The 2026 Carnegies nominations are live! 🎉 Join us in celebrating the exceptional storytelling and illustration recognised this year. 🏆 Get ready for an inspiring awards season! Congrats to all nominees! 📖❤️ https://carnegies.co.uk/nominations-announced-2026 #Carnegies2026

Absolutely thrilled that Black Gables has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Writing. Huge thanks to all the librarians and readers @carnegiemedals.bsky.social Special thanks to @everywithwords.bsky.social and Silvia @pfd Congrats to all the nominees! #Carnegies2026

I’ve updated my Halloween book recommendations blogpost, adding in some recently published titles. Happy spooky season reading! #UkKidLit vsviewfromthebookshelves.home.blog/2025/10/25/h...

More Book 📚 recommendations for 🎃the Spooky Season #UKKidLit #Librarians #BookBloggers #ReadingRecommendations 📚💀👻🎃 #SpookyBooks @michellepaver.bsky.social @eibhliscarcione.bsky.social @spookypurcell.bsky.social

Lovely to see Black Gables on this fab list! Thanks @bookcraic.bsky.social 👻🏫🍁🖤💀🍂🧌 bookcraic.blog/2025/10/11/s...

From Linda Pastan's book, Queen of a Rainy Country: bit.ly/lindaqueenLB #poem #books #writing

Children In Read is now LIVE! The largest signed book auction in the world. All proceeds are in aid of @childreninread.bsky.social Delighted to have three signed spooky books with bookmarks in the bidding! www.jumblebee.co.uk/childreninre... 📚✍️✨

"Listen! the wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves, We have had our summer evenings, now for #October eves!" By Humbert Wolfe #October1st #BookChatWeekly #Autumn 🎃🍃🍂 🖼️ 'La Bourrasque' (The Gust of Wind) by Lucien Lévy-Dhurmer, 1896

Manchán Magan 1970 - 2025 💔 Craoltóir, scríbhneoir agus Gael. Ní bheidh a leithéid arís ann. Thar na blianta, chruthaigh sé & chuir sé i láthair an t-uafás cláracha do TnaG & TG4. Tá oidhreacht shaibhir fágtha aige dúinn a thabharfaidh inspioráid don chéad ghlúin eile 🕯️ 🔗 www.tg4.ie

Great to see Black Gables included in this fab round up! 📚✍️ #BlackGables

Honoured to have an essay in Bread Alone, a ground-breaking and important anthology from @indienovella.bsky.social featuring 32 working-class writers, collated and edited by award-winning journalist Kate Pascal. Pub: 9 March 2026. Pre-order: t.co/9AwOtMjLXC

I’m very excited to reveal the cover of my debut novel A MILLION TINY MISSILES ALL AT ONCE. Out with @chickenhousebooks.bsky.social on April, it’s the story of a 14 year old teen struggling issues at home and beyond, I hope you enjoy it. You can pre order here! www.amazon.co.uk/dp/191717139...

The October Country. By Ray Bradbury.

Delighted my dark summer tale The Summer Visitor is featured in today’s Irish Examiner as part of its summer-themed writing series. ✍️🌞🖤 www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/ar...

Delighted to have been awarded a 2025 Mentorship in Fiction Bursary with Frank O’Connor fellow @laurajeanmckay.bsky.social @munsterlitcentre.bsky.social

#NewIllustrationOfTheDay by Lucy Rose from Comeback Creatures, about animals that were thought to be extinct but have reappeared. Scrupulous observation of creatures and foliage combined with pattern, light in dark and decorative composition. Text by Leisa Stewart-Sharpe. Wide Eyed Editions 25 Sept.

I’ve been waiting a while to share this! Thank you @puffinbooksuk.bsky.social @waterstoneskids.bsky.social

Lovely to see Black Gables in this spooktacular book display @gutterbookshop.bsky.social 🖤👻🍁🍂 #BlackGables

#Irishwoman'sDiary If a visiting monkey has a place in the streetscape in Clonakilty, Mary Jane Irwin, poet, activist, mother of 13 and wife of Jeremiah O'Donovan Rossa certainly deserves one too. www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/colu...

I had the absolute privilege to write an article for @booktrust.org.uk about how to get (and keep) boys reading. A subject I feel very strongly about. Have a read if you'd like: www.booktrust.org.uk/resources/fi...

New book display for students to see when they enter the library.

I know I'm banging on. But we have to because we're a small press and need this limelight to let readers know about our books. From Hebden to Hollywood via Dublin. As Rónán said. 'It's like throwing a dart from Dublin and hitting the bullseye in New York.' www.bbc.com/mediacentre/...

#NewIllustrationOfTheDay by Maurice Sendak from Stephen King’s retelling of Hansel and Gretel, woven around Sendak’s set & costume drawings for a staging of Humperdinck‘s opera. This shows the menace in the gingerbread house. Hodder 1 Sept. @hachettechildrens.bsky.social @mauricesendak.bsky.social

Postscript by Seamus Heaney who died twelve years ago today

Proof copy arrived in the post and I’m so excited that I ignored my inner cringe and recorded a video! It’s really happening. Proper dream come true stuff going on here. Wild! Thank you so much @rocktheboatnews @oneworldpublications Cover art: @adamscarvalho

Almost September, time to publish reading lists, revise course handbooks & prep for another year of teaching. Resharing a starter pack of lit mags (poetry & prose) that I put together for my creative writing students-do suggest any I’ve missed… #creativewriting #academicsky go.bsky.app/9rdD4Yp

Short story "Blood Bound" by Jayson Carcione “Someone screams. Lights explode in windows…The night is broken." www.bloodhoneylit.com/fiction/bloo...

Less than 2 weeks to submit your entry for the Fool for Poetry international Chapbook Competition. All details on how to enter: www.munsterlit.ie #poetry #writing #chapbookcompetition

H.P. Lovecraft — the writer who practically invented cosmic horror — was born today (Aug 20) in Providence, Rhode Island, 1890. This life-sized bronze statue, by local artist Gage Prentiss c2019 & commissioned by fans, stands in his studio, awaiting a permanent home. #HPLovecraft

Special book post! Delighted to have new children’s poems in this wonderful Northern Gravy Anthology!📚✍️✨ northerngravy.com/product/chil...

#NewIllustrationOfTheDay by Adam Ming, based in Kuala Lumpur, from A First Book of Bugs, which includes 30 poems by Simon Mole. Informative and characterful images delighting in the detail of slugs, spiders, flies and butterflies. Walker Books 14 Aug @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social @adamming.bsky.social

COVER REVEAL My YA debut The Last Death Poet will be published by @rocktheboatnews.bsky.social in April 2026. Thank you Adams Carvalho for this stunning cover, I love it.

I'm blown away by this lovely review of The Invisibles at Just Imagine! Thank you so much, Melanie Lyne - it's made my day! justimagine.co.uk/childrens-bo...

Illustrations by Finnish artist and Moomins creator Tove Jansson, created for a 1959 release of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland' #womensart

Giada & Sanjay, nerosunero, Dublin 2020 Kim (Walled Garden), nerosunero, Dublin 2025 #Dublin #Portraits #Painting #Drawing #DigitalPainting #Illustration #Art & #Fiction www.nerosunero.org & www.nerosunero.art

All at #BfK are sad to learn of the dealth of Allan Ahlberg. With his wife Janet & with other leading illustrators, Allan Ahlberg created books loved by generations of readers. Everyone will have their favourite. Full obituary to come, meanwhile from our archives: booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/auth...

Thank you so much, Anne Horemans at @booksforkeeps.bsky.social for this brilliant review of The Invisibles. Much appreciated! booksforkeeps.co.uk/review/the-i...

‘Swifts, swallows and Canada geese’ Artist: CF Tunnicliffe (What to Look for in Summer, 1960)

Indie bookshops! Would you like some signed bookplates and postcards? Please send me a direct message if you are interested. 💚🧚💙 #choosebookshops #childrensbookshop #indiebookshop #thechangelingchild #intothefaeriehill #ukkidlit

happy birthday John Ashbery 🎈

Next #ukteenchat will be tonight- Tues 29th July 8-9pm BST with the fabulous @poppytperry.bsky.social who will be chatting all about her illustrated debut #YA - Dead Reel 🧟‍♂️ It will be here on BlueSky, all welcome to come along and join the chat 🙂 #DeadReel #writerslife #zombies

Well it’s @thebookseller.com official. Delighted to announce that my debut novel The Last Death Poet will be published by the incredible @rocktheboatnews.bsky.social in April 2026. Couldn’t be happier

Stunning story by @gary-grace.bsky.social

Delighted to see my poem Sweetshop on display at the beautiful Blarney sanctuary walk as part of Cork’s Poetry In The Park!📚✍️✨

ICYMI, #BfK273 is out now: interviews, articles & 75 new children's books reviewed inc books by @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social @maisiechanwrites.bsky.social @jasbinderbilan.bsky.social @neillcameron.bsky.social @andyshepherdwriter.bsky.social. #KidLit #BookSky booksforkeeps.co.uk/issue/bfk-27...

#NewIllustrationOfTheDay by Laura Carlin. An absolute favourite. From The Boy Who Became a Parrot: A Foolish Biography of Edward Lear who Invented Nonsense written by Wolverton Hill. With incorporation of Lear’s work. Enchanted Lion Books 29 July @enchantedlion.bsky.social @lauracarlin.bsky.social

Some recent gems in Irish and English from my bookshelf! 📚✍️✨ @liamcarson.bsky.social @munsterlitcentre.bsky.social @daraghfleming.bsky.social @scratchbooks.bsky.social @eabhloid.bsky.social @carcanet.bsky.social