Charlotte Lydia Riley

Charlotte Lydia Riley

@lottelydia.bsky.social

Imperial Island: A History of Empire in Modern Britain (Penguin 2023)/An Alternative History of the British Empire (HUP 2024). Is Free Speech Under Threat? (2024). https://linktr.ee/charlottelydiariley repped by Carrie Plitt @FBA views are all mine 💫

26.9K followers1.4K following7.8K posts

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Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

🥳

University of Southampton History Department@historyatsoton.bsky.social

We’re thrilled to celebrate our colleague @lottelydia.bsky.social, whose book Imperial Island (Harvard University Press, 2024) has just been awarded the Herbert Baxter Adams Prize by the American Historical Association! This prestigious award acknowledges Charlotte’s thought-provoking work.

historians.orgAmerican Historical Association Announces 2025 Prize Winners – AHAThe American Historical Association is pleased to announce the winners of its 2025 prizes.
Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

We went to see the Shaun the Sheep Halloween film yesterday and: it was really, really good, a good spooky plot for the four year old and just packed full of gags. There’s a moment with a parcel delivery that made me properly laugh.

Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

Also, the 1 year old has been to the cinema a few times before but this was the first time it really seemed to grab him — he spent the first twenty minutes pointing at the screen and saying THAT! like Leo

Charlotte Lydia Riley reposted

Chris Hanretty
@chanret.bsky.social

Are you a Labour MP (or office staff for same)? Have you been contacted by GB News & asked about my estimates of how (2024) constituencies voted in the EU referendum? Please remember: that was 10 years ago. Some people die, some turn eighteen—& most importantly, some change their mind!

Charlotte Lydia Riley reposted

MagpieProjectUK
@magpieprojectuk.bsky.social

Would you vote for 90,000 children to face poverty? No? - don't let it happen in your name. The government say it's what you want - they are writing it in to the earned settlement proposals. If, like us, you don't want to see destitute children, ask your MP to tell them to stop. They work for you!

themagpieproject.orgProtect UK Children: Stop the Earned Settlement ProposalsLearn how proposed UK settlement changes could impact 90,000 children, risking deep poverty for future generations. Act now to make a difference!
Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

it would be helpful if the government could give some clues as to what “other forms of financial sustainability” might look like for universities. Should we plucky kids get together and put on a show?!

Peter Whitewood@pwhitewood.bsky.social

Not ‘significant numbers’ of universities collapsing isn’t great reassurance from the OfS

Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

The reason the BL has empty desks is that the cyberattack has reduced people’s access abilities and pushed researchers away from the institution. (Not helped by their mad ebook-only policies around new book acquisitions, etc). If only the UK had a culture secretary.

Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social

Leaving aside the rampaging elephant in the room of the degradation of access to the Library's collections since the cyberattack, my main question on reading this is why historians are still posting on X, a platform that incites violence against humans of many 'sorts' and monetises misogyny.

timeshighereducation.comBritish Library to turn reading rooms into paid-for workspacesAreas dedicated to science and social science in national institution to be ‘repurposed’, sparking the ire of scholars
Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

Also yes OBVIOUSLY everyone should leave Twitter. Don’t “just keep an account open to protect the username”, don’t just cross-post there but really exist here, don’t just check in a couple of times a week to see what awful things they’re saying. Close your account! Be free!

Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

But also; god, imagine if we had a culture secretary, maybe even one who had consistently proclaimed herself to be a feminist, who might (for example) be a helpful voice in reinstating the Sisterhood and After resources at the British Library (offline since October 2023). So sad we don’t, eh.

Charlotte Lydia Riley reposted

The Author, Séamas O'Reilly
@seamas.bsky.social

This is not a "you didn't KNOW?" post because I truly envy and respect anyone unaware of Linehan's output BUT he's been EXTREMELY racist for years now. Attacking black actors on his wife's show Motherland as diversity hires; podcast screeds about muslims in Ireland; delighting in Palestinian deaths.

This post is unavailable.
Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

Right. But the thing is, in the Second World War, the British government specifically told the British people not to stockpile food, and ruptured water mains were overcome with water bowsers for drinking and EWS for the fire service, not individual stores. There was a municipal and state response.

John C@badsocialism.bsky.social

"The barges on the miry river, the familiar streets, the men in bowler hats, the pigeons in Trafalgar Square, the red buses, the blue policemen, all sleeping the deep, deep sleep of England, from which I sometimes fear that we shall never wake till we are jerked out of it by the roar of bombs."

Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

a real case of “one of the dozens of people who are in a country that is not the United States” in the responses here. I actually don’t care what the recommendations are for US states that regularly experience hurricanes.

Charlotte Lydia Riley@lottelydia.bsky.social

sorry, but the British government now apparently envisages a scenario that would require me to keep forty eight litres of drinking water in my house for emergencies? oh right I’ll just shove it in the reservoir I’ve got in the back bedroom then

Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

I do think “there are masked men marching through high streets screaming about repatriation and white supremacy” is something the government needs a much stronger public voice against — it might be (?) that Prevent is all over it but there should still be a loud and consistent official attack line.

Ireland against Fascism@irlagainstfascism.bsky.social

Bigots descended on Herne Bay, Kent, England today with chants of 'Save our nation - remigration' 'End the invasion -remigration'. Most shockingly they chanted 'England for the white man'. These are white supremacists not 'concerned citizens'. Britain you've a serious problem, sort it out NOW!

Charlotte Lydia Riley reposted

Tom Powdrill
@tompowdrill.bsky.social

Replying to @tompowdrill.bsky.social

Also this. Unions are supposed to enable workers (their members) to defend their pay and working conditions. It’s not their job to advocate for others, in the same way that we don’t expect, say, shareholders to advocate for customers.

Charlotte Lydia Riley reposted

Micah
@rincewind.run

every male college professor apparently needs to be given a starter pack here is your office, here is your chair, here is a buzzer that will shock you every time you think about fucking one of your students

Mrs. Detective PikaBOO, Esq.@clapifyoulikeme.favrd.social

I hope when I click it’s just shocked Pikachu

Charlotte Lydia Riley reposted

Leicester Gazette
@leicestergazette.leicester.news

Two University of Leicester students speak out over ‘absurd’ and ‘Orwellian’ decision by the BBC and ITV Studios to edit out pride pins worn on University Challenge

leicester.newsBBC edits out pride pins on University Challenge in ‘Orwellian’ move* * * This story was published by **The Leicester Gazette** : a local, independent newspaper about Leicestershire. 1,000 people have already joined our community. Just use those buttons below to download our app and **sign up for free**. * * * Astrophysics student Samuel Carlier and History student Emmeline Hague-Wright were shocked to find that their LGBTQ+ pride pins had been edited out of their University Challenge appearance earlier this year. The episode, initially scheduled for BBC Two on 24 August, was delayed twice before airing on 7 September 2026. The pins showed the progressive LGBTQ+ pride flag, the bisexual pride flag and a rainbow feather. Speaking to the Leicester Gazette, Sam said: “Living in a liberal democracy and having the state broadcaster tell you ‘we’re editing how you look’, seems very Orwellian.” Sam described the choice to remove the pins before broadcast as “weird” and “absurd”. He said: “[Censoring] that seemed weird. If I had worn a rainbow shirt, would they have censored that? If the idea is to keep things impartial, where is that line in the sand?” A side by-side image of Sam wearing the pin and with it having been digitally removed. Photograph: supplied Sam contacted the BBC to try to understand why his pins had been edited out. He told the Gazette: “The BBC people said they’d ring me, and I chased them, they just said go to the complaints website and file a complaint there, that’s what I did.” Since then, Sam hasn’t had a response from the BBC as to why his pins were removed. After the episode had aired, Sam noted that his shirt ‘melted’ into itself occasionally, as a result of the editing. Photograph: supplied ## Students believe the decision was made following online transphobia Emmeline was also shocked when she found out that the feather pin she wore was due to be removed from the episode she was in. It was understood by Emmeline that there was online transphobia in response to previous episode of University Challenge, and she had been contacted by the BBC, anticipating support from the broadcaster. When the BBC contacted her, instead of an offer of support, she was told her pin was going to be removed. “At first it was mostly confusion,” she said. “I heard that they had received a lot of nastiness online from people and I thought they were going to call me to say ‘we have support services if needed,’ and that wasn't what I got at all.” Instead, Emmeline was notified that the episodes were going to be delayed. “It was out of left field, I was confused for a while,” she said. “This entire delay has been because of a feather and two badges on a teammate that were basically impossible [for viewers] to see.” Emmeline had expressed her frustrations with the repeated delays from the BBC, spanning from mid-July to early-September. She said: “We were announced on the website and then delayed again, and then announced on the website a second time, and delayed even further. Speaking about the removal, she said: “It takes a lot of time” she said. “Making it [the edit] look good would be even more expensive and time-consuming. It seems like drastically a lot of effort.” ## Join the conversation Our app is more than just a way to keep up – it's a gateway to award-winning journalism and the local community. __Want to support our work?__ Click here for membership__.__ ## Wider criticism on LGBTQ+ support The pins Sam wore during the episode. Photograph: supplied According to leading LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall UK, two in five LGBTQ+ students will hide their identities at university for fear of discrimination. Stonewall has reported that more than 36 per cent of trans students have received hostile conduct from university staff due to their gender identity. Reflecting on the digital removal of the pins, Sam spoke about how disheartening the choice was. He said: “There was maybe like a span of eight years where someone could be uncontroversially out in the open queer – now that’s gone again.” he said. The BBC has also been widely criticised for ‘an attack on the LGBTQ+ community’ by pulling its involvement with the popular show, RuPaul's Drag Race. The broadcaster pulled its involvement in September following “significant financial pressures” as the reason for axing their involvement. The criticism follows another recent controversial edit by the BBC. On its hit show, Strictly Come Dancing, a decision was made to edit out ‘Protect the Dolls’ from contestant Bethany Antonia’s T-shirt. It’s a slogan which has become widely used to support the rights of trans women. The BBC defended their decision, saying the changes were made to meet editorial guidelines. It comes as the LGBTQ+ community has faced challenges amid an increasingly less tolerant political climate. ## What the BBC had to say When we asked them about editing out the pins worn by Leicester’s University Challenge team, a BBC spokesperson said: “In line with our editorial guidelines, we advise that no badges, flags, and emblems or symbols are worn or visible during filming, along with clothing with obvious branding or slogans. If such items are not removed for any reason then a decision is made between the programme makers and the BBC regarding any edits to the programme.” The BBC said the delays to the episode were unrelated to the decision to edit out the pins. A spokesperson for ITV Studios said: “University Challenge is an entertainment quiz show and is made in accordance with the BBC Editorial Guidelines requirements for impartiality.” The University of Leicester refused to comment on the matter. * * * **Before you go…** We’ve recently surpassed 1,000 subscribers, which is amazing considering we’re a small team on a shoestring budget. Now, we’re ready for the next stage of the Leicester Gazette. **Download our new app and get all of our journalism anytime, anywhere.** The app connects with **Bluesky** , **Mastodon** and **Threads** , giving you access to a network of around 60 million people. It’s a safer, more meaningful alternative to mainstream social media – owned by the community. * * *
Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

sorry, but the British government now apparently envisages a scenario that would require me to keep forty eight litres of drinking water in my house for emergencies? oh right I’ll just shove it in the reservoir I’ve got in the back bedroom then

Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

University of Nottingham, right now, is cutting 560 jobs. Do we need to rebrand universities as very large, very clean, land-based oil rigs to get government support?

Leo Hickman@leohickman.carbonbrief.org

From the govt's press release: "The developer estimates that Jackdaw will create 27 new direct jobs and safeguard 273 existing jobs that would otherwise be lost." Odd that so much is made about this being good for jobs. Your nearest out-of-town supermarket likely generates more jobs.

Charlotte Lydia Riley reposted

Patrick Iber
@patrickiber.bsky.social

Prospective grad students, please take heed: you don't need to have read the scholar's work to write them an email. But if you use AI to write your email and pretend to have read their work, the false notes will almost surely be picked up and you will be setting your chances on fire

Charlotte Lydia Riley reposted

Stefan Visnjevac
@stefanvisnjevac.bsky.social

While volunteering as a @thevideogamelibrary.org contributor, I came across this news feature on Segaworld in Sonic the Comic May 1996 issue. Brought back good memories of going with my school friends! Was great but only lasted three years & never made a profit - or, "the late 90s Sega story," lol.

Charlotte Lydia Riley reposted

KetAnthropic JoshAI
@ketanjoshi.co

The first genuinely honest ad for generative AI I've ever seen, from Microsoft / CoPilot A mediocre white guy sees his non-white colleague getting praised for good work, he asks AI to *literally copy it*, and then he gets all the praise instead: www.ispot.tv/ad/SoDi/micr...

Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

(tapping my "almost all right-wing politics can be understood as eugenics" sign)

Peter@notalawyer.bsky.social

the idea that empathy is dangerous has been permeating right-wing spaces for a while, but it's not an actual element of their ideology as much as it's a defense mechanism against confronting the reality of their cruelty

Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

i don't want to do sciences vs humanities discourse, honestly, but it is so often asserted that humanities writing is needlessly verbose and badly expressed, and that science writing is clear and to-the-point, and based on my experience this afternoon on PubMed that is absolutely not true at all

View full thread
Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

i don't want to do sciences vs humanities discourse, honestly, but it is so often asserted that humanities writing is needlessly verbose and badly expressed, and that science writing is clear and to-the-point, and based on my experience this afternoon on PubMed that is absolutely not true at all

View full thread
Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

And I don't mean complicated in the sense that like, oh boo hoo the scientists used some science words. I mean complicated like the data is from multiple years but the analysis does not make it clear which year is being written about, or the subject and the object of the sentence do not agree

Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

And Google's AI summaries have added another layer of hell to this, because the headline data of the main review article is presented so unclearly that the Google AI summary of the findings is incorrect, which means that I spent needless time trying to find a figure that did not exist

Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

i don't want to do sciences vs humanities discourse, honestly, but it is so often asserted that humanities writing is needlessly verbose and badly expressed, and that science writing is clear and to-the-point, and based on my experience this afternoon on PubMed that is absolutely not true at all

Charlotte Lydia Riley
@lottelydia.bsky.social

Trying to read literature about eating disorder prevalence and it is just overly complicated in a way that makes it difficult to actually understand the findings - illustrated with graphs with almost no information supplied so that data can only be only understood in terms of increase or decrease