My events coming up soon: Barnes Crime Fest, London - 8th Feb Bath and Malmesbury libraries - Feb and March, details TBC And a lot of schools! Will I be seeing you?

Reviews, recommendations, and requesting these books for purchase by your local library.

all the fake AI trash really contradicts one of the main ways we're told capitalism operates, with capitalists identifying wants/needs & developing products & services to meet those. turns out you can skip that step & just pretend. nigh everyone hates AI and it makes no money but it's everywhere

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...

Allow transgender women and girls back into GirlGuiding UK Transgender girls deserve a safe, nurturing space where they can learn, grow, and contribute to the community, just like anyone else. Sign the petition... 👇

You're not asking trans people. You're asking all people. This affects us all. Anyone could be barred from services based on appearance. Since, surprisingly we all have a fecking appearance www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The Aardman lights at Longleat were AMAZING and I would recommend, but what was up with the bizarre AI generated shop windows 😅😫😫 burned skeleton in a coffee shop, anyone?

Bid for Sophie's Fab Book Here 👇 www.jumblebee.co.uk/auction/deta...

One day left in the auction before the big night! Last chance to get your book bids in 😁 #childreninneed #childreninread

The flip side of this is the male author who was asked about his writing routine, and who talked about how much he loved the feeling that he could close his door and then “the day is completely yours” to focus on writing. He had, at the time, two young children… and, of course, a wife

Offering a signed copy of The Lost Twin for the Children in Read auction this year! 📚

Worth pointing out the biggest supporters of trans people (which is who bigots mean by “gender ideology”) are bisexual & lesbian women. All the public “concerns” about trans people (phase, indoctrination, regret, etc) are recycled forms of homophobia. This is why LGB solidarity with the T is strong.

Tickets are now on sale for the new Bloody Barnes crime festival - come and meet me in London on Sunday 8th February! 📚 They have a packed weekend both with children's events and adult crime authors discussing all things murder, mystery and mayhem. Track down your tickets at 🔎 www.osoarts.org.uk

Interviewer: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, as a doctor and the creator of the supremely rational detective Sherlock Holmes, do you believe— Doyle: Yes! interviewer: I hadn't finished the question, Sir Arthur. Doyle lunging across an occasional table: I BELIEVE IN IT

There is literally not one person who can exist in modern society without using the big tech platforms daily, at least indirectly. That doesn’t mean it’s futile to try to reduce dependency or investment, but I also am not judging anyone harshly for that, least of all those who are most vulnerable.

He’s been! He’s been! Old Father Time has been, and he’s left me an extra hour!

I spend a year plotting a mystery novel and then this happens.

We used to get videos and images from people who liked making videos and images. AI means we can now get them from people who dislike making videos and images. This doesn’t feel like an improvement.

So grateful to my colleagues for the work that has gone into this crucial report and proud of my tiny part in it. All schools should have a well stocked library and qualified librarian. The difference it makes to children’s learning and wellbeing is immeasurable. #KidLitUK #KidLit #SchoolLibraries

Great news about school libraries! But I also hope they'll consider how important librarians are (and at the very least some kind of cataloguing software). I've visited schools that have basically dead libraries because there is no one able to run them and no way to assess what is popular or useful.

“An emotional research team became tearful as they described how data shows the disease was slowed by 75% in patients.” What an absolutely incredible, joyous achievement for everyone involved. Hurrah for science and scientists! www.bbc.com/news/article...

London! I will be visiting on Sunday 8th February 2026 to discuss writing crime and mystery for kids at this brand new festival @osoartscentre 🔎 Tickets go on sale on 1st November, check their website for more details! 😁

Look who's back in print! We had a bunch of issues after a cyber attack on the printers and a new giant warehouse caused this book to mysteriously disappear for a while, but Violet is now back on the case 🤞 uk.bookshop.org/a/2621/97800...

Good article for people who think that authors make a lot of money from their books. Generally speaking, we do not. I think social media and pieces like this are widely available, so folks should understand authors aren’t rolling in the dough, but I still encounter those who think we’re all rich.

DuckDuckGo has added a feature to filter out AI images from search results.

My kingdom for a KPop Demon Hunters DVD with: behind the scenes featurettes with interviews with the voice actors and singers and storyboarders and animators, plus commentary, a sing-along version, and dance tutorials, and animated bloopers. I want the full Lord of the Rings DVD treatment please.

We’re at London Trans Pride! Today and every day we stand with trans people 🏳️‍⚧️

Ozzy going out after raising $190 million for sick kids and a Parkinson’s cure is metal AF.

I'd love to meet the 4% of people who really don't know whether werewolves exist or not. Just agonising over it every full moon

"When I was a child, my favourite books were the ones that took me seriously as a reader; the ones that were honest, and didn’t try to soften or simplify the truth, even when they dealt with difficult things. So that’s the kind of book I always want to write myself." dailybulldog.com/arts/an-inte...

Gatekeep Tea, Girlboss Hot Chocolate

A Case of Misfortune update! The book has been out of print for a while due to an unfortunate combo of a cyber attack at the printers and a new warehouse for the publishers with new systems. But a reprint has now been ordered and hopefully the book will be available again next month🔮

Support LGBTQ+ creators and have pride in your shelf.

The ominous moment when the bathroom nightlight comes on and you forgot you were drying a Blåhaj

PUblic service reminder for authors: the PLR deadline is 30th June. Just got a nudge email from my agent so I am nudging you all. Do NOT leave it to the last minute cos then there's no chance to talk to anyone about any questions cos they're all flat out! #KidLItUK #AuthorSky

“She started by pointing out the unsecured building tools resting precariously on some scaffolding and went on from there. By the time she got to ‘the melting icecaps releasing deadly prehistoric diseases,’ I had a full-blown anxiety disorder.”

The Bath Children's Novel Award 2025 is now open for submissions. This is our £5,000 prize for emerging / unagented children's authors of PBT CB MG and YA. Clare Wallace of Darley Anderson is judging and entries are invited until 30th Nov at: bathnovelaward.co.uk/childrens-no...

The very shiny time travel adventures of Netta Becker and the Timeline Crime @jenniferclaessen.bsky.social is definitely one to seek out. #kidlitUK

Author friends, does anyone know where I can find advice for current recommended school visit prices? I tried SOA but it seems to just link to the original advice I used when I started out years ago with a caveat saying "these prices are too low now" 😅

"I asked ChatGPT" "I asked Grok" ok well I asked Gandalf and he said he has not passed through fire and death to bandy crooked words with a witless worm

Paige Thomas, 29, is unsure of whether or not she would meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis, yet simply relates to a bunch of stuff autistic woman say, do, wear and refuse to eat.

Thanks for including Violet Veil! ❤️

Today is St Melangell’s Day, patron saint of hares. The 6th century Welsh saint saved a hare from hunting hounds and was granted land for sanctuary. Here are some of my hare themed stained glass panels available as prints. 💚🌿

Michael Rosen responds to Keir Starmer with a poem: My island of strangers. Powerful.

An island of strangers? Just imagine British children's books without the work of migrants & their children – all of these & more! www.sfsaid.com/2017/02/one-...

Everyone in the past was neurotypical, which is how we got things like this single-author, eight-volume encyclopedia of ferns

What I failed to mention is that this auction is in time for your name to not only be a character in my next book, but that MY NEXT BOOK IS THE CHAOS WALKING SEQUEL! So, yeah, bid, raise some money for trans causes, and I'll probably kill you horribly on paper! It's what you would have wanted.

Coming soon to Burgerly™️, the new fast food streaming service

THE BIGGEST NEWS! Rob and I are offering up a hand-signed hardback, first edition/first printing copy of Monstrous Regiment straight from the Pratchett archives. Those who know the story will know why it’s a pertinent one for this cause. (More pics to come.) www.32auctions.com/organization...

More news! Rob is offering up 3 signed copies of Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes (the official biography of my dad) for the Genre Creators for Trans Rights in the U.K. and SA auction www.32auctions.com/organization...