Dr Laura Varnam
@drlauravarnam.bsky.social
Tutor in English Lit at Univ, Oxford. Medievalist. Poet. She/her. Co-founder @guildmedmak. Church as Sacred Space (2018). Encountering Margery Kempe (2021). Primers Volume Seven: Grendel’s Mother Bites Back (2024). Next books on Du Maurier, and Beowulf.
Thrilled to have a copy of @hellomizk.bsky.social latest comic ABRUPT TRANSITIONS about her PhD journey and other academic shenanigans. (We love playing academic lingo bingo! @valarie.bsky.social reminds me of our convo the other day! Ontology anyone? 🥴😆)
November 20, 2025 at 6:56 AM
Thrilled to have a copy of @hellomizk.bsky.social latest comic ABRUPT TRANSITIONS about her PhD journey and other academic shenanigans. (We love playing academic lingo bingo! @valarie.bsky.social reminds me of our convo the other day! Ontology anyone? 🥴😆)
Such a thrill to join @susiecampbell.bsky.social at Blackwells on Sunday for the Oxford launch of Susie’s amazing new book WASTELANDS. We had such a great chat with Kate McLoughlin abt all things medieval & modern. (And this action shot of me is crying out for a caption competition!! Thanks Teresa!)
November 18, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Such a thrill to join @susiecampbell.bsky.social at Blackwells on Sunday for the Oxford launch of Susie’s amazing new book WASTELANDS. We had such a great chat with Kate McLoughlin abt all things medieval & modern. (And this action shot of me is crying out for a caption competition!! Thanks Teresa!)
Hwæt! Love my new #Beowulf inspired artworks by brilliant former student Raven! Check out her Etsy shop for more designs, including Julian of Norwich and #Chaucer inspired pieces www.etsy.com/shop/imitati...
November 13, 2025 at 12:33 PM
Hwæt! Love my new #Beowulf inspired artworks by brilliant former student Raven! Check out her Etsy shop for more designs, including Julian of Norwich and #Chaucer inspired pieces www.etsy.com/shop/imitati...
Absolutely fantastic night rockin’ along to the Status Quo tribute band Break the Rules 🤘🎸 They were even joined by original Quo drummer John Coghlan for a couple of numbers! 🥁 Went with my Dad and it was brilliant. (We reckon we’ve seen the original Quo 20+ times together!!)
November 9, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Absolutely fantastic night rockin’ along to the Status Quo tribute band Break the Rules 🤘🎸 They were even joined by original Quo drummer John Coghlan for a couple of numbers! 🥁 Went with my Dad and it was brilliant. (We reckon we’ve seen the original Quo 20+ times together!!)
Such a lovely surprise parcel from Backlisted listener Cindy Vincent! Julian of Norwich postcard, dragon brooch, beautifully crocheted gifts made by Cindy’s daughter… on brand or what! 🔥 The @backlisted.bsky.social family are the best!! 🥰
November 5, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Such a lovely surprise parcel from Backlisted listener Cindy Vincent! Julian of Norwich postcard, dragon brooch, beautifully crocheted gifts made by Cindy’s daughter… on brand or what! 🔥 The @backlisted.bsky.social family are the best!! 🥰
It was a pleasure to read some of my Grendel’s Mother poems at Univ’s Poetry Share-In last night in hall! 🩵
November 4, 2025 at 7:24 AM
It was a pleasure to read some of my Grendel’s Mother poems at Univ’s Poetry Share-In last night in hall! 🩵
So thrilled with this wonderful artwork gifted to me by my former student Raven! The first inspired by Julian of Norwich’s hazelnut vision and the second by the dragon in Beowulf! Check out Raven’s Etsy shop (and follow @ imitatio.artistry on Instagram!) www.etsy.com/shop/imitati...
November 2, 2025 at 10:55 AM
So thrilled with this wonderful artwork gifted to me by my former student Raven! The first inspired by Julian of Norwich’s hazelnut vision and the second by the dragon in Beowulf! Check out Raven’s Etsy shop (and follow @ imitatio.artistry on Instagram!) www.etsy.com/shop/imitati...
This sounds bloody brilliant, Una! @backlisted.bsky.social fans, check it out! Can’t wait to listen!
November 1, 2025 at 8:39 PM
This sounds bloody brilliant, Una! @backlisted.bsky.social fans, check it out! Can’t wait to listen!
My #BacklistedBrontëBookstack! (Try saying that in a hurry!). With special shout-out for Claire O’Callaghan’s Emily Brontë Reappraised. Plus my #TeamBranwell badge! @backlisted.bsky.social
November 1, 2025 at 7:46 AM
My #BacklistedBrontëBookstack! (Try saying that in a hurry!). With special shout-out for Claire O’Callaghan’s Emily Brontë Reappraised. Plus my #TeamBranwell badge! @backlisted.bsky.social
Thanks for having me this evening as part of the ‘Staging the Middle Ages’ seminar series! It was a pleasure to read my Margery Kempe poems and to chat to playwright Nadia Lines about modern adaptations of medieval narratives 💖
October 31, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Thanks for having me this evening as part of the ‘Staging the Middle Ages’ seminar series! It was a pleasure to read my Margery Kempe poems and to chat to playwright Nadia Lines about modern adaptations of medieval narratives 💖
Such as astute observation. And it really does go back to their childhood creation of the imaginary kingdoms of Gondal & Angeria as we said on the ep. And a great way into that side of the Brontës is this amazing graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg. I think @backlisted.bsky.social fans would enjoy!
October 31, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Such as astute observation. And it really does go back to their childhood creation of the imaginary kingdoms of Gondal & Angeria as we said on the ep. And a great way into that side of the Brontës is this amazing graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg. I think @backlisted.bsky.social fans would enjoy!
Tomorrow (Fri 31st) I’ll be reading some of my Margery Kempe poems at the English Faculty in Cambridge! 5pm, free tickets at this link: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1760728178...
October 30, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Tomorrow (Fri 31st) I’ll be reading some of my Margery Kempe poems at the English Faculty in Cambridge! 5pm, free tickets at this link: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1760728178...
Shelley would be proud! (The Univ Shelley Memorial!)
October 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Shelley would be proud! (The Univ Shelley Memorial!)
If you’re after some spooky reading for Hallowe’en after you’ve listened to Backlisted, how abt A MIDNIGHT TREASURY OF MACABRE & WEIRD POEMS (feat. a poem by yours truly opp a C Brontë poem!!) or @robertshearman.bsky.social amazing CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT, a Xmas Doctor Who story packed with ghosts!!! 👻
October 30, 2025 at 9:48 AM
If you’re after some spooky reading for Hallowe’en after you’ve listened to Backlisted, how abt A MIDNIGHT TREASURY OF MACABRE & WEIRD POEMS (feat. a poem by yours truly opp a C Brontë poem!!) or @robertshearman.bsky.social amazing CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT, a Xmas Doctor Who story packed with ghosts!!! 👻
First time this term leaving college in the dark now the clocks have gone back! (Dinners & evening events aside, of course!). Looking good though!
October 27, 2025 at 9:10 PM
First time this term leaving college in the dark now the clocks have gone back! (Dinners & evening events aside, of course!). Looking good though!
At the weekend I finished The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden and bloody hell, what a book. I rarely cry when I’m reading but I did at the end of this. It’s extraordinary 🌟
October 20, 2025 at 9:57 AM
At the weekend I finished The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden and bloody hell, what a book. I rarely cry when I’m reading but I did at the end of this. It’s extraordinary 🌟
It was my privilege and pleasure to review my former supervisor Helen Barr’s translation of PATIENCE by the Gawain-poet for the Lady Margaret Hall alumni publication The Brown Book. It’s ✨brilliant✨ and I can’t recommend it highly enough! ❤️
October 19, 2025 at 3:14 PM
It was my privilege and pleasure to review my former supervisor Helen Barr’s translation of PATIENCE by the Gawain-poet for the Lady Margaret Hall alumni publication The Brown Book. It’s ✨brilliant✨ and I can’t recommend it highly enough! ❤️
It’s been a busy but exciting 1st week here in Oxford! Co-taught the first of our Medievalism seminars on biofiction, gave my first solo lecture at the new humanities centre, taught two study skills sessions & two intro classes to Old and Middle English 💥 Back with a bang, baby! (And now we sleep!)
October 17, 2025 at 3:36 PM
It’s been a busy but exciting 1st week here in Oxford! Co-taught the first of our Medievalism seminars on biofiction, gave my first solo lecture at the new humanities centre, taught two study skills sessions & two intro classes to Old and Middle English 💥 Back with a bang, baby! (And now we sleep!)
Really enjoyed delivering my micro lecture on Medievalism at the new Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities this morning, alongside my brilliant colleagues Dan Wakelin and Ayoush Lazikani. Kicking off the medieval paper in style in the new auditorium! ✨
October 14, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Really enjoyed delivering my micro lecture on Medievalism at the new Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities this morning, alongside my brilliant colleagues Dan Wakelin and Ayoush Lazikani. Kicking off the medieval paper in style in the new auditorium! ✨
Many congratulations to the brilliant @robertshearman.bsky.social whose two new Doctor Who novels were published this week- JUBILEE & CHIMES OF MIDNIGHT! 👏🥂🍾🥳 And check out the new issue of Doctor Who magazine for an interview about the new books & how Rob adapted the original Big Finish audios ✨
October 11, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Many congratulations to the brilliant @robertshearman.bsky.social whose two new Doctor Who novels were published this week- JUBILEE & CHIMES OF MIDNIGHT! 👏🥂🍾🥳 And check out the new issue of Doctor Who magazine for an interview about the new books & how Rob adapted the original Big Finish audios ✨
I was glad to see that the bust of Tolkien from the old English Faculty library is now in the new Schwarzman Centre Humanities Library! 📚
October 10, 2025 at 1:12 PM
I was glad to see that the bust of Tolkien from the old English Faculty library is now in the new Schwarzman Centre Humanities Library! 📚
I had a lovely time with my new Team English students at our freshers’ dinner last night at Univ! 💙💛 Really looking forward to teaching starting properly on Monday!
October 10, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I had a lovely time with my new Team English students at our freshers’ dinner last night at Univ! 💙💛 Really looking forward to teaching starting properly on Monday!
New commemorative Royal mugs for the office collection! 👑👸 (I often find that they are a very pleasing shape to drink from!!) Picked up these beauties in an antique shop in Lyme Regis on holiday last month 💖
October 9, 2025 at 10:31 AM
New commemorative Royal mugs for the office collection! 👑👸 (I often find that they are a very pleasing shape to drink from!!) Picked up these beauties in an antique shop in Lyme Regis on holiday last month 💖
Made it over to the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities today, the new home of the English Faculty and where I’ll be lecturing this term ✨
October 6, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Made it over to the Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities today, the new home of the English Faculty and where I’ll be lecturing this term ✨
Cracking afternoon watching American football at Tottenham Hotspur! 🏈 Sadly the Cleveland Browns lost (my Dad’s team!) 🧡 but we had a super time, AND the cast of Ted Lasso were in attendance!!! 🤩😱🤯
October 5, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Cracking afternoon watching American football at Tottenham Hotspur! 🏈 Sadly the Cleveland Browns lost (my Dad’s team!) 🧡 but we had a super time, AND the cast of Ted Lasso were in attendance!!! 🤩😱🤯