And then my heart with pleasure fills…

Author
micheledrisse
Published Date
March 21, 2014

Spring has sprung, and the daffodils here at Special Collections are out in full force! If you’re coming in or even just passing by, take a moment to enjoy them.

She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
‘Winter is dead’.

AA Milne, When We Were Very Young
(Children’s Collection 821.9-MIL)

Published Date
March 9, 2026

Visualising class, disability, and race on the Victorian stage

Content warning: the Spellman Collection contains offensive language, imagery, and ideology. This blog post discusses racism, blackface and ableism. Learn…

Published Date
February 23, 2026

Challenging our view of rigid Victorian gender boundaries through music covers

In the first of two blog posts showcasing the research potential of our Spellman Collection of Victorian music covers, we…

Published Date
February 13, 2026

Mills & Boon: The Surprise Archive 

Having long been a lover of a good romance novel, it was a dream come true to be granted permission…

Published Date
February 2, 2026

Festivals of the Imagination: early editions of novels and poetry by James Joyce 

In 2020, Stephen James Joyce, Joyce’s grandson, bequeathed the Solange and Stephen James Joyce Collection to the University of Reading Special…

James Joyce is sitting on a chair. His young son has his arm around his father's neck and they are holding hands.
Published Date
December 9, 2025

Family photos from the personal archive of James Joyce

The Solange and Stephen James Joyce Collection The University of Reading has acquired a major collection of books, documents and…

Published Date
November 24, 2025

A Century in Print: Exploring Student Life Through University of Reading’s Magazines (Part 2)

We continue our journey through the extensive range of periodical publications housed in the University History collection, also known as…

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