Join us on March 5th at 7pm for a special literary Ramadan evening with Tharik Hussain, discussing his critically-lauded book Muslim Europe. In conversation with Fatimah Ali, this event explores 1,400 years of Muslim presence in Europe 🎟 buff.ly/bYifa3O Come reflect and learn this Ramadan.

Hello writers and publicists, I'm programming for The Asian Writer @ 20 Festival. If you'd like to speak on a panel, host a session, or want to pitch your book for inclusion, please get in touch!

Delighted that The Writing Life podcast has featured Celeste Mohammed. I was thrilled to hear her speak about her work during her visit to the University of Lincoln last year - an inspiring & memorable event. Thanks to @uolhumanities.bsky.social Global & Transregional Studies research group #booksky

Centrica, owner of British Gas, CEO gets £3.6m bonus despite fall in profits. Profits fell because of warmer winter, CEO gets more. Bills still too high. Ofgem formula guarantees high prices/profits. Let customers/employees elect directors and vote on exec pay at essential sectors.

Okay, this is quite outstanding from Bedford Council.

So lovely to be at the launch of Deepa Anappara's book launch last night. The Last of Earth is my most anticipated read of the year. It's a historical novel set in Tibet and is published by One World.

Last weekend, we ran our ever-popular Meet the Agents Day, followed this time round by a brand new writer Q&A. 💭 The event brought agents Davinia Andrew-Lynch, Juliet Mushens and Maria Whelan, and writers Stephen Aryan, Jamie Mollart and Ella King to Nottingham. ✍️ See you all next time! 👋

The NIFTY Book Club is great - come join us! ☺️

Now that all the shortlist (barring my winners!) have been published, you can vote for your favourites in the PEOPLE'S PRIZE!! You've got until the 31st Jan to cast your vote. Vote for 3 stories. The 2 stories with the most votes share the crown!! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Last night The Subtle Art of Short Fiction visited The Leicester Writers Club via a short story writing panel with contributors Farhana Shaikh, Jonathan Taylor and Mahsuda Snaith! www.flyonthewallpress.co.uk/product-page... #books📚💙 #editing

The York Literature Festival program is now live! 28th February to 30th March. Check it out. yorkliteraturefestival.co.uk

Submissions to our anthology (up to 500 words on the theme of BRIDGES) & our Microfiction comp (up to 100 words, no theme) are now OPEN until 15 Feb. Our anthology editors & judges are poised ready! You can read more here: www.nationalflashfictionday.co.uk

I'm doing an apprenticeship in Coaching. As part of my training I'm looking to coach three people who need support with a performance related goal (not life coaching). You'll need to commit to a monthly coaching call until July. If that's you, please get in touch. UK writers/book folk pref.

The Subtle Art of Short Fiction hybrid event with panel of @farhanashaikh.bsky.social Mahsuda Snaith & Jonathan Taylor discussing short stories on Thursday 22 January from 7pm at Phoenix, 4 Midland St, Leicester LE1 1TG, details: leicesterwritersclub.com/2026/01/02/t...

They’re really pushing this narrative about the new CEO. If you want to believe women at HC have suddenly done the right thing, sure. But - Walliams’ editor/publisher was a woman, new head of kids dept & head of Corp Comms both women and new CEO all knew about this for 10+ years and did nothing.

If you get some time over the next few weeks apply for this!

The UK has 160 black professors (25% are women) out of a total of 22,885. UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) offers funding opportunities, 81% of awards go to white applicants, 1% to black. The statistics are likely to discourage black scholars from pursuing academic/science careers. Need action.

An absolute highlight of a wild year to have COLD TOAST included in Republic of Consciousness Foundations's 'Best Small Press fiction of 2025' 💥

RELEASE DAY FOR MOTHER KARMA @publishedbyjake.bsky.social! I'm so excited to bring this story to you. I've seen some photos in the wild, and I would love it if you could share yours as your copies come in! jakethemag.com/books/ Zoom launch Sat Dec 13 8pm BST/3pm EST: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

This would make a good Christmas present for anyone in your life interested in literary analysis or creative writing! I’m really enjoying it 🎄📚🎅📝⛄️ @flyonthewallpress.bsky.social @bradleybooks.bsky.social @farhanashaikh.bsky.social

Oxford University Press has chosen “rage bait” as its 2025 Word of the Year. The open-compound word, which beat out “biohack” and “aura farming,” goes back at least to 2002. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/30/a...

Writer internship for 18-25s ✍️ Apply now 👉 bit.ly/WEMTERNS The ALCS WEMTerns internship programme closes 🚨 next Friday 🚨 What you need to apply: Answers to a couple of quick Qs about your writing and a written extract. 🤓📝 That's all! Get yours in by the 5th Dec.

No agent? No problem. The 5th Edition of our Indie Press Guide is available to pre-order! With over 750 editors to choose from, there's never been a better time to take control of your writing! mslexia.co.uk/shop/indie-p... #amwriting #amediting #writingcommunity #writers

Explore writing about our relationships with women with Jennifer Lee Tsai on 17 November, 5-7pm via Zoom. We will take inspiration from a range of poets including Isabelle Baafi, Katrina Naomi, Dzifa Benson, Degna Stone, and more! Visit the Salon to register. #amwriting

And I’m here. Leicester’s Local Writers Fair. Come along! 10am-3pm at Leicester Central Library, Bishop St, Leicester LE1 6AA

The W&A Working-Class Writer's Prize 2025 is open for entries NOW! Submit your writing within our one-month window to be in with a chance of winning. Find out more: https://bit.ly/4opAzXS

**ATTENTION WRITERS** This is your ONE MONTH warning. Entires open for the #WelkinWritingPrize 2026 on the 1st Dec. 100 words. Rolling subs. Free entry. Publication for shortlistees. Prizes for top 5.

Look what I found had come in the post when I got home ... this beauty from #DahliaBooks! 🦚 Congrats to the winners of the #LeicesterWrites Short Story Prize! Fantastic stories all round!👏 Thanks also @farhanashaikh.bsky.social for including one of mine in this fab anthology 🥰

T' Curve, Leicester.

Stunning piece by @rosaleenlynch.bsky.social "She can’t take her children in the suitcase. Not the day the suitcase is full of forest fire, screeching firehawks, & trapped animals, hiding their young. Not the day the suitcase is full of an exploding mine..." milkcandyreview.home.blog/2025/10/09/t...

writershq.co.uk/online-writi... I’m hosting today’s retreat. It’s free and we start at 10am! Come and join me… you can wear yr jammies all day and get GOLD STARS for writing a bazillion words! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #perfectsaturday @writershq.bsky.social

Excited to be supporting the W&A Working-Class Writers' Prize 2025 with the lovely people at @writersandartists.bsky.social and @ruppin.bsky.social Find out more here: www.writersandartists.co.uk/about-wa-wor... PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR CONTACTS

📚 @wasafirimag.bsky.social x Tagore’s Salon Join us for Writing Through Pain: On Labour and Literature with writers Dur e Aziz Amna & Farah Ali Oct 15 | 7PM | Brick Lane Bookshop A conversation on illness, survival, and the work of writing. 🎟️ bricklanebookshop.org/product/tago...

🌿Do you want to encourage your young writer(s) to enter the Solstice Prize? 💡Struggling with where to start or how to encourage them? We've created a FREE, downloadable pack full of prompts, writing exercises & an example lesson plan to help you spark their imaginations. bit.ly/WEM_SOLSTICE

My first collection of short stories is out this month (17 October) on @nightjarpress.bsky.social ! Very excited. And nervous. But mostly excited.

In all seriousness, publishers are going to have to figure out how to market books in the post-social-media landscape. That should be an implicit part of their job. What authors/artists can do on their own is increasingly limited and siloed.

Plan a Poetry Retreat Day at the Poetry Pharmacy in Shropshire, with Roz Goddard and Jane Commane guiding you through creative workshops and sharing poems. Be inspired. Book your place for Sunday 2nd November here: t.co/wFoXmZ5kVD @poetrypharmacy.bsky.social

More admin. I've updated the apersonalanthology.com website with Amanthi Harris's pick of and introduction to a dozen favourite short stories, including a pair of triple-decker linked story sets. And featuring the Personal Anthology debut of: Romesh Gunesekera So congrats to him!

Free Greta Thunberg and the rest of the illegally detained flotilla activists.

I'll be at Birmingham Literature Festival on 11th October with some great names, brilliant writing workshops, events for children and much more. Come if you can! Link here www.birminghamliteraturefestival.org

‘Motherhood penalty’ costs women an average £65,618 in pay by time first child turns five. This is followed by gender pay gap, pension gap, health gap; slow career progression, harassment and violence, unpaid carer work, retirement insecurity. All women deserve justice.

I've just updated the apersonalanthology.com website with Deborah Tomkins @tomkinsdeb.bsky.social's selection of a dozen favourite short stories. Featuring the Personal Anthology debut of: Cath Barton @cathbwriter.bsky.social Peter Hobbs Mark Ralph-Bowman So congrats to them!

Was very happy to make the cut for the Leicester Writes anthology. Many thanks to @farhanashaikh.bsky.social and congratulations to all.

#Writers, the Hilary Mantel Prize offers an exceptional new opportunity. The late author, who twice won the #WalterScottPrize, was committed to championing emerging talent, and the winner receives a cash award plus mentoring. Submissions are open through 31 December. See https://loom.ly/NFsTZjE#Writers

The Bloomsbury Mentorship Programme is open for applications until Friday 10th October! 📚 📚 Bloomsbury are looking for unpublished fiction writers from underrepresented backgrounds who want to develop their craft. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3VKsoIW

CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR WRITER MENTORING 👉 bit.ly/WEMMENTOR You've got one week to send in your extract, synopsis and answers for the chance to be one of eight mentees on our free writer development programme. Got some last-minute Q's? Make sure to get in touch via [email protected] ✉️

If you're looking for a writing challenge to kick-start the month, look no further #womenwriters Sign up with @samblakebooks.bsky.social & @mariamchale.bsky.social in a very supportive #writingcommunity www.writing.ie/news/join-ou...

Okay…*deep breath and sorry for awkward promotion things….*, my new flash fiction chapbook ‘Light Chemical Sea’ is coming Fall 2026 with Bull City Press. ✨⚗️🌊 Sign up for a one time email notification that will let you know when the book is released! forms.gle/yJPmMGThEiDW...

#LAUNCHEDTODAY in honour of the 3rd anniversary of her death, #OTD 22 September 2022. The #HilaryMantel #Prize for #DebutAuthors is open for submissions of #adultfiction until 31 December 2025. amheath.com/hilary-mante... #Writing #amwriting #Books #Fiction #WritingCommunity #ReadingCommunity

Had the best weekend, surrounded by exceptional writers. Bravo to this year's Leicester Writes longlist. Keep writing and sending out your stories in the world. Their readings were fantastic, and a particular highlight of the day ✨️