Go Crow.

@tobyschmitz.bsky.social is one of those guests who makes you laugh, think & want to re-read Hamlet. Actor, playwright, novelist, Shakespeare tragic, Stoppard obsessive, don’t miss him in Grief is the Thing with Feathers at Belvoir. 🎧 bit.ly/InCon200s

Thrilled! 🚢✨

In trying not to rubberneck a current race to the bottom I am reminded of a Martin Amis phrase: ‘This is species shame.’

Smashing title.

‘The Empress Murders is a violent book: nobody here is dispatched with a nip of arsenic in their camomile tea.’ #TheEmpressMurders

‘Brilliant, bonkers and bloody - The Empress Murders is what you get when you let a mischievous thespian schooled in Shakespeare, Dylan Thomas, and Agatha Christie loose on the crime genre.’ #TheEmpressMurders www.smh.com.au/culture/book...

Melbourne cats: I’m going to be talking about my debut novel at Readings in Carlton this Thursday night at 6pm (and signing books if that floats your boat.) Do come. @ReadingsBooks #TheEmpressMurders 🚢🏴‍☠️ readings.com.au/events/toby-sc…

You’ve made my day. Thank you, Molly. Welcome aboard.

Ahoy, blue sky miners. My book is coming out soon. It’s a thriller. Though we all get our thrills in different ways… 🚢 You can pre-order it here: www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/... #TheEmpressMurders

‘To resist was fatal, and it was impossible to fly.’ (Edward Gibbon) www.allenandunwin.com/browse/book/...

A gentle reminder that the ‘Motherless Brooklyn’ soundtrack is a gift of gentle brilliance. A balm.

Skeleton Crew Episode I: Opening sequence giving ‘Black Sails’ on a flashback level. One of those school jackets, please, Santa? Out-goons Goonies. I’m so in.

Agent emails for ‘MAN’ in car commercial. Do you drive? No. All good, they say they can work around that. Do you have, or can you grow, stubble by tomorrow? No. All good, they just want you to know it’s now their unsleeping desire that you never work in this or any other town again.

Sydney likes to forget it rains. River-streets Fed by unsuited gutters and sopping pedestrians Nary an umbrella, shrugging up in water Pelting straight down, feining surprise.

For me Roger McGough’s a poet who fizzes. And you won’t find the bugger for free online. I’ll always regret not smuggling his lean editions out my parents’ bookcase. When I left. Coz they don’t come in often.

Not quite sure how or why this has happened but I’m pleased to say ABC News will be airing a half-hour of ‘The Best of Mark Humphries’ on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

I’d forgotten about ‘Heartbeats’ by José González. How does that happen? Such beauty slipping your mind. I remember now of course listening to it looped staring at the skirting boards, like I’m doing now.