Maurice J. Casey

#IrishBookWeek | Day 3: Share an Irish debut book Today, we’re highlighting ‘Hotel Lux: An Intimate History of Communism’s Forgotten Radicals’ (@wearefootnote.bsky.social) by @mauricejcasey.com, joint winner of the 2026 Michel Déon Prize for non-fiction.

New from me: on the curious intersection of enlightenment philosophy, vegetarianism and one of the most durable anti-Nazi underground networks.

New from me: on the curious intersection of enlightenment philosophy, vegetarianism and one of the most durable anti-Nazi underground networks.

Hotel Lux: An Intimate History of Communism’s Forgotten Radicals by Maurice J. Casey was published by @wearefootnote.bsky.social and The Celtic World: a history by John Waddell was published by Four Courts Press.

Congratulations to @mauricejcasey.com and John Waddell MRIA for winning the 2026 Michel Déon Prize for non-fiction, in the first joint-awarding of the prestigious prize. Read more about the Michel Déon Prize ceremony on the RIA website: www.ria.ie/2026/10/02/m...

Tonight the @ria.ie jointly awarded the Michel Déon Prize to John Waddell for his book the Celtic World and me for Hotel Lux. A real honour. Congrats also to my fellow shortlisted authors, including fellow veteran of the Irish History Twitter trenches @gerardshannon.bsky.social

Here I am on the banks of Lake Geneva, where I’ve traced a family with a fascinating story of anti-Nazi resistance. I also discovered an unlikely thread linking Hotel Lux to my new project. Some deep cut trivia for any Lux heads out there.

For my Comintern history module next semester each student will be assigned an activist whose career they follow throughout the course. To liven up tutorials I've decided the Comintern activists will exist as trading cards.

Recovering a forgotten voice in the history of lesbian visibility and activism in Ireland, this new OA article by Maurice J. Casey explores the writings of Lorna Gulston and her place in the ‘homophile’ generation of activists. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #SkyHistorians #IrishHistory

Just finished a week of research in Berlin on anti-Nazi resistance networks. Many discoveries but easily the most moving was this: A small paper flower a resistance organiser crafted in Luckau prison and included in a letter to his daughter – 1936

My latest article — kindly shared and described here by Tom — exams a hitherto obscure bridging figure between the early 20th century Sapphic world and post 1968 queer activism in Ireland

A fun and provocative investigation by @mauricejcasey.com of the spread of international sexological ideas in Ireland through personal connections - dead and alive (!) - rather than institutions of the medical profession or state. Draws on archives across the world. academic.oup.com/hwj/article/...

My latest article — kindly shared and described here by Tom — exams a hitherto obscure bridging figure between the early 20th century Sapphic world and post 1968 queer activism in Ireland

Going through some of my father's papers I came across - what in my professional life I'd tout as a great archival discovery - a letter from the (unrelated, and I think not Jewish) Mandlers who sponsored my father's and his family's visas to the US in 1939, out of the goodness of their hearts. (1/3)

Don't know why I find it cute that the Wiki icon for "Individualism" is just this one dude

“The architect of the German V-2 rockets, Werner von Braun, entitled his autobiography ‘I Aim for the Stars’. Londoners, however, will remember that he usually hit London” Easily the most stone-cold zinger I’ve encountered all year.

Mayo have ended a wait of 75 years to become All-Ireland football champions, beating Kerry 1-20 to 1-17 at Croke Park www.rte.ie/sport/footba...

love this review of Belfastmen! Happy Pride (tomorrow!) 🏳️‍🌈

‘Hotel Lux: An Intimate History of Communism's Forgotten Radicals’ by @mauricejcasey.com @wearefootnote.bsky.social is one of the shortlisted books for the 2026 Michel Déon Prize for non-fiction.

The @britishacademy.bsky.social resource also shows significant and v. concerning trends in recruitment of academic historians. The period 2018/19 to 2024/25 has seen a 25% fall (435 FPE) of staff with the contract type 'early career'. This compares to a 4% rise for senior staff #Skystorians 3/3

Of interest to UK university #Skystorians: Royal Historical Society open online meeting on 'The crisis in UK higher education: The future for History'. 4 August 2-4 pm.

A real honour to have Hotel Lux shortlisted for the Royal Irish Academy's Michel Déon Prize for non-fiction 🙏 www.ria.ie/2026/07/03/s...

📚 The Royal Irish Academy, in association with the Department of Foreign Affairs, has revealed the six shortlisted titles for the 2026 Michel Déon Prize for non-fiction! www.ria.ie/2026/07/03/s...

An unsettling research first for me this week: cancelling a much anticipated archive trip due to extreme heat.

I maintain a running list of unusual nouns Belfast natives describe to me as “wee”. Yesterday I collected an all timer: “wee crypt”

The launch of this on Wed was one of the best things I've attended in a while. It's a very - *very* - powerful exhibition; the personal testimonies are simultaneously heartbreaking, anger-inducing (at the institutions), and hopeful. If you're in Galway, I highly recommend you go and take a look.