RIP Robert Redford, star of one of my top ten films (All the President's Men), and producer and star of the film version of my client Nicholas Evans' smash hit novel The Horse Whisperer. He was one of the last greats of the second golden age of Hollywood.

I had the joy of acquiring this book as a publisher and did the first bunch of edits. It's unbelievably fun, the absolutely best of historical fiction while being about as accessible as it gets. Just go and buy it! Also Tony is the nicest man in the world.

I'm completely perplexed as to why Netflix made The Thursday Murder Club a film rather than a series.

For over a week the BBC has lead the news with immigration stories, culminating in a huge platform for the Farage speech today. Make no mistake, just as in the US, the UK media is, deliberately or not, preparing the ground for our own Trump-style government.

always preferred "know what you write about", since that's something you can do something about

Test cricket really is a wonder.

Every now and again I picture the Betty’s fondant fancies I’ll be eating in a week at the Harrogate crime festival and it pleases me.

What does a book editor actually do? I lift the lid on life as an editor. Great for any authors, new and experienced, wanting a peek behind the publishing curtain. @tbpagency.bsky.social substack.com/@thenotsosec...

I’m absolutely thrilled this exceptional book I published by a truly talented author is getting its dues. Katy Massey’s All Us Sinners is a terrific book, a worthy #CWADaggers winner!

Everyone has been praising Department Q but the first episode seemed fairly depressing and had the violence against women that older Scandicrime (like the original novels) tended to have. Is it worth continuing?

I had a great time talking to The Book Machine podcast about the development of fiction IP, working in partnership with authors and thinking about how ideas are created for readers. Listen here: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f... @tbpagency.bsky.social #booksky

Our new Substack is live! Authors, check out our guide on How to Find an (Amazing) Agent, courtesy of my fine colleague ‪@dearrhian.bsky.social‬ @tbpagency.bsky.social #booksky #querying substack.com/home/post/p-...

One of the strongest shortlists the #TheakstonsAwards have had in years, but I’ll be cheering on @brookmyre.bsky.social - The Cracked Mirror was one of the final books I published, and without question one of the best. It has EVERYTHING and couldn’t have been written by anyone else.

Listen to Pet Semetary, I thought. It will be fun - undead animals etc. WHY DID NO ONE WARN ME.

Thanks for clarifying, Google AI!

Good. Now change direction on the AI opt-out and go for opt-in, with payment for authors who do, @teamlabouruk.bsky.social

Our new Substack is up, by me, on what's hot for crime and thriller. Writers querying in this area, you need to read this! Views from the amazing @mirandajewess.bsky.social of @viperbooks.bsky.social, Charlotte Brabbin of @harpercollins.bsky.social, and Emily Griffin of Century. #BookSky #amquerying

We - @tbpagency.bsky.social - have launched our Substack! It's written by us and other industry experts to help authors and newcomers understand publishing. Don't let it stay a mystery - crack the code here: thenotsosecretagents.substack.com?r=ga4j2&utm_... 💙📚 #BookSky #writingcommunity #amquerying

🚨🌱 The Chancellor is reviewing all public spending from scratch. Please join me in signing the @campaignforthearts.org petition to remind the UK Govt: the arts make our lives happier & our communities stronger. Now is the moment to invest in them. www.campaignforthearts.org/petitions/sp...

This has just hit the shops, and it's an absolute treat. A huge bundle of fun.

Thrilled that my very first book deal has been announced, Daisy’s Pearce’s superb folk horror to Orbit in the UK. A very special (scary) horror thriller writer you SHOULD read. #BookSky

An incredible list but I’m over the moon to see The Cracked Mirror by @brookmyre.bsky.social on here. An utterly original book, funny, moving, magnificent. And out in paperback today.

Do other countries have an equivalent slang term to 'marmite', ie something you either strongly like or dislike?

On the 3 April we’re organising a day of protest against Meta following revelations of pirated books being used to train their large language models. More information on how to get involved 👇 societyofauthors.org/2025/04/01/s...

About 50% of my submissions use either Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train or Wrong Place, Wrong Time as a comparison, and then aren't much like them. Please read beyond the biggest books if you're submitting and including comps! (And I love those books.)

Of 1,000 responses, 96% said the government’s ’opt-out’ strategy for AI training on authors’ works said it would have a negative effect on the creative industries. 96%. Labour must listen.

We are disappointed but not surprised that Meta has used millions of pirated books to develop its AI systems. As a matter of urgency, Meta needs to compensate the rightsholders of all the works it has been exploiting. But what can authors do? Read here: societyofauthors.org/2025/03/21/t...

It’s literally impossible to hear the words ‘fully operational’ and not imagine the word ‘battle station’ after it.

I’m almost impressed my one book, a list of the best American novels written with Nick Rennison, has been used to help Meta make money from AI. That’s dedication.

Before I left Sphere, I acquired the debut novel from one of my absolute favourite people, Tony Robinson. Working on The House of Wolf was a total joy, it's like nothing else in the genre and deserves to be a massive hit. @rosannaforte.bsky.social is going to do an amazing job of publishing it.

Fantastic to see @tbpagency.bsky.social book Glasgow Boys on here. A tender novel that’s really marking its mark.

Off to my first London Book Fair as an agent, talking about my amazing clients and generally catching up with publishers from far and wide. Here we go… #LBF25

It’s Cambridge half marathon day. I’m somewhat undertrained thanks to injury, but excited nonetheless.

The combination of Trump and Married at First Sight Australia is a crack-level of constant content addiction. So. Much. Drama.

Happy World Book Day! My seven-year-old has gone as Lyra from His Darn Materials, complete with two fluffy animals she can swap throughout the day to be her changing Daemon.

University Challenge is people showing their education. Only Connect is people showing their intelligence. Both are great, but my heart is with Only Connect and its gentle humour.

One of the most common arguments you hear from fans of generative ‘AI’ is that it’s not plagiarizing people’s work, it’s just learning like a human learns. So I’m going to break down why that’s just not true, and why it can never be true, with the existing systems. 1/

Just a few hours left to have your say on the government's disastrous AI policy. We must protect creatives from AI scraping. It's worth your time to reject this nonsense. The consultation is here: ipoconsultations.citizenspace.com/ipo/consulta...

Just a terrible choice. Did Broccoli look at Rings of Power and think, that's the killer touch we need?

The Jane Gregory Bursaries are back for #TheakstonsCrime 2025! 📚 #Theakstonscrime co-founder & literary agent, Jane Gregory, created these bursaries to ensure career development opportunities are available to readers and writers of all backgrounds. Find out more here: https://bit.ly/JGBursary

Oh. The chicken pox fairy has arrived for our four-year-old, who is utterly miserable and unable to sleep. You forget how unpleasant it is.

I’m beginning to think my phone is the One Ring. I’ll leave it somewhere in the house because it’s good to have time away from it, then suddenly it’s back in my pocketssesssss

I want a love story with a long timespan - lovers coming together against all odds, fated romance, something that keeps me hoping until the very last page #mswl

A reminder that science-fiction authors are geniuses. Minority Report here we come.

Awesome to see Glasgow Boys on here, from one of @tbpagency.bsky.social's finest. Also totally worth reading as an adult too.

Anyone started the new Mussolini series? It’s so impressive but also… not very enjoyable? Like Baz Luhrmann directing Peaky Blinders.

So many thrillers about AI on submission. And all of them doing the same thing - all-powerful AI is super dangerous. In real life it will be more like the 1980s film War Games.

My goodness A Complete Unknown is good. Not perfect, but it doesn’t need to be. As a Dylan fan, bringing those tracks to convincing life is easily enough to make me tear up.

Jumping on parents evening booking like I used to Glastonbury tickets.

I've just realised I am really not yet organised for the London Book Fair. My poor sent mail folder is now crying out in pain.