Equinoctial skies above the river in SW London, at 19:19 BST precisely. It’s now autumn in the northern hemisphere — OFFICIAL!

“Barthelme! Barthelme! They’ve all read their Barthelme!”

Magical Thames around 6:30 pm today

Looking forward to being in conversation with the brilliant artist Liliane Lijn for EA Festival at the Minories, Colchester, Tuesday 30 September. Come and join us! Info and bookings here: www.eafestival.com/lilianelijn (Also I'm teaching @universityofessex.bsky.social this year – very exciting!)

The following is a statement from the WGA on ABC’s decision to pull ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’

The union representing the musicians from Jimmy Kimmel’s band releases a statement calling the FCC’s pressure on Disney “state censorship.”

Looking downstream from Waterloo Bridge RN

The Way We Were* RIP Robert Redford (*i.e. holding criminal presidents and wholesale political corruption to account…)

Such sad, sad news. This was my local bookshop, and we'd often chat about books (obvs), reviews, and often whatever music he was playing (invariably good); he'd ask about the Writing programme, too. These places are so important, and the people who make them, too. Such a terrible loss.

Buy A Book and Salute @booksellercrow.bsky.social #ripJonathanMain

I’m not a poet, but I’ve been invited to read in West London *tonight* Sat 30 August, alongside poets from the IPLA Collective at The Bouda Gallery, 132 Palace Gardens Terrace, London, W8 4RT. Starts 7pm. FREE no booking. Come along!

I spoke to the @royalliteraryfund.bsky.social about location and the writer – specifically about how for me the River Thames in London is a constant source of inspiration and renewal (as if you couldn't guess...). Listen here (it's the 2nd of the two audio clips) www.rlf.org.uk/writer/tony-...

If you love independent bookshops then please support Bookseller Crow - Jon, a brilliant bookseller, is seriously ill

Thames in SW London at 5pm today

ANNOUNCEMENT

Publishers are noting a shift in industry mindset around short stories as readers embrace shorter works, with a number feeling like “something is slowly shifting” and that “there’s a real excitement around stories again” 👇 #BookSky

Drawing towards the end of The Fountain in the Forest by Tony White Brilliantly constructed, very clever police procedural looping across time, place and memory. The surprises and turns keep coming.

Looks like the whole AI thing is beginning to crumble like the biscuit-thin edifice of fraud it always was, so here's the letter I wrote to the IT when they published a softer-than-softball interview with an Irish AI CEO:

Time-travel to @orkneylibrary.bsky.social in 1957 ✨📖 This clip from ‘Life in the Orkneys’ shows a box of books being packed up in Kirkwall Library to go to families on more rural islands. The box contains books for everyone in the family.

Thames at Hammersmith Bridge, London, 6pm this evening

Paging @irishculturalcentr.bsky.social @irishlitsoc.bsky.social ?

FAO Mr T. White (it’s the alphabet wot done it).

Pretty good secondhand haul tbh

“I would like my novels to be read the way I read the novels I love.” This week, we’ve unlocked our Art of Fiction interview with Mario Vargas Llosa from the archive. buff.ly/Cgd7Fx0

In honour of #yorkshireday this is me aged 21 when I lived in Leeds in the mid-‘80s before going to art school to study Fine Art at Psalter Lane in Sheffield. Photo taken on Ilkley Moor (I think) by my old friend Debbie Bellis!

NOVELIST starter pack featuring @kitdewaal.com @regretteruane.bsky.social @susannacrossman.bsky.social @drewgum.bsky.social @salmanshaheen.bsky.social @anna-orridge.bsky.social @jendiagammon.bsky.social @tammykomoff.bsky.social & many more. Please follow & repost the pack #booksky #writingcommunity

‘Put your backs into it!’ — Thames looking towards Chiswick, London, at 7:30pm

Just 2 days left to get the Best of British SF/F 2025 bundle from @storybundle! 10 books for $20, with an option to donate to Locus if you are so inclined. All thanks to @lavietidhar! storybundle.com/bestof #booksky #bookstagram

A veteran of the Canary Wharf redevelopments of the 1980s—‘90s, the former office barge Remus was refitted last year and is now a multi-purpose pontoon used variously for filming, stunts, and marine civil engineering projects, as here at Barnes Bridge on the Thames in SW London right now!

Silver Thames at 6pm

RIP Owen Gray (1939–2025) youtu.be/1iQPZNUTkLA?...

Silver Thames, 5:40 pm

To illustrate Andrea's important 🧵below about the abuse of ICE prisoners by situating them in the Everglades, exposed to heat, humidity, hurricanes and mosquitoes, watch this clip of mosquito clouds and imagine the torment.

As promised, in light of the WaPo report of Everglades camp detainees being swarmed by mosquitoes in the shower and unable to sleep at night due to being bitten, I want to briefly address concentration camp history and mosquitoes. I won't be comprehensive but will give a few examples. [1/17]

Plane coming in over the Thames earlier

Thames at Hammersmith Bridge, London

“don’t ask people to read something you couldn’t be bothered to write”, say @tramppress.bsky.social ✊ tramppress.com/our-policy-o...

Thames just after 6pm today

Just me and my new friend… (I think it’s a red admiral?) #butterfly #lovebutterflies

📢Attn! SW London crime fiction fans! Come along to Bread and Roses pub-theatre Clapham, Sunday 29 June, 2-4pm for #NationalCrimeReadingMonth #pickupapageturner @thecwa.bsky.social @readingagency.bsky.social

📢Attn! SW London crime fiction fans! Come along to Bread and Roses pub-theatre Clapham, Sunday 29 June, 2-4pm for #NationalCrimeReadingMonth #pickupapageturner @thecwa.bsky.social @readingagency.bsky.social

What Unbound’s demise has shown, to a quite alarming degree, is how little tangible, active advocacy is available to authors in this situation, say the authors affected by the collapse of Unbound in our recent Comment piece 👇 #BookSky

Valerian on Thames

I’m joining @trusselluk.bsky.social in calling on the government to rethink its cruel, shameful & completely irresponsible plan to cut benefits which will plunge 250,000 people, including 50,000 children into poverty - on its own impact analysis This is how you can help youtu.be/XrX4dF3wqt0?...

“The last time I looked, I was an angry young man…” Happy 70th birthday to the great Green Gartside of Scritti Politti. youtu.be/ScC8HhtxdLE?...

A butterfly by the Thames to wish a Happy Summer Solstice to all ;)