Thomas Ruys Smith
@thomasruyssmith.com
Prof of Lit and Culture, mostly nineteenth century. Coming soon: 🎅 🔎 Searching for Santa Claus: An Anthology of the Poems, Stories and Illustrations That Shaped an American Icon. Writing a book about Mark Twain & London.
http://www.thomasruyssmith.com
http://www.thomasruyssmith.com
In next month’s BBC History Magazine 🎅👍
November 2, 2025 at 2:21 PM
In next month’s BBC History Magazine 🎅👍
An exciting arrival today from @christmaspast.bsky.social! Congratulations Brian - order your copies now!
September 9, 2025 at 7:49 PM
An exciting arrival today from @christmaspast.bsky.social! Congratulations Brian - order your copies now!
🎅🔎 Searching for Santa Claus, my collection of the stories, poems and illustrations that shaped a global icon, has a cover (by the amazing Studio GRRR)! Available for preorder from @bhousepress.bsky.social now!
🎅👉 www.boilerhouse.press/product-page...
🎅👉 www.boilerhouse.press/product-page...
September 5, 2025 at 6:14 PM
🎅🔎 Searching for Santa Claus, my collection of the stories, poems and illustrations that shaped a global icon, has a cover (by the amazing Studio GRRR)! Available for preorder from @bhousepress.bsky.social now!
🎅👉 www.boilerhouse.press/product-page...
🎅👉 www.boilerhouse.press/product-page...
And here are some kind words from two of our wonderful advance readers!
August 5, 2025 at 2:06 PM
And here are some kind words from two of our wonderful advance readers!
Coming soon! Our new @uniofeastanglia.bsky.social edition of Nathaniel Hawthorne's A Wonder-Book for Girls & Boys - his groundbreaking collection of mythological stories retold for younger readers, first published in 1851! More here 👉 www.ueapublishingproject.com/product-page...
August 5, 2025 at 2:06 PM
Coming soon! Our new @uniofeastanglia.bsky.social edition of Nathaniel Hawthorne's A Wonder-Book for Girls & Boys - his groundbreaking collection of mythological stories retold for younger readers, first published in 1851! More here 👉 www.ueapublishingproject.com/product-page...
Went to visit Hank (closed on Wednesdays 🚫).
July 23, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Went to visit Hank (closed on Wednesdays 🚫).
I love a choice block quote - I love letting my subjects speak! Letting their voice breathe again!
July 9, 2025 at 5:05 PM
I love a choice block quote - I love letting my subjects speak! Letting their voice breathe again!
Anyway, I'll be talking about her and Anna and Norfolk and the world's most famous literary horse at the @redwingsuk.bsky.social Book Festival this Saturday if you want to know more!
June 13, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Anyway, I'll be talking about her and Anna and Norfolk and the world's most famous literary horse at the @redwingsuk.bsky.social Book Festival this Saturday if you want to know more!
Mary Sewell - mother of Anna Sewell of Black Beauty fame, and a remarkable woman in her own right - wrote this to a friend a couple of months before her death at the age of 87 and it remains one of the most inspiring little snippets that I know.
June 13, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Mary Sewell - mother of Anna Sewell of Black Beauty fame, and a remarkable woman in her own right - wrote this to a friend a couple of months before her death at the age of 87 and it remains one of the most inspiring little snippets that I know.
Looking forward to talking about Anna and Mary Sewell at this year’s @redwingsuk.bsky.social Book Festival! Saturday June 14th. Tickets on sale now! shop.redwings.org.uk/products/red...
March 29, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Looking forward to talking about Anna and Mary Sewell at this year’s @redwingsuk.bsky.social Book Festival! Saturday June 14th. Tickets on sale now! shop.redwings.org.uk/products/red...
Week 1 of teaching Children's Literature, starting strong...
January 27, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Week 1 of teaching Children's Literature, starting strong...
About to give a talk at Time and Tide Museum in Great Yarmouth about Mary and Anna Sewell.
January 17, 2025 at 1:35 PM
About to give a talk at Time and Tide Museum in Great Yarmouth about Mary and Anna Sewell.
Move over Melville, Mary Sewell got there first in Walks With Mamma (1824) and she did it in words of one syllable:
January 13, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Move over Melville, Mary Sewell got there first in Walks With Mamma (1824) and she did it in words of one syllable:
Coming attractions: this is how 2025 is shaping up… More soon.
January 1, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Coming attractions: this is how 2025 is shaping up… More soon.
Happy Christmas to all. #DogsofBluesky
December 24, 2024 at 10:20 PM
Happy Christmas to all. #DogsofBluesky
Forget Die Hard, starting a campaign to get A Little Princess recognised as a Christmas book. One Christmas is specifically
mentioned. Plus: a guy clambers across wintry rooftops and sneaks into bedrooms in order to bring presents to sleeping children. Yes, Ram Dass is Santa Claus.
mentioned. Plus: a guy clambers across wintry rooftops and sneaks into bedrooms in order to bring presents to sleeping children. Yes, Ram Dass is Santa Claus.
December 15, 2024 at 2:28 PM
Forget Die Hard, starting a campaign to get A Little Princess recognised as a Christmas book. One Christmas is specifically
mentioned. Plus: a guy clambers across wintry rooftops and sneaks into bedrooms in order to bring presents to sleeping children. Yes, Ram Dass is Santa Claus.
mentioned. Plus: a guy clambers across wintry rooftops and sneaks into bedrooms in order to bring presents to sleeping children. Yes, Ram Dass is Santa Claus.
This guy has been in our family since about 1920.
December 10, 2024 at 2:55 PM
This guy has been in our family since about 1920.
I’m in this month’s UN Today magazine, writing about Christmas traditions around the globe 🎅🌍👉
untoday.org/magazine/#df...
untoday.org/magazine/#df...
December 2, 2024 at 11:43 AM
I’m in this month’s UN Today magazine, writing about Christmas traditions around the globe 🎅🌍👉
untoday.org/magazine/#df...
untoday.org/magazine/#df...
Here’s one I found in a British newspaper - 1889. Not as fun as Dodge’s!
November 29, 2024 at 9:47 PM
Here’s one I found in a British newspaper - 1889. Not as fun as Dodge’s!
Teaching these two tomorrow in separate seminars but believe it or not there are some significant affinities between them!
November 18, 2024 at 7:36 PM
Teaching these two tomorrow in separate seminars but believe it or not there are some significant affinities between them!
Really thrilled to say that A Juvenile Miscellany: An Anthology of Lydia Maria Child’s Writing for Children, edited by me and @hilaryemmett.bsky.social in collaboration with final year undergraduates and the UEA publishing project (@bhousepress.bsky.social) won a Literary Encyclopedia Book Prize!
November 18, 2024 at 5:53 PM
Really thrilled to say that A Juvenile Miscellany: An Anthology of Lydia Maria Child’s Writing for Children, edited by me and @hilaryemmett.bsky.social in collaboration with final year undergraduates and the UEA publishing project (@bhousepress.bsky.social) won a Literary Encyclopedia Book Prize!
