🎉We're delighted to share the winner and listees for the Bath Novel Award 2025. Our heartfelt thanks to Laura Williams for judging - and huge congratulations to winning author Parker Barrington and all listees. Full announcement at: bathnovelaward.co.uk/the-bath-nov...

Here's what the extreme right-wingers hoping to be in government in the UK think. Nick Robinson takes the f*ckers to task: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

I taught some lovely people yesterday, every one of them refugees - educated, creative, thoughtful, humorous. My experience of people seeking a new life in England has always been positive. “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain

I'm reading this superb anthology at the moment. Every short story is followed by an interview with the writer, looking at how the story was formed. And the stories are excellent. It's a brilliant insight into the writing process.

SUBMISSIONS CALL✨ The Bath Novel Award 2025 is a £5,000 prize for A & YA novels and is open until 31 May. The Bath Children's Novel Award 2025 is a £5,000 prize for MG, YA, CB and PBT and is open until 30 Nov. Both prizes are open to unagented emerging authors worldwide at👇 bathnovelaward.co.uk

📖In our latest literary agent Q&A, 2025 judge Laura Williams explains why potential is more important than perfection, plus what she will be looking for in the opening 5,000 words and synopsis of novel submissions. bathnovelaward.co.uk/bath-novel-a...

Dylan Thomas reading a poem I hadn’t heard. Excited to find this. #poetry #aloud #audio #spoken #mad

For the science fiction writers out there: My first publication was a novelette published in an anthology called Angles, about a secret war and an imminent visitation from space. I'm now working on a kind of post-apocalyptic novel. How about you?

Just two weeks left to submit! Deadline 1st April We’d love to see more: -Nonfiction ✍️ -Plays 🎭 -Art 🖼 -Photography 📸 Link in bio

Two weeks PAID work experience working at The Guardian’s London Headquarters for Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic aspiring journalists. Closes 30th March. Details in link. Please share :) workforus.theguardian.com/entry-level-...

Well I never felt more like singin' the blues, 'Cus I never thought that I'd ever lose Your lovin'. Why'd you do me this way?

My spirits are knocked today. Nothing major, but sometimes the journey seems to be going nowhere. Any other writers out there who feel this way, you're not alone.

This is for anyone who is struggling with world events. My youngest draw this a year or so ago, when she was ten. Just like her older sister, she puts a pen on the page and magic happens. This is what I'll focus on this morning. The ability to create beautiful things.

You really can't blame them!!

That’s right. 🇺🇦

It’s horrifying that it’s come to this, but as someone with a deep affinity for Europe I feel moved seeing that continent come together to try to save itself in the absence of any meaningful aid from the totalitarian regime that’s in the midst of taking over the United States through an illegal coup

It surprises me that Andrew Tate - charged with sex trafficking, sexual exploitation and rape and a big Trump supporter - has been allowed to fly to the US after 'an official in the new Trump administration' expressed interest in their case. In other news, birds of a feather have been seen...

Sorry but today is my day for banging on about this

I wrote this this morning: A clown with a gun is still a man with a gun.

Some news (!!) www.thebookseller.com/rights/mantl... Big BIG thanks to A LOT of wonderful people for their support over the last 10+ years, not least @cbcreative.bsky.social @mserinkelly.bsky.social who first made me believe I could actually do this (albeit verrrry slowly) P.S. Please buy my book

Two nights teaching at the National Centre for Writing. It's been a while and it's been good to get back in front of a class and talk writing. Then a cycle home by the cathedral which is all lit up.

I haven't listened to this song or album for years. Less accessible and beautiful. This song made me cry all over again (and if you're not a Smiths fan, you may well cry too) youtu.be/TpRhZnlXDNI

George Orwell called it Newspeak, long before Nobhead Charlie Orangeman Fuckwit and the Sociopath Kid turned up in town. They only get to do what they do because they've got some power. We Brits were on to you long ago.

This only takes a few minutes.

Another attempt at this, but this time my fourteen-year-old daughter took the lead. She's a better designer than I'll ever be. The flyer for my novel.

Power. That's what it is. A person has power and no matter how much of a narcissist they are, no matter how morally corrupt and infantile, people will bend over to please them. I'm in the UK and this is Google Maps.

The Creative Future Writers’ Award is the only free to enter national poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction competition for all underrepresented writers. The optional theme is ‘Wild’. Fifteen winners (5 winners in each category). Please share :)

Delighted to be participating again at the Indie Book Fair at Islington Library as part of the @indiepressnetwork.bsky.social A great line up of events and some amazing Indie Publishers to meet. Come along and say hello to us on Sat 8th March. #booksky @thebooksellergv.bsky.social

The people next door are really untidy. I think I'm going to move them in with the people across the road and take their house and turn it into a hotel.

I love communicating with people with varying interests on here. No kidding, this is such a great platform. The other place is a car crash. Btw, if anyone wants to talk writing, fire away. I'm working on a kind of British post-apocalyptic novel at the moment.

Comic book versions of British thrillers, painted twenty years ago. Holly Martins walking in the cold, waiting for Anna - The Third Man

My new novel The Best of Everything is currently available to pre-order for HALF PRICE on Amazon. I would love you to read it!

Comic book versions of British thrillers painted twenty years ago. Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Anyone here write flash fiction and want to do a follow? I have a flash published here, if you're interested. It was shortlisted for Scratch A4, along with some other superb stories: www.scratch-books.co.uk/thea4shortli...

My 14-year-old daughter drew this yesterday. I won the art prize at school when I was her age and she is waaaaay better than I ever was.

Frankie, drawn for my pal last year. 'It was just one of those things...' Can anyone guess the film?

London Lit Lab: How to Plot a Page Turner. Explore effective methods of plotting and storytelling to help you to turn your passion project into a page-turner. Dates: 17th February – 30th March 2025 Online £220 for six weeks Details here www.londonlitlab.co.uk/course/plot-... Please share :)

400 followers today. Not where I was with the other site, but building it up. Follow me if you're a creative and I'll follow you back.

Well, finally deactivated the other place. It's all BlueSky from hereon in.

Can you imagine the courage it took to preach this message directly to the president? This is what a follower of Jesus looks like. (Partial transcript below.)

This.

Bishop confronts Donold during sermon at inaugural prayer service. Bless her.

He's Alive - an episode of The Twilight Zone that come to mind today, for reasons that escape me. Deep breath, everyone.

I came across the absurdist play, Rhinoceros by Ionesco, while marking some undergrad play scripts. Love it! The whole play of can be found here: youtu.be/jFmNG0lSQ2g

So, this should trigger a public inquiry into possible misconduct in public office & the potential involvement of hostile foreign nations. No sane commercial CEO would embark on such an initiative. So are we just supposed to shrug at this behaviour from those we trusted to govern our country? #FBPE