I don't read poetry and I don't write poetry but if I did ....

Just a note to all the Americans, no matter what you're seeing over there, we don't like your President. We don't want him here. He has been 100% kept away from the public here in UK & that's why it all looks rosy. They know allowing him to be face to face with British public would be messy. 1/3

David Letterman is right: you can't appease a tyrant.

Disgraceful. Absurd. As with the Kimmel situation, politicians across the world want to suppress protest and creative resistance. They hate opposition. They hate protest. They hate satire. They hate art. Soon we will wake up and find our mouths gagged, our hands tied, our pens and laptops taken away

pictured reading here: @steventagle.com @kitdewaal.com @balsamkaram.bsky.social Philippe Marczewski and Sharon Black and hosting: @norami.bsky.social @deborahzafer.bsky.social @bdiggswrites.bsky.social @moyetteg.bsky.social and me :)

An hour in the company of @kitdewaal.com . What a gift. Find the full recording of our conversation on Substack at The Literary Obsessive, and while you’re at it, subscribe to Writing Kit.

Very much enjoyed the session this morning on creative non-fiction run by @kitdewaal.com for comms champions at work. Interesting insight & practice activity.

LIVE on Substack this Wednesday 4:30pm champion of writers everywhere & stellar literary voice @kitdewaal.com in conversation. Come over to Substack open.substack.com/live-stream/...?

What a wonderful reading and discussion of our weekend’s theme, Rooted/Unrooted at Full Circle in Brussels Thank you so much to our guests, @kitdewaal.com, Balsam Karam and Philippe Marczewski, for their generous, insightful answers and beautiful readings.

Such a buzzing, inspiring weekend (so far) with @saloneurope.bsky.social ! Big thanks to @deborahzafer.bsky.social and the team for bringing it all together. Last night's event with Balsam Karam, Philippe Marczewski, and @kitdewaal.com was completely awesome.

Insomnia. 4.30 am.

Amazing to be here at @saloneurope.bsky.social w @norami.bsky.social introducing the keynote @kitdewaal.com

Impeccable vibes at #EWSBrussels2025 ✨ Thank you to all our readers, especially to our surprise guest @kitdewaal.com

Heads up - I’ll be LIVE in conversation on Substack with the one and only @kitdewaal.com next Wednesday 17th September 4:30pm. Subscribe to The Literary Obsessive for the link , or keep your eyes 👀 on Substack Notes.

If you've been mulling over doing a creative writing MA, now might be the time to sign up for Leicester where I am Writer in Residence. Great campus, a brilliant literary festival, lovely people (er, me...) and a course that will help you become the writer you want to be. Get in touch :)

“I didn’t write it” when his signature matches many others, and he gave leniency to the only woman who could corroborate that he sent it to her, isn’t very convincing.

If you've been mulling over doing a creative writing MA, now might be the time to sign up for Leicester where I am Writer in Residence. Great campus, a brilliant literary festival, lovely people (er, me...) and a course that will help you become the writer you want to be. Get in touch :)

What a brilliant idea!

I was just wondering when Mark Ruffalo is going to ring and ask me out. It’s been, like, fifteen years now, Mark.

Worlds in Progress Retreat for text-based artists – singers, writers, book makers, embroiderers with a work in progress to take time out to spend time alone and with others. Not a taught course but a place to concentrate on your work. 5– 10 Jan 26. Link sarahhymas.net/facilitator/... Please share

Paging #UKKidlit #Edusky

Some things we do: ✨Online open mics ✨Online book club ✨Pop-up salons across Europe ✨Connecting writers with others in their city ✨Our Annual Salon in a different European city each year—this year in Brussels featuring @kitdewaal.com and Balsam Karam among so many other fabulous writers!

Free online attendance at The Fantasy Summer School 2025, organised by the University of Oxford, and Bloomsbury Publishing, that brings together the expertise of scholars, publishers working with fantasy authors. Link here www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/oxford-blo... Please share :)

Words To Live By Number 264

So! Edinburgh airport 6 am. Last week of school holidays. Saturday before a bank holiday. Train strikes galore. Festival in full swing. Imagine it. Thoughts and prayers please :)

Finding solace from the world in books, more and more these days. Fell in love with Paulette, for whom I only wanted the very best. Such a tenderly written tale of forgiveness, and a beautiful reminder that our closest families are not always related to us. Thanks @kitdewaal.com for this treat.

We are waiting ….

At Kit's command, I start a competition for the best post-WWII TV series thrillers I open with orig Tinker Tailor en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinker_... What equals it ?

Next month, we are taking part in the inaugural Liverpool Book Fair courtesy of La Vida Liverpool! Please do come and join us to celebrate our Scouse writers in a city that we always love visiting 😍

Because I can’t sleep I decided to rate the top 3 post-war thrillers that were also excellent films. Both criteria must be satisfied. 1. Marathon Man 2. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold 3. The Day of the Jackal Honourable mention for The Odessa File. Any dissenters?

Online workshop Magic of Words Writing for Wellbeing Let imagination inspires words for the sheer enjoyment of nurturing creativity. Sun 14 Sept 2pm–4pm OR Sat 20 September 10am-12pm (UK time). Only £25. Booking details: www.writingforwellbeing.co.uk/therapy-and-... #WritingforWellbeing #writing

Words To Live By Number 241 RIP Terence Stamp

RIP Terence Stamp. Or, as I like to call him, the sexual confuser. Here he is in Pasolini's Theorem (1968) and John Schlesinger's Far From The Madding Crowd (1967). Two of my favourite films.

I want an academic version of this—outside of sabbatical.

New book alert! We will shortly be announcing the first of our six new titles for 2026. Hint: it’s set in New York and involves the world of Broadway! Sign up to our newsletter over at manderleypress.com for early access to all our news (and events and special offers too) 👀 #booksky #newbook

Good for Channel 5. And an absolute embarrassment for the BBC that they can't manage anything like this today.

all of them please thank you

I heartily recommend trying for this. I received support in 2023 and it afforded me some valuable time to create and experiment.

Great opportunity for aspiring novelists:

Seven writers retreats here courtesy of the Sunday Times (no paywall). Mouthwatering and eye-watering - some of them are ridiculously expensive - but all look wonderful whether you are writing or just daydreaming about it. Make a good present for a very special person.

FYI UK-based creative people

Submit 5,000 words of your manuscript and a synopsis with the aim of jumping the publication slush pile and meeting agents and publishers face-to-face for the Debut Novel Competition at the Irish Writers Centre. Closes 14th September. Details in link. Please share :)

There's a new imprint in town, Walela Books for genre fiction that pushes creative boundaries, create bold and original stories. Quirky, absurd narratives with twists and turns and novels that make you pause with wonder and glee. Details in link. Please share :)

£2000 - £12,000 available from the Arts Council to Develop Your Creative Practice. Online application in link below. Please share :)

I love the Moth Prize, lovely people and high quality writing. The Nature Writing Prize is open for a poem or story celebrating the natural world. Cash prize and best of all, a week at the Moth Retreat. Details in link. Please share :) www.themothmagazine.com/a1-page.asp?...

There are 80 categories in the Indie Book Awards, cash prizes and access to a US agent. Open to independent authors worldwide entries must be written in English and released 2024, 2025 or 2026. Enter by February 12, 2026 Details in link. Please share :)

The Exeter Novel Prize with Word Kitchen is open until January 26 for novels from all over the world who are unrepresented. You need 10,000 words of your novel, along with a synopsis. Great prize plus appraisal available. Details in link. Please share. www.wordkitchen.org.uk/exeter-novel...

Name a TV Show you’re positive no else remembers. This featuring Pussy Drag-a-Chair (I did a very careful search ….)