Had a chat today with a data analyst. He's having a stand-off with administrators because he gave them a functioning spreadsheet; they 'improved' it with AI and banjanxed the whole thing. He considers this very much their problem and is behaving accordingly. Respect to petty bitches everywhere.

Today I am attempting to photograph normal dragonflies before going to talk to a school about Carboniferous dragonflies before we co-write a story about them. And sometimes my job is ace.

Just saw a toddler run full-pelt into a load of nettles. Carnage. It is amazing to me that humans make it to adulthood, we are such dullards.

In my own personal opinion the crisis in universities is: the student loan scandal, fees, debt, high rents, poor quality housing, high transport costs, lack of flexible work, low wages, long waiting lists for counselling, lack of specialist support equipment for students, mass staffing cuts.

Hello #KidLit hivemind. I’m looking for examples of Middle Grade dual point of view narratives. Mostly finding US examples. Can anyone suggestion UK MG books written in dual point of view (first or third is fine)? Wondering if this is a cultural/publishing industry difference? #UKKidLit #KidLitUK

From the top deck of the bus yesterday, I saw a suburban front garden absolutely crammed full of bluebells. Hat tip to that gardener who has chosen Eden for three weeks of the year and mulch for the rest of it. Burn bright, my friend!

Bologna may not be sunny this year but it’s buzzy and positive and editors are looking for middle-grade again. Hurrah! 😊 #BCBF2026

The absolute turn-yourself-inside-out shame Americans must be feeling as their President publicly beefs with the Pope. A nation collapsing under the weight of the cringe.

Just announced at the Bologna Children's Book Fair: Michael Rosen and Cai Gao have won the 2026 Hans Christian Andersen Awards for author and illustrator, respectively!

@maintenancephase.bsky.social is on here now!

J D Vance failing in two continents in one weekend, like a bad stag do where you leave your virtue in Islamabad and your dignity in Budapest.

i hope the white house sends vance to campaign for Reform in britain

Nail art is real art and deserves a fully taxpayer funded niche museum in South London.

I genuinely can't stop thinking about the Iranian kids who spent yesterday wondering if they were all going to die and what that day will do to them for the rest of their lives.

We didn't deserve this day.

Thinking about this quote from Persepolis creator Marjane Satrapi again.

i think if you tweet "a whole civilization will die tonight" you shouldn't go to the hague, the hague should get to come to you

An affable stranger started a conversation with me and my sister recently. I reacted entirely negatively and my sister told me off for being rude. I reminded her of this photo of our grandmother and her brother. I come from a long line of incredibly grumpy women; I see no need to break the cycle.

It's time to repost this Easter masterpiece

A service I use issued a bill today that is a 40% increase on last year. The WhatsApp group was like, 'This has to be an April Fool, right?'. And I thought, which is worse, a 40% increase or a company that thinks a fake 40% increase is a funny joke? Long story short, I'm surprise broke.

I am going to visit a fossilized Carboniferous Forest this weekend before writing about it for young people. I am ridiculously excited. Eurypterids and Psaronius at their sweaty, swampy best. 😊

Some cultural confusion here. "I'm meeting with my team" means "absolutely fucking not, no chance" in British work speak.

This made me Google what 180lbs is. It's just shy of 82 kilos. Bloody hell.

The park volunteers are building a dead hedge. A little distance away, kids have made this. Put something into the world you want your children to imitate.

We are having server trouble today! Huge apologies to anyone trying to submit work. We are working behind the scenes to get it fixed asap.

1. “MeToo went too far” 2. President of Harvard caught discussing female mentees with convicted sex trafficker

In south Bristol there are still a string of lamp posts with union jacks wilting halfway up. I've taken to believing they are flying at half mast to mourn the fact that the prince is a nonce.

On Reform's "British culture" bullshit. I grew up in a culture that has endured for 800 years despite attempts, both obvious and insidious, to snuff it out by a much more powerful neighbour. If your culture can't withstand a few Turkish kebab shops, your culture ain't all that. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Today is the first day of Ramadan, the first day of Adar, Lunar New Year and Mardi Gras. This means that for one reason or another, the majority of humans on the planet have a reason to eat fried food, and that is beautiful.

I have no idea why, or for how long, but 'Writing for Young People' by me is currently cheap(er) on Kindle. If you've ever wanted an easy-going, accessible guide to why children's books are works of staggering genius, then this is for you! #kidlituk #academicsky www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Youn...

To all my wonderful students,

Huge congratulations to our editorial board member @joannanadin.bsky.social. Carnegie Longlister!!! 🔥😍

It is a NEW BOOK DAY! 'Writing for Young People', by me, is an accessible look at how fiction for children and young adults is crafted. In eight chapters, we take a DEEP DIVE into picturebooks, MG and YA with AUTHOR INTERVIEWS and WRITING EXERCISES #kidlit #ukkidlit uk.bookshop.org/p/books/writ...

One of the underlying ideological projects of the right is a the return of women to a position of child-like dependence on men, which they hold up to be both a social and sexual ideal. This erases the boundary of the child because women are not supposed to ever become real adults with equal rights.

Our MA has gone online. Exciting.

"God loves a terrier, yes he does." RIP an absolute comedy legend.

My son is doing a refugees topic at school, which led to a great discussion round the dinner table about the books we’ve all read, at home and at school, that taught us about the refugee experience. What books would you add to the list? #KidsBooksFriday #KidLitUK #UKKidLit #KidLit

every time i see a white guy in their fifties radicalized by the twitter algorithm into racism and extremism i think about how it's a total failure of the youtube algorithm to instead radicalize him into home brewing, elaborate A/V setups, or DIY solar

'Leaf Journal' is a scholarly journal that publishes insights and observations on the act of creative writing for young people. We are currently welcoming submissions of articles for Volume 4. ojs.library.lancs.ac.uk/lj/about/sub... #UKkidLit #academicsky

We've had robot pets. Tamagotchi. They were shit and we all went back to walking our own dogs, like normal people.

I used to wonder how the Romans felt when the Emperor Caligula put his horse in the Senate.

People have started queuing at the pub. Today, Other Half sauntered past the queue to lean against the bar. Someone in the queue called, "Hey, I'm ahead of you." OH said, "And I'll let you get served before me, but I will not queue in a pub." The queue disolved and I fell in love all over again.

The guest room I'm staying in smells of fresh paint laid over a layer of mould. And I am just feeling sorry for myself for recognizing such a specific smell.

Spent my Christmas book tokens! If you need me, I'll be on the sofa with these and a cuppa. 😍

Reminder: Applications are open for the 2026–27 @malorieblackman.bsky.social Scholarships for Unheard Voices. This is your chance to receive up to £1,000 towards City Lit writing courses. Applications close 8 Feb 2026. @citylitwriting.bsky.social Apply now: www.citylit.ac.uk/malorie-blac...

I'm going to stop saying 'happy new year' at the start of every email starting tomorrow. Enough is enough. Can you be a New Year Grinch? Clearly yes.

I am already getting emails. What are you doing at your desks, people? It's 8.23, you should be in bed, with your pillow over your head, saying "I'll get up in seven minutes".

OMG 😭 Huntington's is an inherited disease that's like Alzheimers + Parkinson's all in one. NOW: "once the gene therapy has been delivered into the brain... [it] injects a piece of DNA to reprogram the neuron to become a factory for its own cure." LIFE SAVING! www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhEx...

With the National Year of Reading approaching, a few people have asked if I'll be running the online 'Building a Classroom Reading Culture' session again. Will be doing it twice, on Sun 11th Jan at 11:30am and on Mon 12th Jan at 3:45pm. Link below: www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/jon-biddle...

I am interested in working with an artist on a graphic novel on soil and/ or global environmental change. The lab would have money to fund this. Do you know of any graphic artists that would be interested?