Simon Kővesi
@kovesi.bsky.social
Professor of English & Scottish Literature, Head of the School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow
Research working-class literature & Romantic-period cultures.
Editor, John Clare Society Journal.
Seems important to add, son of a political refugee.
Research working-class literature & Romantic-period cultures.
Editor, John Clare Society Journal.
Seems important to add, son of a political refugee.
The UK is a local shop for local people, there's nothing for you here.
Armchair activism: why not buy a SO IMMIGRANT top - 10% of sales go to Refugee Action:
www.soimmigrant.com
www.refugee-action.org.uk
Armchair activism: why not buy a SO IMMIGRANT top - 10% of sales go to Refugee Action:
www.soimmigrant.com
www.refugee-action.org.uk
November 22, 2025 at 1:19 PM
The UK is a local shop for local people, there's nothing for you here.
Armchair activism: why not buy a SO IMMIGRANT top - 10% of sales go to Refugee Action:
www.soimmigrant.com
www.refugee-action.org.uk
Armchair activism: why not buy a SO IMMIGRANT top - 10% of sales go to Refugee Action:
www.soimmigrant.com
www.refugee-action.org.uk
Applications Now Open for the University of Glasgow Library Visiting Research Fellowship scheme - supporting scholars from across academic disciplines to come to Glasgow to work on our unique research collections. Please RT or pass on:
www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/li...
www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/li...
November 20, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Applications Now Open for the University of Glasgow Library Visiting Research Fellowship scheme - supporting scholars from across academic disciplines to come to Glasgow to work on our unique research collections. Please RT or pass on:
www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/li...
www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/li...
Hungarian-Austrian, Georg Trakl, was just 27 when he died in 1914. When a wealthy patron gave him 20,000 crowns so he focus on his writing, he vomited.
Again, what a poet.
Again, what a poet.
November 20, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Hungarian-Austrian, Georg Trakl, was just 27 when he died in 1914. When a wealthy patron gave him 20,000 crowns so he focus on his writing, he vomited.
Again, what a poet.
Again, what a poet.
Vladimir Mayakovsky was only 36 when he died in 1930. His "funeral was attended by around 150,000, the third largest event of public mourning in Soviet history, surpassed only by those of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin". Superstar but what a poet. 36.
November 20, 2025 at 12:59 AM
Vladimir Mayakovsky was only 36 when he died in 1930. His "funeral was attended by around 150,000, the third largest event of public mourning in Soviet history, surpassed only by those of Vladimir Lenin and Joseph Stalin". Superstar but what a poet. 36.
The problem was never that Boris Johnson studied classics...
Perennial favourite reader's letter from 2021.
Perennial favourite reader's letter from 2021.
November 8, 2025 at 7:52 PM
The problem was never that Boris Johnson studied classics...
Perennial favourite reader's letter from 2021.
Perennial favourite reader's letter from 2021.
Excited to read this new book, by @kristiedegaris.bsky.social, before hosting the author for a reading @uofgartshums.bsky.social soon.
October 31, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Excited to read this new book, by @kristiedegaris.bsky.social, before hosting the author for a reading @uofgartshums.bsky.social soon.
Peter Ackroyd, Hawksmoor. So good, & glad I waited till I was ready for it.
October 22, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Peter Ackroyd, Hawksmoor. So good, & glad I waited till I was ready for it.
James Kelman, interviewed by Kirsty McNeil, Chapman, summer 1989:
October 18, 2025 at 2:35 AM
James Kelman, interviewed by Kirsty McNeil, Chapman, summer 1989:
Best bit of my book on John Clare: my photo of the Peterborough car park named after the poet. Nice touch is the addition of the word Green.
October 12, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Best bit of my book on John Clare: my photo of the Peterborough car park named after the poet. Nice touch is the addition of the word Green.
John Clare film "By Our Selves" (2015) is on at 6pm in Munich's filmmuseum tonight, with director Andrew Kötting doing his usual schtick beforehand - part of underdox festival. On Saturday, Andrew's other film with Iain Sinclair, Swandown, is being shown too.
underdox-festival.de/en/programm/...
underdox-festival.de/en/programm/...
October 10, 2025 at 12:34 PM
John Clare film "By Our Selves" (2015) is on at 6pm in Munich's filmmuseum tonight, with director Andrew Kötting doing his usual schtick beforehand - part of underdox festival. On Saturday, Andrew's other film with Iain Sinclair, Swandown, is being shown too.
underdox-festival.de/en/programm/...
underdox-festival.de/en/programm/...
Price of everything, value of nothing.
October 8, 2025 at 8:43 AM
Price of everything, value of nothing.
Price of everything, value of nothing.
October 8, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Price of everything, value of nothing.
Let's hope he doesn't run out and have no choice other than to watch his own recent films.
October 6, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Let's hope he doesn't run out and have no choice other than to watch his own recent films.
Jennifer Egan's "The Keep" is an absolutely brilliant novel. Whatever you think it is shaping up to be, it is suddenly not that, repeatedly. Egan is a masterful writer.
September 30, 2025 at 10:02 PM
Jennifer Egan's "The Keep" is an absolutely brilliant novel. Whatever you think it is shaping up to be, it is suddenly not that, repeatedly. Egan is a masterful writer.
Frogs, nightingales, moonlight, Tokaji - a perfect evening.
From H. Ellen Browning, "A Girl's Wanderings in Hungary" (1896):
From H. Ellen Browning, "A Girl's Wanderings in Hungary" (1896):
September 20, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Frogs, nightingales, moonlight, Tokaji - a perfect evening.
From H. Ellen Browning, "A Girl's Wanderings in Hungary" (1896):
From H. Ellen Browning, "A Girl's Wanderings in Hungary" (1896):
...what is called "the spirit of an age" is something to which one cannot return... although one would like to change today's world back to the spirit of 100 years or more ago, it cannot be done. Thus it is important to make the best out of every generation.
Hagakure, qtd in Ghost Dog (1999)
Hagakure, qtd in Ghost Dog (1999)
September 18, 2025 at 10:15 PM
...what is called "the spirit of an age" is something to which one cannot return... although one would like to change today's world back to the spirit of 100 years or more ago, it cannot be done. Thus it is important to make the best out of every generation.
Hagakure, qtd in Ghost Dog (1999)
Hagakure, qtd in Ghost Dog (1999)
Never ceases to cheer me up to see Alasdair Gray's street scene of the West End, our UofG campus, and every single one of our School's buildings, in his 12m wide 2012 mural on the wall of the Hillhead Subway, on my way into work.
September 11, 2025 at 1:31 PM
Never ceases to cheer me up to see Alasdair Gray's street scene of the West End, our UofG campus, and every single one of our School's buildings, in his 12m wide 2012 mural on the wall of the Hillhead Subway, on my way into work.
BUT THE KITCHEN SINK - new DJ set on SubCity radio (Glasgow) from a close Curran-Kövesi family member - live now and for eternity via the internet. Ludicrously proud.
www.subcity.org/show/butthek...
www.subcity.org/show/butthek...
August 27, 2025 at 5:05 PM
BUT THE KITCHEN SINK - new DJ set on SubCity radio (Glasgow) from a close Curran-Kövesi family member - live now and for eternity via the internet. Ludicrously proud.
www.subcity.org/show/butthek...
www.subcity.org/show/butthek...
Rowlandson, 1799. Plus ca change...
August 27, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Rowlandson, 1799. Plus ca change...
For the second day running, a crow has come in our house, down the chimney, had a bit of a fly about, and then sat around waiting to be let out like a cheeky pet / messenger from Satan / cast member of The Omen movie.
August 21, 2025 at 8:54 AM
For the second day running, a crow has come in our house, down the chimney, had a bit of a fly about, and then sat around waiting to be let out like a cheeky pet / messenger from Satan / cast member of The Omen movie.
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/
Ah the pleasures of the English Wilderness.
August 12, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Ah the pleasures of the English Wilderness.
This glacial Norwegian lake we saw today, was really this blue, and was worth the arduous hike. Blåisvatnet, Sør-Lenangen.
August 1, 2025 at 10:47 PM
This glacial Norwegian lake we saw today, was really this blue, and was worth the arduous hike. Blåisvatnet, Sør-Lenangen.
This scene always breaks my heart. Even rancid UK capitalists and thugs like Harold in The Long Good Friday thought the EU a fabulous prospect in 1980. How far we done fell.
July 31, 2025 at 9:26 PM
This scene always breaks my heart. Even rancid UK capitalists and thugs like Harold in The Long Good Friday thought the EU a fabulous prospect in 1980. How far we done fell.
Norwegian scabious & Norwegian bees, Nordreisa.
July 29, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Norwegian scabious & Norwegian bees, Nordreisa.