Now available to free subscribers, too! Five opportunities for writers - plus this adorable plushie penguin 💕 halekatie.substack.com/p/five-thing...

New post alert! About rejection, coming so close to winning it almost hurts, and the opportunity for building long-term relationships. halekatie.substack.com/p/in-praise-...

Popped into the lovely @westwoodbooks.bsky.social in Sedbergh today, to sign copies of The Edge of Solitude! (Plus a copy of My Name is Monster which was hanging out alongside them.) ✍️ Grab them while you can!

Five more writing opportunities available to free subscribers! Lots of opportunities for poets - plus some big bucks for theatre writers. Good luck! halekatie.substack.com/p/five-thing...

Currently reading this and dreaming of Antarctica (even in the depths of winter). I also don't iron the duvet.

Happy (1 of 2) Publication day! THE EDGE OF SOLITUDE – @katiescribbles.bsky.social AVOIDANCE, DRUGS, HEARTBREAK & DOGS – Jordan Stephens THE CREATIVE ACT – @rickrubin.bsky.social ODDBODY – Rose Keating These 4 wonders are out now in all good bookshops & online: uk.bookshop.org/lists/out-to...

Set in a time of acute climate crisis, The Edge of Solitude is a powerful story about the collision of ambition and principle and its devastating repercussions, set aboard a lone vessel bound south 'Beautifully written and exquisitely tense' C.J. COOKE 'A masterwork of vision and power' MANDA SCOTT

The Edge of Solitude is out in paperback today!!! 💫 Penguin the cat says you should grab your copy now, and hold on tight to this hot (ice-cold) commodity! ❄️ (I know, we don’t iron our duvet covers. Life’s too short when there are books to be written & read.) www.samreadbooks.co.uk/product/pre-...

Come join me for a book launch & quiz! There are prizes to be won, and a chance to celebrate the paperback launch of The Edge of Solitude! Proceeds go to support the wonderful @antarcticheritage.bsky.social. It'd be lovely to see you there! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-edge-o...

'It’s an important reminder that quality and integrity remain unmistakably human. In an era of machine-made content, those values are more crucial than ever.' 👇 #writers #amwriting #writingcommunity

🚨 Monday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the *lowest* on record (JAXA data) • about 350,000 km² below the 2010s mean • about 1,010,000 km² below the 2000s mean • about 1,590,000 km² below the 1990s mean • about 2,150,000 km² below the 1980s mean More: zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-i...

Fancy £1000 or so for your writing? This week's Five Things Friday is fully to bursting with big-paying prizes & opportunities! From @poetrylondon.bsky.social @frazzledlit.bsky.social and more! halekatie.substack.com/p/five-thing...

On this very hot long summer day, a polar stack from our #IndieBookshopWeek guest bookseller @katiescribbles.bsky.social, who last night won the @societyofauthors.bsky.social Tom Gallon short story prize. Cool down with one of these polar novels, the last of her 3 piles of #RecommendedReads

Book 23 of 2025: ‘My Phantoms’ by Gwendoline Riley. What a sad and honest-feeling book. I felt for every single character.

I had the loveliest day on Saturday, cosplaying as a bookseller for the afternoon at @samreadbookseller.bsky.social, to celebrate #IndieBookshopWeek! Chatted to some lovely people about my book, and met an excellent dog called Pretzel.

Did you know #IndieBookshopWeek starts tomorrow? We're kicking off in style with a visit from Cumbrian poet and novelist @katiescribbles.bsky.social who will be moonlighting as a trainee bookseller for us from 2pm tomorrow, Saturday 14th. #ChooseBookshops #CumbriaCulture #BooksAreMyBag #ShopLocal

What’s that, you say? An online book launch? AND a quiz?? With prizes??? And pictures of penguins???? On 2nd July, help me send the paperback of The Edge of Solitude out into the world! (And maybe win a copy, too…?) Proceeds to @antarcticheritage.bsky.social. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-edge-o...

Fancy a month writing in a hobbit pod? Or penning a story for Doctor Who? Or making a really cool zine? Five more excellent writing opportunities in this little round-up. Good luck! halekatie.substack.com/p/five-thing...

Inspired by the behind-the-scenes photos @katiescribbles.bsky.social took of me taking photos of the newly arrived paperback of her brilliant novel #TheEdgeOfSolitude, I've written my 1st blog post in an era or two. pollyatkin.com/2025/06/01/o...

Fancy publication? Development opportunities? A really impressive-looking (and well-paid) fellowship? All here in this week's Five Things Friday! halekatie.substack.com/p/five-thing...

I've been reading a lot of poems lately. Like, a lot a lot. Reading them, and judging them. Here are some of my findings on what makes a poem more likely to be discarded - and some red flag words that could be indicators of deeper problems within a poem. halekatie.substack.com/p/3-words-th...

Fancy some money for your writing? Or an awesome-looking fellowship with the British Library? Check out the latest Five Things Friday opportunities! halekatie.substack.com/p/five-thing...

Book 21 of 2025: ‘Life Cycle of a Moth’ by Rowe Irvin. A gorgeously tense & tender novel. If you enjoyed My Name is Monster, you’ll love this book! Out next month from @canongate.co.uk.

The news is out, and I’m DELIGHTED to have been shortlisted for the #SoAwards Tom Gallon Trust Award for a short story! What a total dream - and a what a shortlist to be on! 💫 @societyofauthors.bsky.social @canongate.co.uk

Fancy a residency in Virginia? Or some money to work on your novel? Last week's Five Things Friday opportunities are now available to free subscribers! halekatie.substack.com/p/five-thing...

I thought the latest draft of my next novel was perfect. Turns out it isn't. A (kind of raw) behind-the-scenes post about coping when the feedback isn't everything you hoped for. And a bit on the joys of quiet writing, too. halekatie.substack.com/p/behind-the...

Good morning from the writing desk! What’s everyone working on this week? ✍️ I’m hoping to make some notes for poems (poems! back to my first love!) and then planning to give some much-needed love and attention to novel number 3.

A writing retreat in a Scottish castle? Publication of your poetry pamphlet? £12,000 to develop your creative practice? This week's Five Things Friday is now available to free subscribers, too! Check it out: halekatie.substack.com/p/five-thing...

Fucking hell. I know nobody’s in greasy overalls for you to fetishise, Labour, but this is still an industry full of working people on marginal incomes that you are voluntarily destroying, you dumb tech-fetishising goons. You just sold us for corporate strip-mining. Up the workers.

I’m so glad Labour is standing up for the rights of tech billionaires to steal from creatives.

Morning, writers! Here are five new writing opportunities you can apply for over the coming weekend. Good luck! ✍️ halekatie.substack.com/p/five-thing...

A two-book deal?! Or £75,000? Writing prizes are going BIG in this week's newsletter. open.substack.com/pub/freelanc...

Lately on the Substack, I’ve been talking a lot about money. I know, dirty word – but increasingly important to be open and honest about as it becomes harder and harder to make writing pay the bills. Here are 5 posts about earning a living as a writer: halekatie.substack.com/p/5-posts-ab...

Five new writing opportunities for your perusal! Available to paid subscribers - and to free subscribers on Monday. (Sorry not sorry for the terrifying photo - it's the village Scarecrow Festival this week, and the theme is 'Circus') halekatie.substack.com/p/five-thing...

Did some window painting last night after work- listening to @spellsongs.bsky.social, eating bananas and drinking Earl Grey tea.

I just signed off on the paperback cover for The Edge of Solitude! Going to print later this week, and out on 3rd July! Available to pre-order from wherever you normally buy books, but especially from @samreadbookseller.bsky.social, aka my lovely local indie: www.samreadbooks.co.uk/product/pre-...

Off to Leeds to talk about the next generation of @thewritingsquad.bsky.social!

Twisty boy 🐾

Writers - last week's Five Things Friday is now available to free subscribers, too! With opportunities from Headlands Center for the Arts, Ware Poets, Australian Book Review - and more! halekatie.substack.com/p/five-thing...

Penguin discovered the grow bag in the greenhouse today. He says 4 stars - could be comfier.

Just finished putting together tomorrow's Five Things Friday post - some great opportunities in it this week! Going out to paid subscribers tomorrow morning, and free subscribers early next week 👀 halekatie.substack.com

Writers and artists - this one is for you! Following on from last week’s post about how I make a living as a writer, here’s a post breaking down what goes into setting a day rate - and how to decide what you’re going to charge. 💰 halekatie.substack.com/p/what-is-a-...

Writers, if you're almost ready to submit your novel to agents, you might want to join my next online Q&A, 4 May 2025, 7:00 p.m. UK time or 8:00 p.m. Vienna time, hosted by the Sunday Writers Club. Book now >> sundaywritersclub.com/product/meet... #amquerying #amwriting #getanagent #PitchYourBook

Snapshots from our week in Portugal 🧡💙🩵💛

In 2024, they ran @stricklandwrites.bsky.social 's story 'The Mothers'. tenementpress.com/The-Mothers They've published @jaygao.bsky.social , Siri Katinka Valdez, Isha Karki, @katiescribbles.bsky.social , Angela Finn, Lorenzo Mandelli, Shola Von Reinhold & Jacob Spears.

This looks great from @newwritingnorth.bsky.social. Cumbrian writers interested in TV, get it in your diaries! newwritingnorth.com/event/northe...

Book 18 of 2025: ‘The Wind Knows My Name’ by Isabel Allende. The village book club read for June. I often felt like I was being told this story at a distance - so it surprised me how suddenly & deeply I felt for all its characters.

Support Your Local Bookshop 🙏📚💚 #BantryBookshop #BooksellingIreland @booksaremybag.bsky.social

Love being in this list. Northern writers, check it out!

Book 17 of 2025: ‘Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont’ by Elizabeth Taylor. This was such a sad and beautiful little book.