John Morton
drjmorton.bsky.social
John Morton
@drjmorton.bsky.social
Assoc Prof of English Lit and Deputy Head of Humanities and Social Sciences at Uni of Greenwich. All views my own
Reposted by John Morton
Save the date for the next Tennyson Talk on Thursday, December 4 at 7:30 PM GMT, 230 EST by Professor Alison Chapman, University of Victoria Her title is “Cut-and-Paste Tennyson: illustrated periodical poetry extracts and the poetic line.” Contact [email protected] for the Zoom link if needed
November 20, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Reposted by John Morton
As announced at the close of #RSVP2025, congratulations are in order to our two Colby Book Prize winners, Andrew Lewis and @tejapusapati.bsky.social! You can read what our committee has to say about these fantastic additions to the field of periodical studies here: rs4vp.org/awards/colby...
July 24, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Reposted by John Morton
#skyhistorians My uni, LJMU, have announced their VC PhD scholarships. Reach out to me if you are interested in doing something on homes; philanthropy/ charity; material culture and lived religion in the long c19th. These are competitive. You do need strong marks

www.ljmu.ac.uk/research/phd...
Vice-Chancellor PhD Scholarship 2026 application form
Apply for one of the studentships available to PhD students at Liverpool John Moores University, and join a fantastic, vibrant community of researchers.
www.ljmu.ac.uk
July 18, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Breakfast (still jet lagged so early!) the morning after #rsvp2025 #voicesandvisions and it only felt right to buy a paper after a lot of discussion of the uncertain future of print... Brilliant conference and so nice to catch up with friends and make new ones.
July 13, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Am not keen on this piece by Crewe. For a hit job like this to work it needs to at least acknowledge what the potential justification for the choices taken might be (& for the writer's popularity) - scoffing at the endorsements, 1 of which is imo intentionally misread, is not enough. 1/3
June 19, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Reposted by John Morton
See the call for @victorianpoetry.bsky.social’s 2025 Early Career Essay Prize (more info below & in the alt text) — please help me get the word out, with thanks!
Excited to share the call for Victorian Poetry’s 2025 Early Career Prize! Please circulate widely. Happy to answer any questions (see the attached CFP for more details)!
May 12, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Reposted by John Morton
A really good opportunity here to study Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia: the Birch Family Scholarship is available to a home fees applicant who has applied for a place on the Poetry MA and identifies as a writer of colour. Deadline: 30 May. Please RT! www.uea.ac.uk/study/fees-a...
The Birch Family Scholarship
University of East Anglia
www.uea.ac.uk
April 22, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Reposted by John Morton
Call for presentations for an online event, Dickens and Death! This will be livestreamed on June 7 and then posted on our YouTube channel June 9. Proposals should center on the theme of Dickens and Death. Submit proposals of 100-200 words by May 1, 2025 to Céleste Callen: [email protected].
March 31, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Absolutely love this MJ Lenderman cover of This is Lorelei

open.spotify.com/track/3yxJaR...
Dancing in the Club - MJ Lenderman Version
This Is Lorelei, MJ Lenderman · Dancing in the Club (MJ Lenderman Version) · Song · 2025
open.spotify.com
March 27, 2025 at 8:42 AM
This is awful news. RIP
Children’s writer and author of the award-winning Crongton series, Alex Wheatle MBE, has died of prostate cancer at the age of 62. 👇 #BookSky
'Beloved' author Alex Wheatle MBE dies aged 62
www.thebookseller.com
March 20, 2025 at 11:35 AM
Reposted by John Morton
Brian Maidment, past president and friend of RSVP, passed away on Jan 28. This past summer, he spoke with Marysa Demoor for our Roots of RSVP series and reflected on a long career of studying mass circulation print culture. Read the interview in VPR: muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl... @rs4vp.bsky.social
February 27, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Reposted by John Morton
Victorian Poetry is thrilled to announce a new open-access special issue, “Transition and Transformation.” Guest edited by Erik Gray, it features contributions by Florence Boos, Mary Ellis Gibson, @lindakhughes.bsky.social , Britta Martens, & Herbert F. Tucker. muse.jhu.edu/issue/53644
February 21, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by John Morton
Do you have an innovative idea for advancing periodicals research? Do you need 💰 to make this idea a reality? Consider applying for our annual Patrick Leary Field Development Grant! Applications are open through March 15. More details can be found on our website: rs4vp.org/awards/leary...
The Patrick Leary Field Development Grant – RSVP
The Patrick Leary Field Development Grant is named for long-time RSVP supporter, Board member and former President, Patrick Leary. It is intended to support one scholar or a team of researchers in cre...
rs4vp.org
February 10, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Reposted by John Morton
👋Hello Bluesky! We are now officially "live" and will regularly post announcements, tidbits, and other exciting news that will interest our members and friends across the sky! Follow us, tag us, invite your friends to join us and we will endeavor to do the same!
February 4, 2025 at 10:22 PM
I'm so sorry to hear this. Brian was an absolute star.
Truly sorry to hear about the passing of Professor Brian Maidment. He taught me as an undergrad and inspired me with a love of Victorian literature. He was generous, kind, and a pleasure to be around. Thanks for everything Brian.
January 29, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Reposted by John Morton
RIP David Lodge, one of the great comic novelists and a literary critic v committed to public engagement
January 3, 2025 at 11:13 AM
Doing my usual brief cultural highlights of the year. New novels I liked the most were Intermezzo by Sally Rooney and I Will Crash by Rebecca Watson, and I'm enjoying Isaac by Curtis Garner right now. (Cont in next post)
December 17, 2024 at 6:58 PM
Reposted by John Morton
Galley Beggar Press is hiring!

We need a reliable, book-loving, Norwich-based administrative assistant for six months - starting January, 10 hours a week, and with the possibility of extending:

Closing date: 13 December 2024

Full details: www.galleybeggar.co.uk/new-page-34

(Please do share!)
Job Advertisement: Administrator — Galley Beggar Press
www.galleybeggar.co.uk
December 5, 2024 at 8:49 AM
Very happy to say that my chapter on #neovictorian poetry has been published in the Palgrave Handbook of Neo-Victorianism link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
The Palgrave Handbook of Neo-Victorianism
This handbook offers analysis of diverse genres of neo-Victorianism, including film and TV adaptations of Victorian texts, authors’ life stories, and contemporary fiction set in the 19th century.
link.springer.com
January 30, 2024 at 7:40 PM
You can read 2 of my articles for free this month!

'Science in Neo-Victorian Poetry (2016) here: euppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3...

'Wordsworth's Death and the Figure of the Poet in 1850' (2022) here: euppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3...
January 10, 2024 at 5:07 PM
Quick cultural highlights of the year. New novels I liked the most were Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton and Mrs S. by K. Patrick. Tremor by Teju Cole too. Otherwise there weren't many books (incl non fic) I loved, & I was extremely underwhelmed by a couple of high profile novels that I'll not name.
December 18, 2023 at 5:04 PM