sometimes writing a thing is: deleting a sentence, retyping it, changing two words in it, changing them back again, deleting the whole thing again, then putting it back in nearly the same words but in a different order. sometimes.

Seen in the British Museum today: an Amazon chucking a rock at a Greek soldier (part of the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos, 353-351 BC); a cup that looks like a friendly gryphon (Apulia, 360-350 BC).

this is GREAT. (And very short, if you're short on time!)

I have an occasional newsletter if anyone wants to keep informed (other than on here) of writing things I am up to: julietkemp.com/newsletter/ (this information brought to you by virtue of the fact that I'm currently writing one to go out tomorrow)

Really enjoyed this recent short by @clairehumphrey.bsky.social in the January @uncannymagazine.bsky.social

Aim for February: start using my headphones again when I'm working. I know it's the single thing that helps most with getting distracted & yet I keep slipping out of the habit. Today: halfway success in that I had them on but forgot to put any actual music on 😆 Still helped!

Love novellas? How about two in one book? Wiz Duo Book 1 has wonderfully strange worlds created by David Gullen and Ben Wright. wizardstowerpress.co...

Things I read this week: There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm app.thestorygraph.com/books/107e6a... Great, compelling, horror SF. I am not good at horror and skipped a few pages in the darkest part BUT it was absolutely worth reading and I'll be thinking about it for a while.

Reminding you that you, too, can own an exclusive ebook on top of REALLY NICE dark Gothic books set in devastated Paris (which don't feature the Eiffel Tower at all, lol lol. I'm a local after all. But they do have Catholic lore & Vietnamese dragons) Also applies to new UK orders (dec 2025 onwards)

Y'all better get on this because very few people have entered and the giveaway ends Monday! Your chances of getting a free book cover are quite high at the moment, all you have to do is follow on ko-fi 💜

Have found tumblr user probablyday's #woosterposting series. In shock

Our ebooks are now distributed by Draft2Digital, which means you can buy them on Apple Books, Smashwords and other platforms. They are also available through BorrowBox and other library platforms. Here's the order page for The Green Man's Heir: books2read.com/u/m2znvd

Some very patchwork-y patchwork. I’m making an iPad Mini case from scraps.

There's a lovely review of Wiz Duo #3 on the Every Book A Doorway website: "Absolutely ADORED this book, these two stories together. Genuinely, this is one of the most beautiful things I’ve read this year, and I want to recommend it to EVERYBODY." everybookadoorway.co...

Yesterday I was getting somewhat depressed because the new short I've been working on is Not Coming Together. (It might secretly want to be a novella?) Today I re-read an old draft of something else and realised I'd much rather work on that. Hurrah. That story is much better now & so am I.

Genuinely fascinating watching a pub transition from “West Ham game” to “Heated Rivalry watchalong”

Congratulations to Juliet E McKenna and E M Faulds who have made the Long Lists in this year's British Science Fiction Association Awards: www.bsfa.co.uk/bsfa-...

I would so love to go out to Antarctica for 18 months! (Sadly I fear I am qualified for zero of their jobs.)

Love novellas? In Wiz Duo #3, Ruthanna Emrys saves a young girl from an angry mountain, and Andrew Knighton investigates the death of an old friend. wizardstowerpress.co...

I make up EXCELLENT teenager activities :D (& doop frequently gets roped into them)

With stories by Danie Ware, Juliet McKenna, Anna Smith Spark and many others, Fight Like A Girl #2 has been a feature on award short lists this year. Find out why people love it so much: wizardstowerpress.co...

Don’t miss this one! I said it and I meant it.

It’s definitely the time of year for the two-quilt stack when reading on the sofa.

The sea was LOVELY.

Just finished Song, Stone, Scale, Bone by @julietk.bsky.social A fab tale with swords and bone magic and dragons and a whole lot of heart. I already read the brilliant Bring me Home by @bethkesh.bsky.social so now I can heartily recommend this whole book wizardstowerpress.com/books-2/nove...

Unlike James Orr I lack chalets (disappointing) but if any left wing thinker would find our London spare room helpful for generating a book/article then hmu

With stories by Danie Ware, Juliet McKenna, Anna Smith Spark and many others, Fight Like A Girl #2 has been a feature on award short lists this year. Find out why people love it so much: wizardstowerpress.co...

Things I published this year! Short story: 'Treading Invisible Threads', in The Future Fire futurefire.net/2025.73/fict... Novella: 'Song, Stone, Scale, Bone', part of Wiz Duos 2 from @wtpress.bsky.social books2read.com/Song-Stone-S...

Did “Parliament Week” with the Scouts last week. About half of them could name the PM unprompted; all of them knew about this 😂

It being award nominating season, here is a graphic with all of the new works we published in 2025. (The Elfstone and The Sea-Stone Sword are reprints so are ineligible for most awards).

DJs yelling at you to do stuff is much less annoying when they give you a reason: “Make some noise!” - Play some music you wanker “Make some noise for the site crew!” - hell yeah, great work folks “Put your hands in the air!” - why? “Put your hands up for Detroit” - yes sir absolutely sir

DJ questions to the audience are like barristers: only ask questions when you're sure you know what the answer will be, or it goes bad. "Are you ready?!" - Nah mate just popping to the bar first "Do you want some MORE?" - Not of this stuff, no, we preferred the earlier part of the set

Hello I am in the very silly place again. They are apparently removing someone’s brain onstage beneath the flying saucer and replacing it with an ALIEN BRAIN which has an amen break instead of brainwaves.

"I will read anything Chaz Brenchley writes. His prose is melted butter with tarragon, and his characters and worldbuilding equally delicious. Open this book to any page, and you will find something to delight you." - Ellen Kushner on Of the Emperor's Kindness wizardstowerpress.co...

Just published, the new Green Man book: wizardstowerpress.co...

Hello I am at @worldfantasy2025.bsky.social! having a lovely time catching up with people & meeting new people & seeing some really good panels. Also @elsewhen.press & @wtpress.bsky.social are both in the dealers room with lots of excellent books, some of which are by me.

Never mind age verification: mandatory monochrome CSS and GOVERNMENT HEALTH WARNING: SOCIAL MEDIA ROTS YOUR BRAIN on front page of sites, along with randomly chosen horrifying @thelouvreof.bsky.social screencap

No surfing today because red flag, but we do get some entertainingly dramatic sea instead

Thank you to everyone who made the Bi+ Community Fair today such a roaring success! @sabacelebritypa.bsky.social @evaecho.bsky.social @cdelull.bsky.social @hannahflynn-poetry.bsky.social @queerdiary.bsky.social @julietk.bsky.social

Today’s delightful thing: the little seated dance that L & I (with occasional assistance from his toy seal) do together to the Sewing Bee credits music.

L & I stopped on our way back from the Proms tonight (Arvo Part, Dvořák violin, Sibelius 2, v good) to take a look at the terrifying Viking longship sailing up towards Lundewic…

Would you like a nice relaxing audiobook about meeting the family? (and investigating murders!) In the tradition of the Vera Wong books, except with a murder/diplomacy m/m couple trying to solve things without adding *more* dead bodies to the tally. www.audiobooks.com/promotions/p...

With Tom Lehrer's passing, I suppose this is a moment to share the story of the prank he played on the National Security Agency, and how it went undiscovered for nearly 60 years.

I am an unapologetic broken record on this: if you actually give a toss about What's Going On With The Children, then maybe do something about the 64% real-terms cut to youth services over 10 years.

I just finished "Song, Stone, Scale, Bone" by @julietk.bsky.social. www.wizardstowerbooks.com/shop/wiz-duo... I loved it. Got that real adventuresome mood, with a carefully built world that clicks everything into place quite naturally, ready for it to matter later.

Met a lovely Harris hawk and falconer scaring pigeons in Sloane Square today!

Saw Tim Minchin last night in Hammersmith and it was a bloody fantastic gig. I especially enjoyed the first song, "Turn Off Your Motherfucking Phones" :D

It's Fantasy Friday @fantasymagazine.bsky.social pubbed by @psychopomp.com and it features my story, Corporate Policy! "Just a quick note to ask if it’s an issue that an employee has called out of her shift because she says she’s possessed." Read it free: psychopomp.com/fantasy/issu....

Want a bit of light reading while you’re busy melting today? Here are some things I like about my most recent novella Song, Stone, Scale, Bone & which you might like too. books2read.com/Song-Stone-Scale-Bone

Figs!