I think I’m mainly watching Industry for the incidental music

Happy #Valentines! This is the only story you need today. @nadiashireen.bsky.social brings Rachel Bright's words to life - reading it with classes last week I had young TAs gasping at the twist, really taking it to heart, reflecting on their own romantic paths 😁 #KidLitUK #InternationalBookGivingDay

It’s depressing to see how well propaganda works😫 People on X and now out in the real world GENUINELY believe that this is all because of Muslims🤦🏼‍♀️ There hasn’t been a single case anywhere of Muslims in this country trying to ban dogs or trying to limit what anyone does with their dog Yet… 🧵 1/14

Obviously zero reflection in any of this on how operating the largest empire in human history may have turned us into a multicultural nation. We are here because you were there. #Empireland www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

£500 given out to a working class writer every month. Details in link. Please share :)

Ron and Sheila can be together again. www.youtube.com/watch?v=fggX...

One of the best origin stories ever put to film. #TwinPeaks

Andy Burnham - apart from looking like a character called ‘Andy Burnham’ from a 9:00 pm BBC2 drama from 1998 about an ‘ambitious Manchester mayor’- also somehow looks like *every single member* of The Smiths and New Order mashed into one.

🇺🇸 Take a look at this, even if for no other reason than just for some ideas of how to communicate an idea with power-

That *is* a good idea from Jaqueline Ackroyd, beautifully illustrated by Jill McDonald

Well this thread turned out to be a lovely resource for anyone who's decided to make something of the Year of Reading

If you live in the UK and you were shocked to see the US ICE seize a 5 year old boy, don't forget this is what Nigel Farage and the Reform Party UK want for our country.

how far is Davos from Dignitas

I'm clearly out of the loop because I didn't even know Brooklyn Beckham was married to Vanessa Feltz

The ★ discussion at ‘David Bowie: In Time’ at the @britishlibrary.bsky.social on Jan 17 with Leah Kardos, Jonathan Barnbrook, Nemone Metaxas and @donnymccaslin.bsky.social Inside and outside the birth of ★ with its co-creators and experts. Streaming access >>> www.tickets.bl.uk/4726/4728?_g....

If you like David Bowie I *implore* you to buy an online ticket for this - all the talks will be available for a week. Tony Visconti up next. It’s been curated by @albumtoalbum.bsky.social and has been great so far! www.tickets.bl.uk/4726/4728

Tony Visconti digs into the “Scary Monsters” sessions archive at the V&A East Bowie Storehouse this afternoon.

❗URGENT: Babies & toddlers in Wales will lose access to #Bookstart and other BookTrust Cymru programmes as the Welsh Government has stopped direct funding. This will affect the poorest families first and hardest. 👉 https://bit.ly/49D6q0P 🎧 Listen on BBC Radio Wales (1hr25) https://bbc.in/49JYpr6

Hey! It’s the National Year of Reading 2026. There’s all sorts of resources and info available “out there”, so have a look if you like. It’s for all of us xx #GoAllIn @booktrust.org.uk @literacy-trust.bsky.social

If you fancy going down the pub with @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social and @nadiashireen.bsky.social to chat about children's books, next best thing is listening to their @islandofbrilliant.bsky.social podcast - this month on #NationalYearOfReading2026! I pop up from my magical shell to rec books!

John Cage, submitting the sheet music for "4'33"" to his publisher: What do you think? Publisher: No notes.

Unsurprisingly the hour of Neil Tennant chat about David Bowie that 6Music put out recently is absolutely lovely. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Another apposite Jill McDonald Puffin Post illustration

Bubblegum Squashies will be the death of me.

10

A pal posted this somewhere else and I thought you’d all like to spend the morning with db too. #BowieForever youtu.be/6xRy1pHdULE?...

So apparently my job is “writing books.”

The Muppets do The Thing (1982): a thread. “I don't want to stay out here anymore. I want to come back inside”.

Just saw a man reading “Dogwatching” by Desmond Morris whilst walking (and not watching) his dog.

You can’t even lure children into your gingerbread house to eat them any more without being cooked in your own oven. I blame Hansel culture

This was great fun to do, and worth listening to just for Charlie Higson’s excellent Eeyore voice.

Happy winter solstice ☀️ 🌙

In these challenging times someone might need one of them: Childline: 0800 1111 Samaritans: 116 123 Domestic Violence Hotline: 0808 2000 247 Mind: 0300 123 3393 Age UK: 0800 169 6565 Alcoholics Anonymous : 0800 9177 650 Cruse Bereavement Care: 0808 808 1677 MH text support: 85258

Re: satsuma shortage. It is partially BREXIT’S FAULT.

Still looking for a special gift for the book lovers in your life? Donate on behalf of someone else to our #MagicOfBooks appeal and share the joy of reading with a child who needs it. You'll get a digital certificate to celebrate their gift🎁 https://bit.ly/4qoAwMy

This nation started going down the pan the minute “easy peelers” came into play.

One of my favourite things about Christmas is that it’s satsuma season - actual satsumas, indescribably more delicious than the hideously-branded “easy peelers” (sounds like a p0rn mag) and usually frustratingly hard to find. (Waitrose and Sainsbury’s have them at the moment.)

🎄

I did a podcast. It’s called @islandofbrilliant.bsky.social. It’s all about children’s books. It’s hosted by @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social and @nadiashireen.bsky.social. I do say nice things about @davidashelton.bsky.social.

When I interviewed Spinal Tap and Marty DiBergi this summer, none of them broke character, for the whole hour. Except Rob Reiner, once, losing it when Michael McKean's David St Hubbins talked about minimalism. I didn't use this in the feature and hadn't published any audio, but this is joyful.

Reading about Rob Reiner & his wife Michele, I am heartsick. I think of this line from Stand By Me: “Two men got into an argument. One of them pulled a knife. Chris, who had always made the best peace, tried to break it up…” Rest in peace. Life is not fair, but we do the best that we can with it.

Should I read The Dark Tower books? I don’t like westerns. I do like Stephen King.

The remarkable end-papers for 1966’s Rupert Annual, by Alfred Bestall.

Lovely lovely snooker all week, on the free-to-air BBC. And you know who put snooker on our tellies, because he wanted to take full advantage of transmissions in colour, thus turning an obscure sport into must-watch TV? The brilliant controller of BBC2 in the late 60s, David Attenborough. 👑

Thanks for everyone who's bid on the #Creatives4Sudan auction so far. In amazing news, we're at 12k. We have TWO DAYS LEFT though. If everyone places lots of little bids, I think we could get to 15k easy. The money is going to Sudanese-run Emergency Response Rooms. 💗🇸🇩 app.galabid.com/creatives4su...

A dog’s paw print on a Roman clay tile 🐾 🐕 😍 About 2,000 years-ago, a dog made its mark for ‘pawsterity’ when it wandered across the wet tile laid out to dry before firing. From Richborough Roman fort 📷 by me #TilesonTuesday #Archaeology

Delighted to have had the chance to write about Beatle ‘historiography’ in @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/music/2025/n...

Just want to talk about Darjeeling Express all day…lovely lunch for @nadiashireen.bsky.social’s birthday