#BrokenGround is the 1st anthology from @uncertainstories.com . Out on 21st October. Stories by myself, Mark Taylor, Eva Carson, and Tamsin Hopkins, Nathaniel Spain, Jack Edwards, and Flo Ward. Ed Rob Redman & illustrated by Lucy Scott 🔥🔥🔥. Read excerpts and pre-order here www.uncertainstories.com

Running sheets! Our first anthology has been printed. It just needs to be bound, and then it’ll be out in the world...

Carrying on my theme of failing to do justice to a subject by using bad photography: here’s @thomas_dennyart ’s new(ish) window at St John’s church, Tisbury. Like all his windows, it’s a stunner. Very much worth a visit if you’re in the area.

The Hours of Our Lady film has its ‘U.S. premiere’ at The Experimental Film Fest in NC tonight. Made by filmmaker @cathysrogers.bsky.social & sound designers Adam Collins & Sean Price. Features performance artist Sam Talbot reading selected text from my chapbook (pub'd by @salopress.bsky.social )

I sense that media reports in the U.S. discussing Trumps visit to the UK are carrying his line that he’s popular over here. For the record, as far as I can tell, the ONLY people in the UK that like Trump are right wing extremists.

The bitter irony of Sally Rooney not being able to enter the country, just days after the one of the leaders of a genocidal government, personally named in an ICJ report, was welcomed with open cheeks by our PM…

A brief photosplat from Laurence Edwards’s stunning exhibition at @messumswest.bsky.social . The large scale work has incredible presence, but the smaller work and drawings are also incredible. Final weekend, so if you can make it to Wiltshire in time, go and see it – it’s an incredible show!

Hugely honoured to be in such good company here...

Very happy to share that my story, ‘Shipping Out made the shortlist of the Seán Ó Faoláin Short Story Competition. It will be published in Southward next year along with the winning stories and the other shortlisted stories. Thanks to judge, Laura Jean McKay, and the @munsterlitcentre.bsky.social .

Good morning. We are open. 📖☕️

👇👀👇👍

The story of the story...

Our summer short story submission call ends in exactly one month! The deadline is Friday, 26th September and details are on our website - see below.

@uncertainstories.com is kind of an offshoot of the New Ghost Stories series from The Fiction Desk. They will be producing illustrated anthologies of short stories with a supernatural or speculative twist, and they have some really exciting plans for future projects.

Tidying the studio, I found a small sculpture of Black Phillip. Wouldst thou like to live deliciously..? #TheWitch

The Deadink blog has an interview with Nick Royle editor of the fantastic @nightjarpress.bsky.social . @deadinkbookshop.bsky.social is now stocking Nightjar Press chapbooks making an already very cool bookshop even cooler... deadinkbookshop.com/blogs/requir...

👇👀👇 20%off at SALT. Have a browse, maybe buy some books... maybe buy my book! 😉

📚 Summer just got better! Enjoy 20% off all Salt books this month. Explore fiction, poetry and stories you won’t forget. Shop the offer now: www.saltpublishing.com/discount/CWS... Or use discount code CWS6ED0C7KCX at checkout. Offer ends 31 August.

In a stunning victory for the Rapid Response Tech Team here at Frankel Towers, my website’s shop is back online after a ‘temporary’ twelve year service outage. Free UK P&P. Have a look... 🙏🙂 www.davidfrankel.co.uk/shop

A couple of pics from Sara Flores’ exhibition, ‘Bakish Mai’, at the White Cube. Beautiful work. As usual my shonky photography fails to do it justice. On till 7th Sept.

Delighted to announce PARADISE, the stunning new novel by @bentufnell.bsky.social – an uncategorisable Kafkaesque eco-thriller combining elements of noir, folk horror and nature writing, addressing the most urgent of contemporary issues. PARADISE is published March 2026 and pre-orders are now open.

Some highlights from ‘Alien Shores: Landscape, Once Removed’, the current exhibition at White Cube, Bermondsey. Very good anthology show. On till September 7th and well worth a visit.

@panoramajournal.bsky.social is open for submissions of short fiction, non-fiction and poetry. The next issue's theme is ENCOUNTERS. panoramajournal.org/submissions/...

Anselm Kiefer at The White Cube. Marvellous!

London photosplat

A brief Folkestone art splat, including stained glass by Charles Kempe, and a nice billboard by Gilbert & George.

A Folkestone photosplat

Folkestone Triennial photosplat # 2 Including work by: Hanna Tuulikki (which was my favourite piece - but it was made of sound so didn't photograph brilliantly), Sarah Wood, J Maizlish Mole, Sarah Trillo, Dineo Seshee Raisibe Bopape, Jennifer Tee

Folkestone Triennial photosplat # 1

A weekend read for you - the new issue of @panoramajournal.bsky.social . Always brilliant! This issue's theme is 'Paris'. Have a read here... panoramajournal.org

Worth a listen... "Only one in three children in the UK enjoy reading in their spare time – the lowest rate recorded in 20 years, according to a survey for the National Literacy Trust." www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Uncertain Stories, a new Edinburgh-based publishing house focused on illustrated volumes of new short fiction for adults, has been launched by Rob Redman, founding editor of The Fiction Desk, and artist Lucy Scott 👇

'We Live Here Now' is now in shops. You know what to do.

You can read my story ‘The Crossing’ on the Adda website - shortlisted for the 2025 #CWprize. The other shortlistees are there too, so fill yer boots! Thanks to the editors and staff at Adda and @cwfcreatives, and to Ameesha Lee for a fantastic illustration. www.addastories.org/the-crossing/

Possibly the most chilling book I've read. My copy is very old, and I'm not sure it's still in print. If not, somebody should republish it.

A small Stodmarsh photosplat...

Interesting article in yesterday's Grauniad by Martin Ingle - Definitely one for anyone interested in hauntology...

I'm very excited to have a story in the first anthology from the new publishing house, ‪‪@uncertainstories.com - the dark, creepy twin of @thefictiondesk.com . They've got some fantastic projects lined up, so if weird/uncanny stories are your thing give them a follow or sign up for the mailing list!

Our short story prize is open for submissions again! Please share this widely - and please send us your stories: www.galleybeggar.co.uk/prize Closing date 8 November!

Visionary, urgent… truly extraordinary blendings of environmental & social history. - Mark Wormald A spirited, astonishing, bewildering collection. - Adam Piette One of 2024's wildest volumes of poetry. - Christian Bok 'Eely' Steve Ely £2 off until Sunday longbarrowpress.com/current-publ...

Haven't posted a 'staircase to nowhere' for a while, so here...

The first 'inclusion' * I've come across in a long time, tucked inside a second hand book. This one was inside a copy of 'Garden State' by Rick Moody. "Laundry bags of 75 (50) books for Nice lady! Tues 8/7" (* phrase stolen from Nick Royle, Shadow Lines)

The Co-op showing more backbone than the government...