At midnight you’ll say “happy new year”. I will say “happy heavenly 70th” to my beloved Andy Gill who did not believe in heaven but managed to create some of it musically and as an extraordinary, hilarious, brilliant human being. #lovelydead

QUICK NEED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR GREAT AUDIOBOOKS FICTION AND NONFICTION. Got lots of print books to read. Specifically looking for TOP audio fiction and nonfiction.

Have you looked at the birthday cards in Scribbler recently? (Literally) wall-to-wall poo jokes and hahaha-you're-old messages.

Yeah. Patric really needs taking down a peg. I shall wield my new bookmark with purpose #christmasgift

Turning the clocks back pt 3845 “Women were more likely to be depicted doing laundry and men more likely to be shown having fun experiences such as holidays” www.thetimes.com/article/df63...

Caught part of a "much-loved" Christmas film last night and woke up with this poem fully if inelegantly formed in my mind. Am dedicating it to anyone who finds this time of year tricky. Also to love and #lovelydead.

And occasionally pigeons do come home to roost

In case there were not enough to worry about already

Suggestion: before you respond to (and boost) posts attacking principles and people you hold dear, have a look at the feeds. Many of these are obviously inauthentic accounts pumping out automated bile. As for the chief troll, he feeds on your anger

“The consultation found that 88% backed licences being required in all cases where data was being used for AI training. Just 3% supported the government’s preferred option, which would allow data mining by AI companies and require rights holders to opt-out.” www.thebookseller.com/news/governm...

Because amid relentlessly terrible news, you might need a laugh. www.ft.com/content/6aad... h/t @hetanshah.bsky.social

Today I've seen claims that the photo of Chomsky and Bannon chez Epstein must be faked and that the shooting at Bondi was a false flag operation. I’ve also seen someone trolled for something they didn’t say and would never have said. A world that believes everything and nothing lets populism win.

On the principle that someone has already taken the photograph that will be used at your funeral, please reply to this post with the photograph you would *like* to be used at your funeral. This is mine

People often ask me for practical tips about writing. Here’s a whole podcast episode devoted to my writing process across books, fiction and nonfiction, and journalism shows.acast.com/writersrouti...

If she had published under a male pseudonym, her work would have been prized rather than patronised. Vale Joanna Trollope www.theguardian.com/books/2025/d...

2025 turns out to be no exception. And yet again my novel TIME/LIFE proves prophetic. Here is an excerpt from the novel about TIME POY and antihero technologist Elo Ó hAllmhuráin. #personoftheyear #ohdear

There is nothing I miss less about working for TIME magazine than having to go on broadcast media to defend the Person of the Year issue

Like Dame Judi, I remember whole chunks of Shakespeare, galaxies of obscure facts, but my diary is an absolute binfire. Just noticed this entry for next week 🤣😭😱. #memory #forgetting #judidench

Big Brother is selling you crypto www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

Guess the next sentence. Yep.“Racism, homophobia and antisemitism were undoubtedly commonplace in British culture in the 1970s and ubiquitous in school playgrounds.” www.thetimes.com/article/816f...

The tedious predictability of this list. Leaving aside whether you think the House of Lords should be replaced, who would you make a peer? I'd start with Sandi Toksvig www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Always curious about tech companies set up to monetise fixing problems caused by tech. This one promises to stop AI impersonations. imper.ai I looked to see who is behind it and… well, certainly that’s relevant experience and expertise

In his must-read book Dianarama about Martin Bashir, Princess Diana and BBC cover-up, author Andy Webb mentions that Bashir made sexist remarks at a US media awards ceremony. Looked it up. It’s *bad* pressgazette.co.uk/news/martin-...

If you are the cyclist who just took exception to me calling you a twat, may I say that you are right? You were cycling at high speed *on the pavement* on Gower Street right next to empty cycle lanes. So apologies: I shouldn’t have called you a twat. I should have called you something worse.

Are we surprised? No. Are we ready? No. www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

A wonderful man, a great writer. Also enormous fun, mischievous, and the most dedicated smoker I ever met. Thinking of Sabrina, so glad they found each other but so sorry for her now www.bbc.com/news/article...

ICYMI @gangoffour.bsky.social's Shrinkwrapped, one of their best albums (despite a vocal from me), has been released for the first time on vinyl. Check out the recommendation from @faroutmagazine.co.uk faroutmagazine.co.uk/record-store...

It’s not just that the good people are dying. It’s that the good people from a wonderful, rebellious, iconoclastic period of time are dying. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Maybe they thought “let’s make the Orwell Prize more Orwellian” bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...

We knew an inquiry couldn’t deliver justice to the people we lost. We knew it couldn’t bring them back. We wanted to prevent avoidable pain, unnecessary loss in the future. We wanted lessons to be learned www.thetimes.com/article/1118...?

19 Clips of Trump Demeaning Female Reporters in Last Few Months www.meidasplus.com/p/19-clips-o...

Tell me they got up and walked out

“Maybe the intelligence we most need is the capacity to see beyond the hierarchies that determine which knowledge counts.” If you read one thing today, make it this www.theguardian.com/news/2025/no...

If you voted Labour at the last election, did you think you were voting for this?

Editing aka killing my darlings. #writerslife

Yes this music is viral. It makes me sick www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

Successive governments have made me cry with rage but right now I am weeping with joy and grief. Finally the efforts of campaigners have resulted in an undertaking to preserve the Covid Memorial Wall, our shrine and celebration of our #lovelydead. Wonderful news if bittersweet.

The history books on the shelf / Are always repeating themselves #bbc

As a veteran of legacy media, I'll never pretend that we got things right all the time. Some of the worst stumbles arose from a lack of experience around the table, editorial & lived. But most of us believed in journalism & practised it honestly. And here's the thing: you'll miss us when we're gone

Gilead establishes itself not only through violence but armies of strawmen and the active participation of the media

Everyone keeps going on about how brilliant Joe was on #traitors but Ruth Codd was the standout star. (“Don’t piss in my ear and tell me it’s raining.”)

“Turn the volume up!” youtu.be/kOQT_4A1eb8?... #zohranmamdani

If ever you’re in trouble, best not to ask Lady Victoria Hervey to defend you. #panorama #themanformerlyknownasprince

Well quite

Overheard on the Central Line: “My children are all doctors, two real doctors and a doctor of philosophy. What can you do? Two out of three isn’t bad. “

Taking the risk of posting this podcast on How (Not) to Start a New Party without checking how my bit has been edited. Thanks to the Man Formerly Known as Prince, I'm too busy to listen, but this subject matters beyond the jokey title www.politico.eu/podcast/west...

Spot the 👑 mistake

Excellent ad placement.

If only Virginia Roberts Giuffre - Jenna - were around to see this www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cn...