Josephine Quinn
@josephinequinn.bsky.social
Historian at Cambridge. In Search of the Phoenicians (2018) and How the World Made the West (2024). Photos by Sukant Deepak (in Jaipur, 2024) and Carlotta Cardana (at St John's College, Cambridge, 2025).
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
Listening to @andreloez.bsky.social @josephinequinn.bsky.social [Paroles d'histoire] 408. L'Antiquité au pluriel, avec Josephine Quinn (en anglais) #parolesDhistoire
podcastaddict.com/paroles-d-hi... #history
podcastaddict.com/paroles-d-hi... #history
Paroles d'histoire - 408. L'Antiquité au pluriel, avec Josephine Quinn (en anglais)
Listen to Paroles d'histoire - 408. L'Antiquité au pluriel, avec Josephine Quinn (en anglais) by Paroles d'histoire on Podcast Addict. L’invitée : Josephine Quinn, professeure d’histoire antique...
podcastaddict.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:27 AM
Listening to @andreloez.bsky.social @josephinequinn.bsky.social [Paroles d'histoire] 408. L'Antiquité au pluriel, avec Josephine Quinn (en anglais) #parolesDhistoire
podcastaddict.com/paroles-d-hi... #history
podcastaddict.com/paroles-d-hi... #history
On the train south, looking forward to talking about the World and the West at Southampton and catching up with @cazemiera.bsky.social
We are looking forward to welcoming @josephinequinn.bsky.social to the University of Southampton today. She will speak to us about her book How the World Made the West. History seminar, 1-2pm, lecture theatre C, Avenue Campus. @historyatsoton.bsky.social #AncientBluesky
November 5, 2025 at 10:40 AM
On the train south, looking forward to talking about the World and the West at Southampton and catching up with @cazemiera.bsky.social
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
If we're to have forest towns between Oxford & Cambridge we should also have tapir, who are forest animals.
Official advice on keeping tapir in N. Ireland is here--I don't think there is yet a similar leaflet for England, let alone the Oxford-Cambridge corridor:
www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/defaul...
Official advice on keeping tapir in N. Ireland is here--I don't think there is yet a similar leaflet for England, let alone the Oxford-Cambridge corridor:
www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/defaul...
New set of forest towns to be built between Oxford and Cambridge
Communities in the middle of new national forest to show how housebuilding can be delivered alongside nature
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:32 AM
If we're to have forest towns between Oxford & Cambridge we should also have tapir, who are forest animals.
Official advice on keeping tapir in N. Ireland is here--I don't think there is yet a similar leaflet for England, let alone the Oxford-Cambridge corridor:
www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/defaul...
Official advice on keeping tapir in N. Ireland is here--I don't think there is yet a similar leaflet for England, let alone the Oxford-Cambridge corridor:
www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/defaul...
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
People who aren’t writers think writer’s block is at least as big and real a problem as I thought quicksand would be, as a child.
AI can help authors beat writer’s block, says Bloomsbury chief
Publisher last week reported jump in revenue in academic and professional arm thanks to AI licensing deal
www.theguardian.com
October 27, 2025 at 1:17 PM
People who aren’t writers think writer’s block is at least as big and real a problem as I thought quicksand would be, as a child.
Now available in the US for all your weekend paperback needs...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/736806...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/736806...
How the World Made the West by Josephine Quinn: 9780593729809 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books
An award-winning Oxford history professor “makes a forceful argument and tells a story with great verve” (The Wall Street Journal)—that the West is, and always has been, truly global....
www.penguinrandomhouse.com
October 25, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Now available in the US for all your weekend paperback needs...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/736806...
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/736806...
I am excited about this
October 24, 2025 at 7:41 AM
I am excited about this
The amazing Paul Kosmin will deliver the Corbett Lecture at the Cambridge Classics Faculty on November 13 at 5pm on "The Rain of Kings". Reception to follow: all very welcome!
www.classics.cam.ac.uk/seminars/spe...
www.classics.cam.ac.uk/seminars/spe...
Special lectures | Faculty of Classics
The Corbett Lecture The Corbett Lecture is an annual lecture by a distinguished scholar on a theme connected with ancient Greece. The list of past Corbett Lectures can be found HERE. Did you know that...
www.classics.cam.ac.uk
October 20, 2025 at 1:40 PM
The amazing Paul Kosmin will deliver the Corbett Lecture at the Cambridge Classics Faculty on November 13 at 5pm on "The Rain of Kings". Reception to follow: all very welcome!
www.classics.cam.ac.uk/seminars/spe...
www.classics.cam.ac.uk/seminars/spe...
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
Thanks
@josephinequinn.bsky.social
for the brilliant book that helped inform this: How the World Made the West. If you haven't read it, now's a great time to prepare your arguments against #CivilisationalThinking
Full speech here: hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2025-1...
@josephinequinn.bsky.social
for the brilliant book that helped inform this: How the World Made the West. If you haven't read it, now's a great time to prepare your arguments against #CivilisationalThinking
Full speech here: hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2025-1...
We hear more talk of “Western civilization” in the Lords — but this language feeds dangerous ideas of cultural purity and superiority.
History tells a different story: every culture is built from exchange and diversity.
#Cultures #SharedHumanity
History tells a different story: every culture is built from exchange and diversity.
#Cultures #SharedHumanity
October 18, 2025 at 7:28 AM
Thanks
@josephinequinn.bsky.social
for the brilliant book that helped inform this: How the World Made the West. If you haven't read it, now's a great time to prepare your arguments against #CivilisationalThinking
Full speech here: hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2025-1...
@josephinequinn.bsky.social
for the brilliant book that helped inform this: How the World Made the West. If you haven't read it, now's a great time to prepare your arguments against #CivilisationalThinking
Full speech here: hansard.parliament.uk/lords/2025-1...
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
‘Alongside 44 historical buildings and seven archaeological sites, all three depositories of historical and archaeological material in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed.’
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Josephine Quinn · At the Institut du monde arabe: ‘Trésors sauvés de Gaza’
This show has excited controversy: should we even be talking about damage to antiquities in the context of so much...
www.lrb.co.uk
October 13, 2025 at 2:55 PM
‘Alongside 44 historical buildings and seven archaeological sites, all three depositories of historical and archaeological material in the Gaza Strip have been damaged or destroyed.’
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
Our 11/6 issue is now online, with Ben Lerner on the heart, Mark Lilla on MAGA nation, Cora Currier on the “war on terror,” @josephinequinn.bsky.social on St. Augustine, Nitin Ahuja on the science of death, Darryl Pinckney on James Baldwin’s loves, and much more.
November 6, 2025 Issue
Table of Contents
buff.ly
October 16, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Our 11/6 issue is now online, with Ben Lerner on the heart, Mark Lilla on MAGA nation, Cora Currier on the “war on terror,” @josephinequinn.bsky.social on St. Augustine, Nitin Ahuja on the science of death, Darryl Pinckney on James Baldwin’s loves, and much more.
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
‘The message is clear: 20th-century colonialism created the conditions for a 21st-century tragedy.’
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Josephine Quinn · At the Institut du monde arabe: ‘Trésors sauvés de Gaza’
This show has excited controversy: should we even be talking about damage to antiquities in the context of so much...
www.lrb.co.uk
October 12, 2025 at 11:10 AM
‘The message is clear: 20th-century colonialism created the conditions for a 21st-century tragedy.’
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
How the World Made the West: A 4000-year History is a Kindle Daily Deal today - only! - for £2.99. Mixed feelings obvs, but that's less than 10p a century... www.amazon.co.uk/How-World-Ma...
How the World Made the West eBook : Quinn, Josephine: Amazon.co.uk: Books
How the World Made the West eBook : Quinn, Josephine: Amazon.co.uk: Books
www.amazon.co.uk
October 9, 2025 at 10:26 AM
How the World Made the West: A 4000-year History is a Kindle Daily Deal today - only! - for £2.99. Mixed feelings obvs, but that's less than 10p a century... www.amazon.co.uk/How-World-Ma...
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
The administration is aware of black bloc tactics, was vaguely aware of clown bloc tactics, but was completely unprepared for the advent of Animal Crossing bloc tactics.
Streets are still closed off in front of the Portland ICE facility at 8:30pm. Protesters have gathered on a side street. Dance party in progress.
October 8, 2025 at 9:15 PM
The administration is aware of black bloc tactics, was vaguely aware of clown bloc tactics, but was completely unprepared for the advent of Animal Crossing bloc tactics.
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
At the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies we are offering 10 fellowships for scholars at any stage in their careers to stay with us for up to 6 months (PhD candidates and senior academics) or 12 months (postdocs) to complete a research project:
www.dependency.uni-bonn.de/images/pdf-f...
www.dependency.uni-bonn.de/images/pdf-f...
www.dependency.uni-bonn.de
October 4, 2025 at 1:08 PM
At the Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies we are offering 10 fellowships for scholars at any stage in their careers to stay with us for up to 6 months (PhD candidates and senior academics) or 12 months (postdocs) to complete a research project:
www.dependency.uni-bonn.de/images/pdf-f...
www.dependency.uni-bonn.de/images/pdf-f...
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
Habsburgs in space!
How many trillions of dollars have been invested into this technology so far?
October 8, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Habsburgs in space!
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
‘The message is clear: 20th-century colonialism created the conditions for a 21st-century tragedy.’
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Josephine Quinn · At the Institut du monde arabe: ‘Trésors sauvés de Gaza’
This show has excited controversy: should we even be talking about damage to antiquities in the context of so much...
www.lrb.co.uk
October 6, 2025 at 4:24 PM
‘The message is clear: 20th-century colonialism created the conditions for a 21st-century tragedy.’
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities:
www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
Thanks to @empirepoduk.bsky.social for introducing me to How the World Made the West (2024) by @josephinequinn.bsky.social. It’s the perfect book for this moment.
October 4, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Thanks to @empirepoduk.bsky.social for introducing me to How the World Made the West (2024) by @josephinequinn.bsky.social. It’s the perfect book for this moment.
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
‘The message is clear: 20th-century colonialism created the conditions for a 21st-century tragedy.’
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Josephine Quinn · At the Institut du monde arabe: ‘Trésors sauvés de Gaza’
This show has excited controversy: should we even be talking about damage to antiquities in the context of so much...
www.lrb.co.uk
October 4, 2025 at 8:02 AM
‘The message is clear: 20th-century colonialism created the conditions for a 21st-century tragedy.’
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
‘This show has excited controversy: should we even be talking about damage to antiquities in the context of so much killing?’
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Josephine Quinn · At the Institut du monde arabe: ‘Trésors sauvés de Gaza’
This show has excited controversy: should we even be talking about damage to antiquities in the context of so much...
www.lrb.co.uk
October 2, 2025 at 7:46 AM
‘This show has excited controversy: should we even be talking about damage to antiquities in the context of so much killing?’
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on an exhibition of Gazan antiquities: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...
Thanks to @jpnudell.bsky.social for this thoughtful and perceptive review @frontiere-s.bsky.social. Just one tiny amendment: I am an Irish historian...
J. P. Nudell propose une recension comparative des livres de Naoíse Mac Sweeney, "The West. A New History in Fourteen Lives", et de Josephine C. Quinn, "How the World Made the West. A 4,000 Year History" dans notre section Comptes-rendus, en accès libre :
doi.org/10.4000/12uv7
@jpnudell.bsky.social
doi.org/10.4000/12uv7
@jpnudell.bsky.social
October 1, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Thanks to @jpnudell.bsky.social for this thoughtful and perceptive review @frontiere-s.bsky.social. Just one tiny amendment: I am an Irish historian...
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
Also in this issue:
@jamesmeek.bsky.social on what AI wants
Neal Ascherson on Asa Briggs
@keeanga.bsky.social on Audre Lorde
David Todd on Jean-Luc Mélenchon
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on Gazan antiquities
Stephen Mulhall on Charles Taylor
Yun Sheng on Chinese youth culture...
@jamesmeek.bsky.social on what AI wants
Neal Ascherson on Asa Briggs
@keeanga.bsky.social on Audre Lorde
David Todd on Jean-Luc Mélenchon
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on Gazan antiquities
Stephen Mulhall on Charles Taylor
Yun Sheng on Chinese youth culture...
October 1, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Also in this issue:
@jamesmeek.bsky.social on what AI wants
Neal Ascherson on Asa Briggs
@keeanga.bsky.social on Audre Lorde
David Todd on Jean-Luc Mélenchon
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on Gazan antiquities
Stephen Mulhall on Charles Taylor
Yun Sheng on Chinese youth culture...
@jamesmeek.bsky.social on what AI wants
Neal Ascherson on Asa Briggs
@keeanga.bsky.social on Audre Lorde
David Todd on Jean-Luc Mélenchon
@josephinequinn.bsky.social on Gazan antiquities
Stephen Mulhall on Charles Taylor
Yun Sheng on Chinese youth culture...
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
📖 Et le monde créa l’Occident. Une nouvelle histoire des mondes anciens, de Josephine Quinn @editionsduseuil.bsky.social
📌 Retrouvez @josephinequinn.bsky.social à Blois à l’occasion des 28e Rendez-vous de l’histoire, le 11 octobre à 18h
#rvh #rvh2025 #lecture #festivals #blois #salondulivre
📌 Retrouvez @josephinequinn.bsky.social à Blois à l’occasion des 28e Rendez-vous de l’histoire, le 11 octobre à 18h
#rvh #rvh2025 #lecture #festivals #blois #salondulivre
October 1, 2025 at 9:03 AM
📖 Et le monde créa l’Occident. Une nouvelle histoire des mondes anciens, de Josephine Quinn @editionsduseuil.bsky.social
📌 Retrouvez @josephinequinn.bsky.social à Blois à l’occasion des 28e Rendez-vous de l’histoire, le 11 octobre à 18h
#rvh #rvh2025 #lecture #festivals #blois #salondulivre
📌 Retrouvez @josephinequinn.bsky.social à Blois à l’occasion des 28e Rendez-vous de l’histoire, le 11 octobre à 18h
#rvh #rvh2025 #lecture #festivals #blois #salondulivre
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
I've been podcasting again! This time I spoke about how 'Plato: a civic life' provides the historical background to Plato's thought and helps to explain how his ideas developed - with Morteza Hajizadeh from New Books Network: newbooksnetwork.com/plato
Carol Atack, "Plato: A Civic Life" (Reaktion, 2025) - New Books Network
newbooksnetwork.com
September 27, 2025 at 3:02 PM
I've been podcasting again! This time I spoke about how 'Plato: a civic life' provides the historical background to Plato's thought and helps to explain how his ideas developed - with Morteza Hajizadeh from New Books Network: newbooksnetwork.com/plato
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
Since they are suddenly back in the spotlight, here's a link to an old essay that Josephine & I wrote for the New Left Project (back when that was a thing) that touches on the unlikely combo of the 1880s Fabians and gay sex.
New Left Project | Articles |
Oscar Wilde, Edward Carpenter and the Socialist Eros
web.archive.org
September 27, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Since they are suddenly back in the spotlight, here's a link to an old essay that Josephine & I wrote for the New Left Project (back when that was a thing) that touches on the unlikely combo of the 1880s Fabians and gay sex.
Reposted by Josephine Quinn
New from @EmpirePodUK
The History of Gaza Episode Three
Byzantine Gaza: The Rise of Christianity
@anitaanand.bsky.social &I are joined by the great Professor Peter Sarris to discuss Byzantine Gaza
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/2...
The History of Gaza Episode Three
Byzantine Gaza: The Rise of Christianity
@anitaanand.bsky.social &I are joined by the great Professor Peter Sarris to discuss Byzantine Gaza
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/2...
September 26, 2025 at 3:56 PM
New from @EmpirePodUK
The History of Gaza Episode Three
Byzantine Gaza: The Rise of Christianity
@anitaanand.bsky.social &I are joined by the great Professor Peter Sarris to discuss Byzantine Gaza
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/2...
The History of Gaza Episode Three
Byzantine Gaza: The Rise of Christianity
@anitaanand.bsky.social &I are joined by the great Professor Peter Sarris to discuss Byzantine Gaza
podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/2...