@VoltaireOxford Postdoc Symposium “Legacies of Enlightenment” draws to a close after two intensive days of papers and discussion with a look at some material 18th-century legacies. Thanks to #bodleianlibraries and #newcollege for having us!

This cute project from #bodleianlibraries has just set me off again thinking about one of my most cherished books, a random present my dad rather shyly sent me when I was an undergraduate. He'd found a copy of the OCT Apollonius of Rhodes on his favourite Farringdon Road bookstall, and didn't know if it'd be useful to me...

Because he didn't know if I actually wanted it, the accompanying letter was terribly sweet, shy, and very funny (he suggested a casserole recipe for the binding if it turned out I didn't need the book). The book, with the letter still tucked inside, have been with me everywhere ever since.

When he died four years ago, I couldn't bring myself to read the letter again for the longest time. It was exactly as wonderful as I remembered.

https://visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/gifts-and-books-call-out

A banquet of treasures! What a treat! A lavish display of Medieval & Early Modern manuscripts for my @OxfordConted @UniofOxford “sacred polyphony & the Reformation/s” students! Thank you @bodleianlibs @anjdunning & Martin Holmes! #twitterstorians #medievaltwitter @JesusOxford @OxMusicFaculty @OxMedStud #reformation @OxMedGradConf #music #sacred #polyphony #reformation #history #medieval #histodons #universityofoxford #bodleianlibraries