St Nicholas, shown here resurrecting three boys from a pickling tub, became known for genorosity and protecting children. Such stories shaped Europe’s Sinterklaas, which evolved into Santa Claus and eventually, Father Christmas. 🎅 MS. Douce 51 fol. 069v #MedievalMonday

Up to chapter 10 of the second novel in my quartet. A strange song has appeared, which I wasn’t expecting, and it’s on everyone’s lips. 🎶 The novel writes itself …

Huzza!

Nice graphic from the @bathnovelaward.co.uk showing words appearing in titles of novels submitted. I see a word from my title! Judging starts tomorrow….

Into chapter 6, and the protagonist from the first novel has appeared to join forces! Flood, drought, mysterious cracks in the earth, and a crew of vagabonds. It’s very exciting!

Amazing how, when you’ve created the imaginary world, the novel writes itself. As Stephen King says - “Buckle up for the ride!”

I love writing in my loft, surrounded by books and art materials … but then upload online, and download for evening browsing and revision on phone. Then email to myself for next morning … It’s a virtuous cycle!

Our new set of rants, coming up on the next album! Here’s a live version from our last gig. youtu.be/4UoChU-XUfw?...

"It is a time to engage with literature written by scholars of colour–voices that are too often marginalised in mainstream academic discourse. It is also a time to challenge the dominant narratives that shape our curricula, our research frameworks, and our institutional cultures" uclioe.info/bhm2025

The national curriculum should respond to the climate and nature crisis, emphasises a new policy proposal by UCL academics from @ucl-cccse.bsky.social www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2025/...

Excited to complete first chapter of second book in the series. All the hard world-building in the first book is paying off!

Draft blurb for my novel, The Phantom Flame: In the mighty city of Cant, high above the drowned fenlands of a broken Albion, servant girl Chas Berryman inherits an ancient stone of power. She and her friends are swept into a world of spies, rebels and junk-pirates. And the mysterious Grey Heron.

First felt like a writer at age 11, when I won this prize at school for a description of a coral reef in Malaysia where I lived then. The choice of book indicates also an abiding interest in horror, later to be my PhD subject!

Animal Farm at 80 - exposé not so much of communism as of tyrannical populism - never more relevant. theconversation.com/animal-farm-...

I’ve drawn maps in my novel. Big fan of literary maps - Ransome, Tolkien, Stevenson, Lewis. Fascinating project @lancasteruni.bsky.social on Chronotopic Cartographies. Here are my maps of the future (2154) city of Cant.

I’m drawing the characters in my novel. I’m not intending it to be illustrated, apart from cover art. It’s more like casting them for a film adaptation. Thinking of authors who draw … Mervyn Peake’s haunting sketches; Lewis Carroll’s unfunny drawings of Alice; St-Exupery’s naive watercolours…

It’s very weird to have taught literature my whole life and now be writing it. Can’t find the right metaphor … anyway, maybe I’m getting used to it.

Join us next year 31st July - 7 August 2026. A limited number of season tickets are now on sale (online only) at 2025 Super Early bird rates. This is the lowest these tickets will be. sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk/tickets/

I reckon an academic book is 80% writing, 20% editing. I’m coming to realise that a novel is the complete inverse.

Enjoying the (admittedly interminable) process of self-editing my novel. Completely different from academic books I’ve written. Continuities, false notes, tone and texture. Unpicking and restitching bits in a tapestry. “Polissez-le sans cesse et le répolissez” - Boileau nailed it.

Fascinating discovery of letter by the young ST Coleridge. We sometimes forget that the greatest writers were prone to self-doubt.

This week we caught up with the wonderful @jackieoates.bsky.social to explore her fascinating new show she’s bringing to Sidmouth this summer and hear about some of her favourite Sidmouth moments… Read the full piece here: sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk/q-a-with-jac...

Looking forward to our five events @sidmouthfolkfest.bsky.social - three Northumbrian workshops, a concert and a talk on children’s folklore! Come and unleash your inner Northumbrian!

There’s a novel or two in this, for sure.

The new Granny’s Attic album Could Blows The Wind is out now! www.grannysattic.org.uk/product/cold...

Children's Festival 2025 1-8 Aug 2025 As the summer term winds down and thoughts start to turn to how to fill those long summer days. Don't worry parents, grandparents and carers ....we've got you covered! sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk/childrens-fe... Come and join us!

Just added a trio of gig reviews to our live section. www.fatea-records.co.uk/magazine/live/ @followers #Buy In Advance

We can never have too much monster theory. And all cultures need monsters to reify their deepest fears about themselves.

@sharpweb.org #SHARP25 Special offer on all titles in the Cambridge University Press & Assessment Elements in Publishing and Book Culture series to celebrate next week's SHARP conference! 20% off! See lnkd.in/e8DyPynu

Lost track of how many times I read this to teenagers in a former life as English teacher. And of course watched the fabulous film, one of the greatest adaptations ever made.

Whose idiotic idea was it to rename the lovely Russell Hotel the “Fitzroy”? TS Eliot must be turning in his grave …

My favourite bookshelf at home. Endless inspiration.

This was a titanic achievement in the landscape of children’s and YA literature. Hats off.

I’m well used to writing and self-editing academic books (under a different name), but self-editing the draft of my first novel is a whole other order of detail. But very enjoyable!

Recently #PhilipPullman teased the release of the next book in his #BookofDust series. We spoke to him about his writing process whilst he was working on this very novel. Watch the full thing and glean some hints about what's next for Lyra on our YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wln6...

THE INSTITUTE premieres this Sunday on MGM+. Cool kids, kidnapped and fighting against a nasty government cabal. It's really good.

All this.

Just arrived having abandoned the increasingly deranged X. Looking forward to sane dialogue.