This has got to be my favourite Magma Brief so far. So inspiring!

I've enjoyed a meaningful, wonderful collaboration with Sam this week on the latest edition from Slow AI. Today, its Teaching AI to Notice Neurodiverse Perception. Look out for it on Substack. New pieces appearing twice-weekly at the moment. Thank you for your dedication, Sam!

In other news, I learned today that Josephine, Napoleon's love, owned 900 dresses.

To apologise sincerely is also admitting something. It's a small confession, and it needs openness to do it. Admitting to your not-quite-flawless human shape.

Struck up conversation with a Canadian family on the train. A lovely bit of today. They were on their way back from the BFI Film Festival. My stop arrived a bit too soon, and then on my way again.

There's a lot said about the goods and bads of writing competitions. But I had a poem longlisted by the Bournemouth Writing Prize last week and that meant something to me. Partly, it was 'someone read this puzzle-emotion in motion called a poem and they GOT it'

The Lady from The Sea at The Bridge theatre: a lot of swearing, and a lot of water, but it is gripping theatre.

Another discovery courtesy of Radio 3's incomparable Night Tracks: the late Japanese composer Susumu Yomota. I'm listening to Cloud Hidden on Bandcamp.

Porridge magazine has given it a second home: a poem about puzzling dreams. I love the accompanying graphic porridgemagazine.com/2025/07/23/one-poem-susan-g-byron

'Every poet is a thief', a lyric in U2's The Fly that is always loudest 😂

🎶 Music as company A new study shows that listening to music can spark mental images of social connection, even when alone. Compared to silence, music made people imagine more vivid, social scenes. 🔗 www.nature.com/articles/s41... #SciComm #Music 🧪

Answered the door to two Hello Fresh reps earlier today. Their opening gambit was 'Are you head chef?' At a residential address; I'm dressed with my usual sporty/yoga class vibes. They ask if I ever have 'a cheeky little takeaway'. No, I don't.

I am unfailingly impressed by singer/songwriter Jordan Stephens. His lyrics, his book, his being. So much talent, but I think he also tries really hard to do good in the world, and he's succeeding at that. I think he's really special.

Saw Twelfth Night at the Globe this afternoon. Typically raucous work from them, but beautiful casting. I particularly enjoyed Jos Vantyler's Feste. A big star for the future, surely?

Saw the film Materialists last night with a Picturehouse preview. There were a couple of clanging moments, and it's just a smidgen repetitive towards the end, but I loved it's themes, how direct the dialogue was - it's brave, thoughtful, of today. Very glad I got to it after a long day.

🫀 Teach AI how you feel 🤖 This week’s Slow AI prompt begins in the body. Not thought, but sensation. What does this moment feel like in you, and can your AI tool notice? Read & try: theslowai.substack.com/p/slow-ai-6-... #SlowAI #AI 🧪 #SciComm #EthicalAI #GenAI

We're excited to announce Chris Campbell will be reading from his forthcoming collection WHY I WEAR MY PAST TO WORK on 28/9 at The Bridge Inn in Bristol. Swing by to see Chris and the other amazing readers, grab a pint, and hear some fantastic poetry! Click through for the poets!

I do think 'art is imitative' is an intentional misreading of Plato's The Republic. Firstly, he is taking aim at Homeric narrative poetry, not other media. Secondly, he distinguishes between a 'good artist' and a 'real artist': the latter 'would be interested in realities and not imitations'.

We have written to them to seek firm clarification and assurance that customer files will not be used to train AI. You can read the full letter societyofauthors.org/2025/07/23/w... We will keep you updated on their response.

Random day off thought... James Bond is just a writer with a gun: a working solitude ends up defining them.

If you’re looking for alternatives to WeTransfer you could do worse than try Pidge, Flung, Gotcha, FromMeToYou, GetOut, Dumpster, Wheeee!, Bungee, Scrinkle, Chuckaway, Catchit, FileBegone, Upplode or Phuqoph.

Legs over High Tor, Matlock, 1975, photo by Paul Hill.

I can't think of the composer Benjamin Britten without thinking 'I must see his work live...' and regretting not knowing his work better. It's become an ambition, like going to Wimbledon or something. I wonder if a slightly suspect national pride is behind it.

This morning, I wonder if good communication is saying the truest thing, with a constant regard for how the other person might receive it.

HEY SFF WRITERS 👋✨ We want your books. So we can acquire them. And print them. For our ✨🪶 SOON TO BE LAUNCHED PRESS 🪶✨ Submissions are open until August 30. 12.5k-40k words. Guidelines are live on our site, found down-thread. Pass it on 👀

A phrase or part-quote is a wonderful rabbit hole. Today's is Milton's 'darkness visible'. It has led me to William Golding's novel of the same name. The first few pages... This is what I needed to read. It's like destructive fire has an array of personalities, and Golding got to them all.

Kept my Netflix sub going for a second month. Bypassed all the spangly new dramas to watch an episode of The Forsyte Saga from 2002 instead. Pretty sure this isn't what the commissioners have in mind.

A really underrated and brilliant contemporary film composer is Dan Romer. Try the soundtracks to Maniac (a Netflix series) and Wendy (2020). Reaching back to the 20thC greats, but doing something new, too.

🎉 Science Poetry Competition! Celebrating the @unesco.org International Year of Quantum Science and Technology with @apsphysics.bsky.social. 📅 Deadline 30th June 🌐 Poems in English, French, & Spanish accepted! 💷 Win up to £1,000! 🔗 www.thebrilliantpoetry.com #Poetry #SciComm #IYQ2025 🧪

A new national poetry competition from @bylinesnetwork.co.uk. bylinesnetwork.co.uk/bylines-netw...

In three days we open for submissions for our debut poetry chapbook competition for UK poets! Full details: foxandstarbooks.org! We're particularly keen for entries from global majority, working class, and other often marginalised writers, so please spread the word!

We’re so excited to announce that Susan Gordon Byron is joining the Parlyaree fam with her debut poetry pamphlet THE KING’S LIARS! And that she’s joined us here where the skies are blue! Find her at @sgordonby.bsky.social and show her some poetic love! 💙📚 #poetry #newauthor #comingsoon