.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
February 17, 2026 at 8:53 AM
I guess I have to say this too: staff worked ourselves ill to do our best for students and we didn't make the decisions that led to their dissatisfaction *but we know that we'll bear the fallout from it.* We are already losing jobs, departments, campuses, fields of expertise to government decisions.
One day I shall catch this train without a beer, but today is not that day.
February 18, 2026 at 12:25 PM
One day I shall catch this train without a beer, but today is not that day.
Reposted by Luke Seaber
I feel so miserable about this. Nearly broke myself working 16, 18 hour days during the pandemic. We did everything we possibly could, then doubled it, tripled it. HE is still struggling to get back off the floor, years later. Now another financial punch in the face.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Students begin Covid compensation claim against 36 more universities
It comes after University College London settled a claim from students there over lost learning in the pandemic.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 16, 2026 at 9:25 PM
I feel so miserable about this. Nearly broke myself working 16, 18 hour days during the pandemic. We did everything we possibly could, then doubled it, tripled it. HE is still struggling to get back off the floor, years later. Now another financial punch in the face.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
And in Cornwall, no sugar = Methodist (a hangover from anti-slavery days!).
Cane Sugar: Protestant.
Beet Sugar: Catholic.
Agave Syrup: Notions.
Beet Sugar: Catholic.
Agave Syrup: Notions.
Cúchullain didn't die defending Ireland from Margaret Thatcher at the Battle Of Clontarf for you to put something other than plain, Catholic sugar on your pancakes
February 17, 2026 at 1:01 PM
And in Cornwall, no sugar = Methodist (a hangover from anti-slavery days!).