Daryl
@drleeworthy.bsky.social
Writer, historian. Labour histories, social histories, biographies of writers, mostly British but occasionally elsewhere. Always got my nose in a novel.
“Each day is a little bit of history” — Jose Saramago
“Each day is a little bit of history” — Jose Saramago
Feeling absolutely rotten - not this stuffed up since I last had COVID - so reading the new Salman Rushdie and drinking lemon and ginger tea.
November 29, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Feeling absolutely rotten - not this stuffed up since I last had COVID - so reading the new Salman Rushdie and drinking lemon and ginger tea.
Reposted by Daryl
Just took Coast of Utopia down from the shelf. May we live up to it.
November 29, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Just took Coast of Utopia down from the shelf. May we live up to it.
Reposted by Daryl
We’ve lost our greatest postmodernist. All the greater because we had to share him with Czechoslovakia, which no longer exists. And, let us not forget, hot stuff.
November 29, 2025 at 6:03 PM
We’ve lost our greatest postmodernist. All the greater because we had to share him with Czechoslovakia, which no longer exists. And, let us not forget, hot stuff.
Reading some Edna O'Brien while I nurse the lurgy: her fascinating, if not at all straightforward, novel of the Troubles, House of Splendid Isolation. It'd make a great telly series. A two-parter.
November 28, 2025 at 11:49 PM
Reading some Edna O'Brien while I nurse the lurgy: her fascinating, if not at all straightforward, novel of the Troubles, House of Splendid Isolation. It'd make a great telly series. A two-parter.
Swindon train station thought: with universities as businesses and jury trials back in the news, one can't help but be envious of E. P. Thompson's royalties!
November 26, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Swindon train station thought: with universities as businesses and jury trials back in the news, one can't help but be envious of E. P. Thompson's royalties!
The paper covers some of the material in A Little Gay History of Wales, material in subsequent articles on the theme, especially about North Wales, and some new medieval material I'm trying out for the first time. More to do on that front and the potential for a new book, I think.
Off to Oxford in the morning to give a paper at my old college, Oriel. I still have to pinch myself, sometimes, that this sort of thing still happens.
After the many bad experiences in academia, at Swansea, and in recent times when I fell off the radar, I shall enjoy going up to the old place.
After the many bad experiences in academia, at Swansea, and in recent times when I fell off the radar, I shall enjoy going up to the old place.
November 25, 2025 at 6:24 PM
The paper covers some of the material in A Little Gay History of Wales, material in subsequent articles on the theme, especially about North Wales, and some new medieval material I'm trying out for the first time. More to do on that front and the potential for a new book, I think.
Off to Oxford in the morning to give a paper at my old college, Oriel. I still have to pinch myself, sometimes, that this sort of thing still happens.
After the many bad experiences in academia, at Swansea, and in recent times when I fell off the radar, I shall enjoy going up to the old place.
After the many bad experiences in academia, at Swansea, and in recent times when I fell off the radar, I shall enjoy going up to the old place.
November 25, 2025 at 6:19 PM
Off to Oxford in the morning to give a paper at my old college, Oriel. I still have to pinch myself, sometimes, that this sort of thing still happens.
After the many bad experiences in academia, at Swansea, and in recent times when I fell off the radar, I shall enjoy going up to the old place.
After the many bad experiences in academia, at Swansea, and in recent times when I fell off the radar, I shall enjoy going up to the old place.
Meet your heroes. One of the most inspiring events I have ever been fortunate to attend.
November 24, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Meet your heroes. One of the most inspiring events I have ever been fortunate to attend.
Off to the city to meet Mary Robinson, Ireland's former president, which I think is one of those privileged moments that comes along in life.
November 24, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Off to the city to meet Mary Robinson, Ireland's former president, which I think is one of those privileged moments that comes along in life.
Listening to Salman Rushdie's desert island discs episode - today's episode, as it happens - and his choices are refreshingly, if surprisingly, middle brow.
November 23, 2025 at 10:55 PM
Listening to Salman Rushdie's desert island discs episode - today's episode, as it happens - and his choices are refreshingly, if surprisingly, middle brow.
“You wouldn't get this from any other guy”
November 23, 2025 at 10:31 AM
“You wouldn't get this from any other guy”
The UK's housing crisis summed up in a stupid BBC Wales fluff piece.
Couple buys a Barry house formerly used for Gavin and Stacey filming. Will they live in it... Will they heck... I quote:
"...when they let it out as a holiday rental."
Couple buys a Barry house formerly used for Gavin and Stacey filming. Will they live in it... Will they heck... I quote:
"...when they let it out as a holiday rental."
November 22, 2025 at 11:59 AM
The UK's housing crisis summed up in a stupid BBC Wales fluff piece.
Couple buys a Barry house formerly used for Gavin and Stacey filming. Will they live in it... Will they heck... I quote:
"...when they let it out as a holiday rental."
Couple buys a Barry house formerly used for Gavin and Stacey filming. Will they live in it... Will they heck... I quote:
"...when they let it out as a holiday rental."
Giving my first talk of the winter season this afternoon: the local history of pantomime. Two hundred years of popular theatre, which will be quite the rush in forty minutes!
November 19, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Giving my first talk of the winter season this afternoon: the local history of pantomime. Two hundred years of popular theatre, which will be quite the rush in forty minutes!
The thing about not being on social media much these days — book writing takes precedence — is that when I then log back in, nothing makes sense, and so off I go again. The worldview on here (and elsewhere online) is far angrier than it needs to be, I feel.
November 18, 2025 at 12:08 AM
The thing about not being on social media much these days — book writing takes precedence — is that when I then log back in, nothing makes sense, and so off I go again. The worldview on here (and elsewhere online) is far angrier than it needs to be, I feel.
So I stood away from here and read Finnegans Wake for the first time. I laughed at various bits, frowned in confusion over others, but generally marvelled at the inventiveness of the piece. I'm not sure if I'll stay here any more, tbh, but maybe dropping by every once in a while is enough.
November 11, 2025 at 8:10 PM
So I stood away from here and read Finnegans Wake for the first time. I laughed at various bits, frowned in confusion over others, but generally marvelled at the inventiveness of the piece. I'm not sure if I'll stay here any more, tbh, but maybe dropping by every once in a while is enough.
Absolute genius announcement on the railway. Things are stuck because of a “broken down tree blocking the railway”, yes I did a double take too. A BROKEN DOWN TREE!
October 28, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Absolute genius announcement on the railway. Things are stuck because of a “broken down tree blocking the railway”, yes I did a double take too. A BROKEN DOWN TREE!
Husstenhasstencaffincoffintussemtossemdamandamnacosaghcusaghhobixhatouxpeswchbechoscashlcarcarcaract.
🤧
🤧
October 26, 2025 at 11:54 PM
Husstenhasstencaffincoffintussemtossemdamandamnacosaghcusaghhobixhatouxpeswchbechoscashlcarcarcaract.
🤧
🤧
Nooooooooooooooooooo.
It's my last BBC Radio 3 Sound of Cinema tomorrow, and I will be saying a proper goodbye. So tomorrow's show is an argument for the intellectual depth and richness of the film music, and how it should never be treated like wallpaper. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 3 - Sound of Cinema, A place for ideas
Matthew Sweet's weekly look at music for the screen.
www.bbc.co.uk
October 24, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Nooooooooooooooooooo.
Reposted by Daryl
How do you know whether a suspect of a crime is guilty? Maybe, jurists & psychologists proposed around 1900, with a word association test. My new article on a predecessor of the lie detector in NTM @springernature.com has murder, jealous scientists and CG Jung! link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Experimental Interrogations: Tatbestandsdiagnostik, Objectivity, and the Impact of Experimental Psychology on Early-Twentieth-Century Criminal Justice - NTM Zeitschrift für Geschichte der Wissenschaft...
In 1904, Max Wertheimer and Julius Klein published a paper that shook the worlds of criminal justice and psychology. They proposed using psychological experiments, particularly word association tests,...
link.springer.com
October 24, 2025 at 9:08 AM
How do you know whether a suspect of a crime is guilty? Maybe, jurists & psychologists proposed around 1900, with a word association test. My new article on a predecessor of the lie detector in NTM @springernature.com has murder, jealous scientists and CG Jung! link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Re-reading The Cider House Rules and found the date stamp in the library copy from when I read the novel as a teenager. A nice discovery to say the least. The library branch no longer exists - thanks Austerity - so this is all serendipitous happenstance.
October 23, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Re-reading The Cider House Rules and found the date stamp in the library copy from when I read the novel as a teenager. A nice discovery to say the least. The library branch no longer exists - thanks Austerity - so this is all serendipitous happenstance.
Off to Cardiff this evening to join a panel on the Queer Irish Diaspora and links with Welsh LGBTQ+ history. It should be both edifying and entertaining, and a lovely opportunity to see the Out in the World exhibition once again. And y'know it means such a lot to be asked. Really does.
October 22, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Off to Cardiff this evening to join a panel on the Queer Irish Diaspora and links with Welsh LGBTQ+ history. It should be both edifying and entertaining, and a lovely opportunity to see the Out in the World exhibition once again. And y'know it means such a lot to be asked. Really does.
Came up with a personal Top 10 of Nobel winners in literature. So, as it stands:
1. Jose Saramago 🇵🇹
2. Albert Camus 🇩🇿/🇫🇷
3. Gabriel Garcia Marquez 🇨🇴
4. Kazuo Ishiguro 🇯🇵/🇬🇧
5. Thomas Mann 🇩🇪
6. Orhan Pamuk 🇹🇷
7. Heinrich Böll 🇩🇪
8. Han Kang 🇰🇷
9. Naguib Mahfouz 🇪🇬
10. Annie Ernaux 🇫🇷
1. Jose Saramago 🇵🇹
2. Albert Camus 🇩🇿/🇫🇷
3. Gabriel Garcia Marquez 🇨🇴
4. Kazuo Ishiguro 🇯🇵/🇬🇧
5. Thomas Mann 🇩🇪
6. Orhan Pamuk 🇹🇷
7. Heinrich Böll 🇩🇪
8. Han Kang 🇰🇷
9. Naguib Mahfouz 🇪🇬
10. Annie Ernaux 🇫🇷
October 21, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Came up with a personal Top 10 of Nobel winners in literature. So, as it stands:
1. Jose Saramago 🇵🇹
2. Albert Camus 🇩🇿/🇫🇷
3. Gabriel Garcia Marquez 🇨🇴
4. Kazuo Ishiguro 🇯🇵/🇬🇧
5. Thomas Mann 🇩🇪
6. Orhan Pamuk 🇹🇷
7. Heinrich Böll 🇩🇪
8. Han Kang 🇰🇷
9. Naguib Mahfouz 🇪🇬
10. Annie Ernaux 🇫🇷
1. Jose Saramago 🇵🇹
2. Albert Camus 🇩🇿/🇫🇷
3. Gabriel Garcia Marquez 🇨🇴
4. Kazuo Ishiguro 🇯🇵/🇬🇧
5. Thomas Mann 🇩🇪
6. Orhan Pamuk 🇹🇷
7. Heinrich Böll 🇩🇪
8. Han Kang 🇰🇷
9. Naguib Mahfouz 🇪🇬
10. Annie Ernaux 🇫🇷
Evening read after a day of writing, blood donation, and library runs: Vargas Llosa's The Time of the Hero. At last one of his books that clicks from the outset.
October 20, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Evening read after a day of writing, blood donation, and library runs: Vargas Llosa's The Time of the Hero. At last one of his books that clicks from the outset.
Reposted by Daryl
Re-reading John Irving's The World According to Garp for the first time in many years. It sorta holds up, thanks mainly to a Dickensian mode of storytelling, but not in its entirety and not, I suspect, to a less forgiving audience.
October 19, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Re-reading John Irving's The World According to Garp for the first time in many years. It sorta holds up, thanks mainly to a Dickensian mode of storytelling, but not in its entirety and not, I suspect, to a less forgiving audience.