Irishman between Yorkshire and Addis Ababa. Historian of language, education, migration at the University of Leeds. Editor of Renaissance Studies. Occasional BBC radio presenter. Currently learning Amharic/አማርኛ እየተማርኩ ነው. Dad!https://bsky.app/profile/earlymodernjohn.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/earlymodernjohn.bsky.social/post/3mlvx3722422qLovely morning with the kids learning about space at the Cambridge Science Park. Hoping to bring them to the Cambridge Arts & Humanities Park next week but nobody I asked seemed to know where it is.15 May 2026 18:19 +0000at://did:plc:43lv3dcbbiofwrn3v2kkbf3p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlvx3722422qhttps://bsky.app/profile/earlymodernjohn.bsky.social/post/3mlocr5m3rc2cFascinating interview, not least on the long and multilingual manuscript tradition of the Ethiopian city of Harar. I was there in January and it was such a thrill to see early modern and modern manuscripts on so many topics in Arabic, Harari, Amharic and others. [contains quote post or other embedded content]12 May 2026 17:27 +0000at://did:plc:43lv3dcbbiofwrn3v2kkbf3p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlocr5m3rc2chttps://bsky.app/profile/earlymodernjohn.bsky.social/post/3mloc5fratk2aVery excited for the 2027 Society for Renaissance Studies conference, to be held in the city many are calling the Leeds of the south. [contains quote post or other embedded content]12 May 2026 17:16 +0000at://did:plc:43lv3dcbbiofwrn3v2kkbf3p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mloc5fratk2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/earlymodernjohn.bsky.social/post/3mle5otky2c2uSomeone should really do a Frances Yates biography one of these days. [contains quote post or other embedded content]08 May 2026 16:30 +0000at://did:plc:43lv3dcbbiofwrn3v2kkbf3p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mle5otky2c2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/earlymodernjohn.bsky.social/post/3ml2qjw7ffk2xPersonally, if I lived in Midsomer I would make it a rule never to say "Oh, it's you. What are you doing here?" to someone the audience can't see while the camera remains on me.04 May 2026 22:40 +0000at://did:plc:43lv3dcbbiofwrn3v2kkbf3p/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml2qjw7ffk2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/earlymodernjohn.bsky.social/post/3mkuiiw33wk2iMulling the editorial direction of Renaissance Studies, and thinking it might be time to open the journal up to articles by humanities scholars who have a very shaky grasp of how science works but fancy having a go02 May 2026 11:01 +0000at://did:plc:43lv3dcbbiofwrn3v2kkbf3p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkuiiw33wk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/earlymodernjohn.bsky.social/post/3mkspcundn22cOnly home vanishingly briefly, and this time for a funeral, but it's so cool to be able to open the Irish Times and do a crossword set by my sister.01 May 2026 17:57 +0000at://did:plc:43lv3dcbbiofwrn3v2kkbf3p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkspcundn22chttps://bsky.app/profile/earlymodernjohn.bsky.social/post/3mkq66gshak2rPeople say English culture is disappearing but I've just stood in a crowded train carriage carrying a clearly upset 2-year-old while a crowd of arsehole men in seats played on their phones with no sense that they too live in a society, so it seems to be doing OK from where I'm (literally) standing!30 Apr 2026 17:45 +0000at://did:plc:43lv3dcbbiofwrn3v2kkbf3p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkq66gshak2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/earlymodernjohn.bsky.social/post/3mklgc6fq5c2cissuing correction on a great number of posts from both sides of the Atlantic, regarding the English king Charles. you do not, under any circumstances, "gotta hand it to him"28 Apr 2026 20:27 +0000at://did:plc:43lv3dcbbiofwrn3v2kkbf3p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mklgc6fq5c2chttps://bsky.app/profile/earlymodernjohn.bsky.social/post/3mkitvufyhc2lHardly a day goes by when I don't regret calling the NCT fathers' WhatsApp group Dads Dads Dads and not The Muslin Brotherhood27 Apr 2026 19:53 +0000at://did:plc:43lv3dcbbiofwrn3v2kkbf3p/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkitvufyhc2l