@garydrawnsley
Head of the School of Social & Political Sciences, University of Lincoln. Research on propaganda, public diplomacy, cultural diplomacy & soft power. Lover of all things literary. Living with Crohn’s Disease. Views expressed here are mine alone.
While on sick leave I am enjoying filling gaps in my knowledge. Ashamed to say I know relatively little about early English/British history so looking forward to reading Peter Salway’s History of Roman Britain #Booksky
Many congratulations to my School of Social & Political Sciences (University of Lincoln) colleague @bariscaylimessina.com on securing a contract for his important new book, Queer Under Siege: How Societies Threaten Queer Life.
Posting for World Book Day: Four (out of countless) books that were important to me in the 1970s & (in the case of The Machine Gunners) early 1980s. #WorldBookDay #Booksky
Today’s reading: James Macintyre’s fascinating new biography of Gordon Brown, Power with Purpose #Booksky
Happy birthday to Sir John Tusa. His two books on the BBC World Service were invaluable as I prepared to begin my PhD at the start of the 1990s.
A House for Miss Pauline is a remarkable book, beautifully written.
“If you truly wanted the Iranian people to rise up against decades of oppression, you wouldn’t have gutted VOA’s vital Farsi-language platform.” — Rachel Maddow, Feb. 28 #SaveVOA
Watch here
www.ms.now/ms-now/watch...
This @nybooks.com essay by Colin Grant inspired me to pick up A House for Miss Pauline by @dmccaulay.bsky.social. What a beautiful novel: exquisitely written & richly evocative of time, place, & voice. It has firmly secured its place as one of my all-time favourites. #Booksky
A powerful essay by David Shulman in the latest @nybooks.com: “If you’d like to witness human evil at its worst, come with me any day to the West Bank.”
Sir John Curtice’s analysis of the Gorton & Denton by-election. “Rather than winning narrowly, the [Green] party won 40.7% enough to put them … 12 points ahead of second placed Reform. It represented as much as a 27.5 point increase on the party's share in 2024.” www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Congratulations to Hannah Spencer of the Green Party. An historic night. First Green win in a by-election, pushing Labour into third @greenparty.org.uk
Really enjoy this series on Churchill hosted by @richardtoye.bsky.social (Author of the wonderful Age of Hope) & my old friend & former @aberuni.bsky.social colleague / Churchill expert Warren Dockter
Congratulations to Melvyn Bragg on the publication of the second volume of his memoirs, Another World. My copy has just arrived & I can’t wait to start reading. #Booksky
Check out this episode of Screenshot which discusses Kes as part of a broader consideration of how Yorkshire has been represented in cinema
Proud of our School of Social & Political Sciences students who took part in the BISA/FCDO NATO simulation joining peers from 31 UK universities + France & Canada. Representing Spain, they tackled security on NATO’s eastern flank. Thanks to @adefty.bsky.social for supporting. @mybisa.bsky.social
Many congratulations to author Shida Bazyar & translator @dances-with-voles.bsky.social on being included on the International #Booker Prize longlist. The Nights Are Quiet in Tehran is a remarkable novel that deserves wide readership. I adore this book! #Booksky
Remembering TENNESSEE WILLIAMS - who left us 43yrs ago today, aged 71.
“The rewards of collaboration make it all too easy to choose the path of silence” - Joshua Hammer in the new issue of @nybooks.com Sage words to read on the day of the State of the Union address
www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
On the 4th anniversary of Russia’s invasion of #Ukraine, I recommend this excellent article by @timjudah.bsky.social in the latest @nybooks.com
www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
Too much to expect a Toby Ziegler / Sam Seaborn level of oratory in today’s State of the Union?
Presenting the longlist for the #InternationalBooker2026, supported by Bukhman Philanthropies.
Find out more about the books, authors and translators: thebookerprizes.com/ibp2026
Delighted that The Writing Life podcast has featured Celeste Mohammed. I was thrilled to hear her speak about her work during her visit to the University of Lincoln last year - an inspiring & memorable event. Thanks to
@uolhumanities.bsky.social Global & Transregional Studies research group #booksky
One of my favourite BBC Radio 4 programmes is This Cultural Life. Inspired by the latest episode I read my first Julian Barnes novel Metroland published in 1980. Enjoyed this quirky & often humorous story
#Booksky
“You don't understand. This isn't 'Plans 1 through 8 from Outer Space', this is 'Plan 9', this is the one that worked. The worst movie ever made!”
L: Private Eye front cover, yesterday.
R: News headline, today.
Stay ahead of the news; buy the Eye.
Just heard on the #BBC Winter Olympics commentary: “If Stephen Hawkings was a snowboarder, that’s the trick he would do.” #WinterOlympics
Interesting story. So-called “Chinamaxxing” - is the TikTok generation in “the west” really embracing #China & Chinese lifestyle? Does Chinamaxxing represent a full & accurate picture of China today? And what is the US “kill line”? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Save the BBC World Service. Please read the Guardian @theguardian.com article below & the thread by @lauraphillips.bsky.social
Inspired by One True Podcast - a special episode on John Steinbeck with Susan Shillinglaw - I retrieved my copy of The Red Pony. A delightful yet melancholic set of stories about Jody Tiflin and his family. I especially loved “The Leader of the People.” #booksky
Thanks. It’s going to be a long road
