Gail Marshall
@gailmarshall.bsky.social
Head of School and Prof of Victorian Literature at University of Reading. Chair of University English
Reposted by Gail Marshall
One of the finest software engineers I've ever had the pleasure to work with had a degree in music. Another had a degree in Egyptology.
The important thing was that their degrees taught them how to think. Their love of the subjects just made things better.
The important thing was that their degrees taught them how to think. Their love of the subjects just made things better.
October 12, 2025 at 11:43 PM
One of the finest software engineers I've ever had the pleasure to work with had a degree in music. Another had a degree in Egyptology.
The important thing was that their degrees taught them how to think. Their love of the subjects just made things better.
The important thing was that their degrees taught them how to think. Their love of the subjects just made things better.
Reposted by Gail Marshall
My latest: "Numerous studies show that majors in the humanities—typically, in departments of English, history, philosophy, religious studies, classics and languages—lead students to employment and life satisfaction outcomes as positive as those for majors traditionally championed as 'practical.'”
Counterpoint | Minnesota humanities graduates thrive in meaningful careers
"The stereotype of the underemployed history major is simply not true," professor Andrea Kaston Tange writes.
www.startribune.com
October 12, 2025 at 11:14 PM
My latest: "Numerous studies show that majors in the humanities—typically, in departments of English, history, philosophy, religious studies, classics and languages—lead students to employment and life satisfaction outcomes as positive as those for majors traditionally championed as 'practical.'”
Reposted by Gail Marshall
“Prioritising a narrow set of disciplines could mean we lose talented arts, humanities and social sciences graduates who help drive innovation and tackle huge societal challenges. Student choice is vital.” bit.ly/3KAReIQ
Maintenance grants only for priority courses ‘deeply concerning’
Using financial incentives to influence student choice risk undermining Labour’s widening access goals, critics fear
bit.ly
October 6, 2025 at 8:28 PM
“Prioritising a narrow set of disciplines could mean we lose talented arts, humanities and social sciences graduates who help drive innovation and tackle huge societal challenges. Student choice is vital.” bit.ly/3KAReIQ
📚Join us on 30 Oct 2025 at Senate House for The History of English Studies in Britain symposium
🎤 Speakers include Carole Atherton, Gail Marshall, Ronan McDonald, Christopher Stray, Stuart Jones, & Stefan Collini
Free (booking required)👉 tinyurl.com/43z9mxnc
#EnglishStudies #Humanities #Literature
The History of English Studies in Britain: a Symposium
tinyurl.com
September 11, 2025 at 11:33 AM
📚Join us on 30 Oct 2025 at Senate House for The History of English Studies in Britain symposium
🎤 Speakers include Carole Atherton, Gail Marshall, Ronan McDonald, Christopher Stray, Stuart Jones, & Stefan Collini
Free (booking required)👉 tinyurl.com/43z9mxnc
#EnglishStudies #Humanities #Literature
Reposted by Gail Marshall
The Ronald Blythe Fellowship is John Clare Society's new scheme awarding a PhD student focusing on Clare a £1000 bursary to support their work.
Please pass on - &/or contact me or Honorary Secretary of the Society, Karen Lakey, for further information:
johnclaresociety.wordpress.com/contact-us/
Please pass on - &/or contact me or Honorary Secretary of the Society, Karen Lakey, for further information:
johnclaresociety.wordpress.com/contact-us/
August 18, 2025 at 11:40 AM
The Ronald Blythe Fellowship is John Clare Society's new scheme awarding a PhD student focusing on Clare a £1000 bursary to support their work.
Please pass on - &/or contact me or Honorary Secretary of the Society, Karen Lakey, for further information:
johnclaresociety.wordpress.com/contact-us/
Please pass on - &/or contact me or Honorary Secretary of the Society, Karen Lakey, for further information:
johnclaresociety.wordpress.com/contact-us/
Reposted by Gail Marshall
I’ve documented protests for decades. The asylum hotel protests I’ve photographed have all been very small. When I first turned up at the Newcastle protest, and asked the police where the protesters were, they pointed to one man and said he’s over there.
August 24, 2025 at 10:28 PM
I’ve documented protests for decades. The asylum hotel protests I’ve photographed have all been very small. When I first turned up at the Newcastle protest, and asked the police where the protesters were, they pointed to one man and said he’s over there.
Reposted by Gail Marshall
BBC Today is reporting that “at least 94” data centres will be built in the next 5 years in the U.K.
How can we possibly justify doing that when we can’t get a full electric car charging network built, & the power infrastructure is insufficient to connect new wind farms, never mind water shortages
How can we possibly justify doing that when we can’t get a full electric car charging network built, & the power infrastructure is insufficient to connect new wind farms, never mind water shortages
August 15, 2025 at 5:14 AM
BBC Today is reporting that “at least 94” data centres will be built in the next 5 years in the U.K.
How can we possibly justify doing that when we can’t get a full electric car charging network built, & the power infrastructure is insufficient to connect new wind farms, never mind water shortages
How can we possibly justify doing that when we can’t get a full electric car charging network built, & the power infrastructure is insufficient to connect new wind farms, never mind water shortages
Reposted by Gail Marshall
At the risk of sounding like a character from the ‘Fast Show’ - isn’t this brilliant? A brilliant novel sure to be brilliantly illustrated by the brilliant @rickardsisters.com This is just, well, brilliant!
You can pre-order This Slavery here from us, or even better, you can pre-order it at any real-life tax-paying bookshop from knowledgeable friendly booksellers on real wages ✊
🔥 Publication is 11th Sep in UK and 7th Oct in US & Canada 🔥
rickardsisters.com/product/this-slavery/
🔥 Publication is 11th Sep in UK and 7th Oct in US & Canada 🔥
rickardsisters.com/product/this-slavery/
July 25, 2025 at 7:15 AM
At the risk of sounding like a character from the ‘Fast Show’ - isn’t this brilliant? A brilliant novel sure to be brilliantly illustrated by the brilliant @rickardsisters.com This is just, well, brilliant!
@robertsaunders.bsky.social I was just reading your excellent book on the 1867 Reform Act. It was really helpful. Thank you!
July 19, 2025 at 1:44 PM
@robertsaunders.bsky.social I was just reading your excellent book on the 1867 Reform Act. It was really helpful. Thank you!
Footballer Héctor Bellerín’s reading list
July 19, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Footballer Héctor Bellerín’s reading list
I just signed this petition calling for better cooperation with the EU on the environment. Will you add your name, too? www.europeanmovement.co.uk/uk-eu-enviro...
July 16, 2025 at 7:29 AM
I just signed this petition calling for better cooperation with the EU on the environment. Will you add your name, too? www.europeanmovement.co.uk/uk-eu-enviro...
#EnglishCreates English, History, all the arts and humanities subjects are critical for all of our futures universityenglish.ac.uk/englishcreat...
July 14, 2025 at 6:24 AM
#EnglishCreates English, History, all the arts and humanities subjects are critical for all of our futures universityenglish.ac.uk/englishcreat...
Reposted by Gail Marshall
Decades of mechanistic talk about university degrees as if they were bundles of 'skills' and 'prep' are about to be proved completely wrong (obviously). Want to get a real boost? Do History or English.
July 13, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Decades of mechanistic talk about university degrees as if they were bundles of 'skills' and 'prep' are about to be proved completely wrong (obviously). Want to get a real boost? Do History or English.
Reposted by Gail Marshall
Huge thanks to Helen Smith wordsmith.bsky.social for an excellent English: Shared Futures conference. It was inspiring, exciting, and fun, and especially moving to hear so many friends and colleagues speaking about why and how English matters to them
Helen Smith (@wordsmith.bsky.social)
Professor, @UoYEnglish. Printer, @thinicepress.
Opinions mainly culled from the dustier corners of the sixenteenth century.
wordsmith.bsky.social
July 6, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Huge thanks to Helen Smith wordsmith.bsky.social for an excellent English: Shared Futures conference. It was inspiring, exciting, and fun, and especially moving to hear so many friends and colleagues speaking about why and how English matters to them
Reposted by Gail Marshall
Excited to chair an online discussion this Thursday, hosted by @englishassociation.bsky.social, on why boys in the GCSE / A level system (not so much in Scotland) are drifting away from study of English.
Featuring some brilliant speakers from across our subject:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/boys-and-e...
Featuring some brilliant speakers from across our subject:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/boys-and-e...
Boys and English: Why are young men turning away from our subject?
Explore trends, root causes, and solutions alongside the contributors to the English Association's Spring Newsletter
www.eventbrite.co.uk
June 17, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Excited to chair an online discussion this Thursday, hosted by @englishassociation.bsky.social, on why boys in the GCSE / A level system (not so much in Scotland) are drifting away from study of English.
Featuring some brilliant speakers from across our subject:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/boys-and-e...
Featuring some brilliant speakers from across our subject:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/boys-and-e...
Reposted by Gail Marshall
@drclaireocall.bsky.social is the keynote speaker at this ‘Violence, Health, and the Health Humanities’ workshop @uniofreading.bsky.social’s Centre for Health Humanities. It’s tomorrow 1-5pm @sophiefranklin.bsky.social
June 17, 2025 at 7:18 PM
@drclaireocall.bsky.social is the keynote speaker at this ‘Violence, Health, and the Health Humanities’ workshop @uniofreading.bsky.social’s Centre for Health Humanities. It’s tomorrow 1-5pm @sophiefranklin.bsky.social
Reposted by Gail Marshall
We're really sorry to hear of the death of our dear colleague Professor Simon James.
From 2016-19, Simon was PI on the Arts Council England and Durham University collaboration, the Durham Commission on Creativity which investigated the benefits of creativity for young people.
From 2016-19, Simon was PI on the Arts Council England and Durham University collaboration, the Durham Commission on Creativity which investigated the benefits of creativity for young people.
June 16, 2025 at 9:00 PM
We're really sorry to hear of the death of our dear colleague Professor Simon James.
From 2016-19, Simon was PI on the Arts Council England and Durham University collaboration, the Durham Commission on Creativity which investigated the benefits of creativity for young people.
From 2016-19, Simon was PI on the Arts Council England and Durham University collaboration, the Durham Commission on Creativity which investigated the benefits of creativity for young people.
Reposted by Gail Marshall
He was a well-known scholar of the late-19th century, publishing especially influentially on Wells and Gissing. Simon was one-time editor of The Wellsian journal, and edited Vile Bodies for OUP’s landmark Collected Works of Evelyn Waugh.
June 16, 2025 at 9:00 PM
He was a well-known scholar of the late-19th century, publishing especially influentially on Wells and Gissing. Simon was one-time editor of The Wellsian journal, and edited Vile Bodies for OUP’s landmark Collected Works of Evelyn Waugh.
Reposted by Gail Marshall
Above all, Simon was the essence of generosity, an engaging and wonderful speaker, the person you’d be delighted to see at any conference or seminar, a rich and very present presence.
University English sends its condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.
University English sends its condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.
June 16, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Above all, Simon was the essence of generosity, an engaging and wonderful speaker, the person you’d be delighted to see at any conference or seminar, a rich and very present presence.
University English sends its condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.
University English sends its condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.
Reposted by Gail Marshall
"the antidote to our overlapping crises is not just better data or smarter technologies—it is expansive imagination. And that imagination is cultivated not in labs or spreadsheets, but through the critical, creative, and interpretive work of the humanities." wonkhe.com/blogs/our-fu...
Our future may depend on the humanities
For Peter Sutoris, the humanities hold the key to understanding and responding to the many civilisational crises we face
wonkhe.com
June 16, 2025 at 9:27 AM
"the antidote to our overlapping crises is not just better data or smarter technologies—it is expansive imagination. And that imagination is cultivated not in labs or spreadsheets, but through the critical, creative, and interpretive work of the humanities." wonkhe.com/blogs/our-fu...
Reposted by Gail Marshall
More impact stories from #EnglishCreates including this project based in www.reading.ac.uk/english-lite... building local pride and championing working-class writers
More great work at: www.reading.ac.uk/english-lite...
More great work at: www.reading.ac.uk/english-lite...
June 10, 2025 at 3:26 PM
More impact stories from #EnglishCreates including this project based in www.reading.ac.uk/english-lite... building local pride and championing working-class writers
More great work at: www.reading.ac.uk/english-lite...
More great work at: www.reading.ac.uk/english-lite...
Reposted by Gail Marshall
Championing Scots, influencing public policy, and working with communities and creatives
June 10, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Championing Scots, influencing public policy, and working with communities and creatives
Reposted by Gail Marshall
How English at www.aber.ac.uk/en/english/ is helping the NHS #EnglishCreates
June 9, 2025 at 9:22 AM
How English at www.aber.ac.uk/en/english/ is helping the NHS #EnglishCreates
Reposted by Gail Marshall
More great impact from www.aber.ac.uk/en/english/
bringing literature and literary opportunities to new groups
bringing literature and literary opportunities to new groups
June 9, 2025 at 9:20 AM
More great impact from www.aber.ac.uk/en/english/
bringing literature and literary opportunities to new groups
bringing literature and literary opportunities to new groups
Reposted by Gail Marshall
And yet more: creative writing colleagues at www.aber.ac.uk/en/english/ help patients with long covid. More evidence that English can help to create a better, healthier world #EnglishCreates
June 9, 2025 at 9:25 AM
And yet more: creative writing colleagues at www.aber.ac.uk/en/english/ help patients with long covid. More evidence that English can help to create a better, healthier world #EnglishCreates