Michael Munnik

@michaelmunnik

Canadian pilgrim in Wales. Sociologist of media and religion, senior lecturer at Cardiff University, Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK. Musical side-hustle at

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Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· 28d

Man, I have the best students. Llongyfarchiadau, Class of '26.

A line of people posed for a photo in a white tent with rainbow bunting. Young people are all wearing dark gowns, white and red hoods, and black mortar boards for graduation. A few academic staff, dressed casually, are clustered in the midst of them.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· 29d

It's that time again! Dusting off the white bowtie, preparing my "yes, well, PhDs from Edinburgh don't *wear* a hat" responses. What can it be but graduation? Actually chuffed to be here, despite it all. This year's Year 3s have been bloody brilliant.

A bearded bespectacled man in a dark jacket and white shirt with (dirty) white bow tie takes a selfie in a white tiled room.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Jul 8

Yes, I feel good about the art I make and value the metrics that help me understand how other people interact with it.

Chart showing plays on Bandcamp. Column on the left shows song titles, middle column shows plays - complete, partial, and skips using coloured bars of green (complete), yellow (partial), and pink (skip) - and right column shows whether it's in Bandcamp (cyan) or from embeds elsewhere on the internet (orange). We see a lot of pink bars, sometimes two skips and then, below, one skip, and the equivalent entirely cyan bars in the right column. There is one dash of green, so for the song "Anchors Aweigh", it had one complete play as well as one skip. All the other songs have been skipped.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Jun 21

Double whammy for me. Father's Day, just 2 months after my dad died. And my mom's birthday: hard enough 1st as a widow, but it's also a significant 75. Back in the day, when the 21st was a Sunday, my brother and I would have to make breakfast in bed for *both* of them. Wouldn't mind doing it today.

A bearded bespectacled man in a brown jacket playing cribbage with a grey haired man on oxygen in a hospital bed, in hospital greens.

Three men posing at Christmas near an azalea. A dark haired man in a black hoodie to left, a grey haired diminished man in grey sweatshirt middle, and a bearded bespectacled man in a knit cardigan.

An elderly couple in their living room. Husband in a dark body warmer sits on a couch covered with a quilt. Wife stands beside him with a red ukulele.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Jun 20

We had a pleasant dinner with the first half on: made it as Dutch as we could with ham, chips, and spiced pineapple. All are pleased with how this one is going. Roll on, second half. #HupHollandHup

A bearded bespectacled man in an orange Dutch football top with black piping smiles to rhe camera while sitting on a couch. Behind him are potted plants and, to.his right shoulder, an orange cylindrical lampshade.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Jun 19

Might as well log this here, but everyone's "coral" this and "coral" that, but to me, that kit is a fine example of Scottish salmon.

A bearded white man in salmon coloured football top for Scotland 2026 stands, arms crossed in front.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Jun 14

Turning up, possibly against my better judgement, to support the Netherlands tonight. #HupHollandHup #RIPMyDad

Selfie of a man's torso with arm across it, giving the devil horns "this rocks" sign. He is wearing a purple shirt and has an orange tie with black lions on it, aligning with the Dutch national football team. On the sleeve is a cufflink also orange with black and white on it. The tie and cufflinks are from my dad, who died in April. I nicked them from his cupboard and wear them in his memory. The cufflinks were made bynhis youngest brother, my uncle Ronald.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Jun 11

We were encouraged to put boiler plate posters in these frames introducing ourselves (name, photo, office hours). A worthy accessibility initiative, but I instead used this from @tomgauld.bsky.social It has never not felt grimly apposite. Also a postcard by my uncle Len Munnik, as a counterpoint.

A clear frame on a grey door. Inside is a page-length cartoon from an old issue of the Guardian Saturday magazine, illustrated by Tom Gauld. It is titled, at the top, Some Advice on How to Cope in these Tough Times. Below are eight panels (4×2) of cartoon villains, monsters, aliens etc whi are discernable malevolent but who have speech bubbles giving anodyne positive thinking messages like "Think positive" and "Follow your dreams" It doesn't fill the frame, and up in the top right corner is another illustration, this time postcard sized, by my uncle Len Munnik. A man holding a large red arrow walks forward while a rain storm of small blue arrows pelts him in the opposite direction.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Jun 11

Clearing out my office at Cardiff Uni. Not forever! They are tipping us out to "uplift" the "fabric" and activate shared offices. When I came 11 yrs ago, it was moving to have my name already on my door. I'm sad for colleagues who've joined later in less certain times and didn't get that.

A grey door with a black rectangular screwed on plate. A printed strip on the plate reads, in white text, Dr. Michael Munnik. To the left of the ajar door, the office behind is visible but blurred with boxes, empty shelves, some detritus.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Jun 1

Lovely weekend in Cardiff at the tail end of the spring half term (and the calming of high heat). We dropped in at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre, where my employers @islamukcentre.bsky.social joined a broader display on diverse faith groups in Cardiff. Top job as ever by @abdulazim.bsky.social

Two posters on the wall - one in Welsh, one in English - illustrating Wales with icons of different locations, somewhat in the style of earlier renderings of the Mabinogion. These display points of interest in the history of Muslim Wales. In the foreground to the right is a mannequin head (featureless) wearing a traditional wrapped headdress in a buff khaki colour.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· May 29

Someone is being cheeky* at the charity shop in Caerphilly. *or ignorant

A charity shop shelf of worn slim children's novels of a mid 20th C vintage (think Enid Blyton and co). Tucked.amongst them - pale blue spine and the right height - is Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· May 27

A very penblywdd hapus to Neil Finn, one of my songwriting heroes. It was so wonderful when he and the latest formation of Crowded House came to Cardiff two years ago. Singing with them was just magical, and he approved of our collective tunefulness.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· May 25

Spent the bank holiday walking up and down the Garth in the sunshine while my youngest son explained the grandmapocalypse.

Selfie by a bearded man in sunglasses wearing a grey t-shirt with I Heart (the Toronto is not visible below the frame) with two teenage boys behind his shoulder sitting on a sunny grassy hill. One is reclining with his hands behind his head. The sky is blue but hazy.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· May 7

Me, my fresh haircut, and my new-to-me leather jacket (thanks, Dad, RIP) hit the polling station today. Wales is not merely the latest temperature check for the fortunes of national parties and leaders. It's a distinctive polity with its own issues and conversations. Vote, and don't get distracted!

A bearded, bespectacled man in a black leather jacket gives a thumbs up before a sign that.bilingually reads Gorsaf Bleidleisio Polling Station

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Apr 28

There's @fip.fr lining the pockets of Microsoft again...

Screenshot of FIP currently playing - the cover of the Rolling Stones for the track Start Me Up on a gradient pink background.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Apr 25

From the charity shop ye came, and to the charity shop ye shall return. Thank you for 15 years of service.

A folded v-neck jumper- beige base with broader stripes of brown and green.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Apr 20

Finishing up Stanley Tucci's memoir Taste: My Life Through Food. We gave it to my dad (a chef) for Christmas a few years ago. We were back home at Easter to see him in hospital, be there when he died, and lead a memorial service before flying back to the UK. I hope he enjoyed it.

Book cover for Stanley Tucci's Taste. White top third, orange bottom third. Black and white photo of the author, a bald bespectacled man with slight facial hair, but cut off just below the nose and before the mouth.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Apr 5

Bw Good Friday & Easter Sunday, my dad Bob Munnik died. He was 79 & had been unwell for a while. He was in hospital from late March, so we flew from Cardiff to BC. He even beat me at cribbage y'day morning. We bought tulips for his room (Dutch classic but BC grown), but we've brought them home now.

A grey haired bespectacled man lies on a hospital bed covered in blue blankets and a white sheet, wearing a green hospital top. He has a tube of oxygen strapped to his head, entering his nose. A bearded bespectacled man in a brown jacket and blue tartan scarf sits behind the bed, looking at the camera. Between them, a wooden cribbage board is on the bed with blue and red pegs racing the course. The man in the bed holds playing cards.

Purple and pinkish-orange tulips stand in a tall square glass vase on a wooden lazy Susan atop a dark brown dinner table. Also visible on the lazy Susan are a white ceramic ramekin of mini eggs in pastel colours and a service sheet for the Eastern sunrise service at St Andrews Presbyterian Church.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Mar 27

At a zine workshop today. Pondering whether to post the results. But at least here's a picture mid-day with the extraneous mess. Eagle-eyed observers will recognise @neillcameron.bsky.social's handiwork in there.

Scraps of printed visual material (including frames from the comic Mega Robo Bros) on paper that's been cut up, as well as a box of Crayola felt-tip markers half-in the frame, and to the top left corner, the white lid of a glue stick. All are on a yellow table top.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Mar 27

Last night's book launch for @abdulazim.bsky.social's Muslim Wales was excellent. Fun, personal interviewing from Hanan Issa, and excellent turnout from university staff, students, and the broader community. I got to say some things at the end about @islamukcentre.bsky.social's work. A good night.

Photo from a book event. Two people - an Asian man with beard and grey jacket and an Arab woman with brown hijab - are seated on pale green chairs to the left of the image. Behind them are several easels with blown-up black and white photos of traces of Islam in historical Cardiff. To the right, at a lectern, is a White bearded bespectacled man in green jacket and pale shirt, speaking and gesturing with palms upturned. Between them is a banner for Seren Books - a quilt-styled star in gradient grey over a pale beige background. Behind them are several blank whiteboards.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Mar 26

Got my copy of @abdulazim.bsky.social's Muslim Wales. Looking forward to hearing from it shortly. (And giving some summary remarks at the end.) @islamukcentre.bsky.social @cardiffuni.bsky.social @serenbooks.bsky.social

A book on a wooden desk. It has a black cover and a few images- mountains, a golden decorative leopard head with red and green jewels, an ancient coin, a white mosque with green doors, and a gravestone with English and Arabic script with two daffodils next to it. The title reads Muslim Wales: A History in 9 Places, and it's by Abdul-Azim Ahmed. Next to the book is a square red pin, and part of another book is visible to the top right. Coming out the top of the book is a paper slip that reads Michael Munnik.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Mar 18

In it, @meganwachspress.bsky.social refers to a chapter in Amia Srinivasan's The Right to Sex. Bluntly, it's called "On Not Sleeping with your Students", and it's a full treatment of the issues. When people point to age of consent &c., Srinivasan discusses its damage to the enterprise of learning

Book cover for Amia Srinivasan's The Right to Sex - black cover with stark white text - on a wooden desk top. Other text notes The Sunday Times Bestseller and a quotation from Lisa Taddeo: "Laser cut writing and a sunning intellect. If only every writer made this much beautiful sense."

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Mar 16

After gentle encouragement of my kids, I'm finally reading Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games. 1 I share a birthday with Katniss Everdeen 2 Was not expecting the "Bridget Jones: Beyond Thunderdome" aspects 3 I wrote a poem ~'98 called "Apples" with the line "and tart sweetness bathes my tongue" so...

Photo of a page from Suzanne Collins's novel The Hunger Games. A character (Gale) tosses a blackberry to another character (Katniss) who catches it in her mouth. I'm especially interested in the sentence "The sweet tartness explodes across my tongue." It is very close to a poem I wrote as a university student about an apple. (To be clear, unlike what the post cheekily suggests, I'm not accusing Collins of plagiarism. The poem, though written a good 10 years before The Hunger Games was published, was never published and only performed publicly once, and I'm extraordinarily small time. It's just an uncanny coincidence of phrasing.)

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Mar 10

Yes. A pity when this chap faded from view.

Cartoon drawing of Algy Pug from Rupert Bear. He's a white short-faced dog in humanoid form (though not really a pug, and then the visible tail through his trousers at the back is kind of large and fluffy - they weren't going for accuracy) wearing white boots, red trousers, and a blue jacket over a yellow waistcoat and white collared shirt. A blue bow tie tops the image.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Mar 1

And now National Poet of Wales @hananelizabethissa.bsky.social reciting her poem "Where Two Rivers Meet", commissioned by @islamukcentre.bsky.social for our 20th anniversary in September. Lovely to hear these words out in the world again.

A woman in an orange hijab and a pale blue dress reads from a phone beneath a big red screen.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Mar 1

Poor photo, but my @islamukcentre.bsky.social colleague @abdulazim.bsky.social killing it at the first national iftar for Wales on St David's Day at Cardiff City stadium.

A bearded man in grey speaks at a lectern beside red banners reading "Croeso" and "Welcome" and under a big screen that reads "St David a Shaykh al-Hakimi: Gwersi o'r Gorfennol. Dr Abdul-Azim Ahmed. Muslim Council of Wales (and Welsh translation) Islam-UK Centre (and Welsh translation).

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Feb 25

Here's my @islamukcentre.bsky.social colleague Mark Bryant (not of this parish) adjusting our History of Islam in Wales display at an iftar at our friendly HE colleagues Cardiff Metropolitan Uni.

A white, bearded man in a cream skullcap, scarf, and robe and a dark blazer adjusts a black poster on a wooden easel in a hall filled with picture displays. The poster has photos and text relating to Islam's history in Wales - this one on the theme of "empire".

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Feb 10

Carrying the banner of @islamukcentre.bsky.social at the Grangetown Careers and Role Models Day. Lovely to do some outreach and uplift in my own neighbourhood. #Cardiff

Two bearded young men in black clothing speak to a bearded bespectacled man sat on the opposite side of a table with a red tablecloth. Behind are a pair of maps of Wales, stylised to recall the art of the Mabinogion but about Muslims in Wales.

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Feb 9

Here it is, spinning the first track, the finger-picked plaintive love song "Messages" with gorgeous cello by Helen McSherry. (The warmth of analogue music is somewhat diminished by my crappy phone mic.)

Michael Munnik@michaelmunnik· Feb 9

My new record comes out Friday! You can download it or buy a CD on Bandcamp - all my released stuff is there. But for the first time, this record will also be on....vinyl! Yes, due to the magic of on-demand vinyl, you could spin the black circle for my indiefolk album elasticstage.com/michaelmunnik