Ronald Searle, NYC, Count Basie's Bar...

It’s a big week for #PetShopBoys fans. Here’s a link to an episode of a podcast with @gralefrit.bsky.social where I go on and on about them, if that is of interest. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/c...

I made a whole BBC TV series (2020) about the remarkable resilience of the people of Iran and their culture over centuries of threat and callous rule. You can watch it right here: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

April 5th www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3vb...

700,000 trees comprise one of the largest cherry blossom gardens in the world: #AGoodPlace Source: www.reddit.com/r/BeAmazed/s...

Simon & Schuster Children’s Books has acquired three new titles in the bestselling Grimwood series by Nadia Shireen 👇 #BookSky

Well I'm sure that THIS will stop the 'family voting' libel from being trotted out as something that definitely happened, over and over again, from now until the next election.

A good day as any to remember that Jann Wenner of Rolling Stone as recently as 2023 said that he did not include any women in his book on masters of rock music because: "Insofar as the women, just none of them were as articulate enough on this intellectual level"

For anyone concerned that ‘the mozlems are banning Easter’ etc etc

We were lucky enough to have a really brilliant and exciting author on @islandofbrilliant.bsky.social today. Cannot WAIT for you to hear it. I know this is quite a pointless thing to write but I’m just excited.

I always discover something new/interesting on the Jhalak long lists.

Anyway here’s a picture of Evil Edna, who I’ve always been a big fan of.

Due to some kind of clerical error I will be here and doing this:

I haven’t got a tattoo but if I ever did it would be of Benny the Ball

This was a perfect storm of an episode because Ramzee is a tornado of fun and a lightning storm of erudition and me and that @nadiashireen.bsky.social were blown away.

Let's kill "comics are a gateway to reading" dead please?

They’ve arrived and are now in our school library. Thanks again @nadiashireen.bsky.social!

A compromise we can all get behind surely

Hello. In the olden days we expressed our pop fandom via letters in Smash Hits/Ceefax and the like. What’s the modern equivalent for pop kids?

Happy Gary Retrograde everyone! The next two weeks are the only two weeks out of the year when Gary Numan is older than Gary Oldman

This is one of 11 poetry workshop videos I've done to help children write poems. In all they've had 400,000 views. Free to use. Use the how you want. I've Had This Shirt | What is Poetry for Kids | Michael Rosen Poetry Wor... youtu.be/iDkt5-6RpS4?... via @YouTube

The Wobbler from @nadiashireen.bsky.social Barbara throws a Wobbler and Mary Lennox from the Secret Garden

So much great stuff in the Funday Times! @jamiesmart.bsky.social! @louiestowell.bsky.social! @rashmiwriting.bsky.social! @jessbradley.bsky.social! @monstrouscomics.bsky.social! AND MANY MORE. They should do this every week, right? Ok good we are all agreed, they should do this every week.

HEY SCHOOLS! I have a special #buyastrangerabook day offer just for you! @nadiashireen.bsky.social is offering to buy you a set of her brilliant Grimwood series. All five of them! If you'd like them, just get in touch. UK only

Oh bravo London Centric.

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