A new article about Ernest Hemingway and how he might just be allowed back into polite society. open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/a...

It’s on the way! We’re taking pre-orders now!

When I was in high school I found a first edition of Winner Take Nothing, the collection with “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,” at a church rummage sale, and I’ll let you page through someday it if you wash and dry your hands beforehand

Fantastic piece and a reminder that the art and artists conversation demands more nuance than 'X is bad, therefore, everything they ever touched is bad'. Flawed humans can be geniuses at their craft, and you're allowed to hold multiple viewpoints about them and their art.

Ok fine so I'll finally read some Hemingway

He's an imperfect and even a faintly ridiculous figure, but a marvellous writer. Either way, he doesn't deserve to be reduced to the cliché people make of him, and can't be just dismissed. Enjoyed this piece.

I found it equally tedious when there was a trend for hating on The Catcher In The Rye. Hemingway’s A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is one of the best short stories I’ve read. Utter perfection. It haunts me.

A great piece Sam (only a few years back I was gently advised never to mention my admiration for DH Lawrence within the publishing industry).

A new article about Ernest Hemingway and how he might just be allowed back into polite society. open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/a...

“I used to go to that cafe every morning. A small Italian on Berwick Street. A pungent espresso in a thick white cup. I remember the first time I saw him, the slender man with the tanned long face. He reminded me of Claud Cahun, a sculpted androgyne from an era long gone.” Join me on Monday:

Guess what time it is everypony! That's right! It's time for this week's HORRIBLE-SCOPES! And this week we're thanking @samjordison.bsky.social for this week's inspiration! www.tumblr.com/icarusthelun... #HeartOfTheGameFredonia #TheBigBookOfBad

Love the latest @acrossthepondbooks.bsky.social celebrating Stephen King's work as literature. Big recommend for this King podcast. This one is a good example: discussing at length King's vivid portrayal of bullying. pca.st/episode/aff4...

We've got a great new episode about the mighty Stephen King: www.buzzsprout.com/1728150/epis... Features an interview with Caroline Bicks, author of Monsters In The Archive, a fantastic book about delving into the great man's drafts. Plus general appreciation of his talent.

Be funny if everyone just ignores him

There is now a musical version of Lucy Ellmann's Things Are Against Us - composed by Laura Bowler. About 8 mins in on this link. It's a wild ride. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

This is tremendous on the great Len Deighton. Also, love* this quote: " No, that is not the way to treat your readers unless you just don’t care about them; and in that case you should be writing literary novels." *Obviously not the opinion of Galley Beggar Press - but: haha!

Have you heard our conversation with David Keenan yet? We spoke about his new novel Boyhood, how he first got published, Glasgow, and much more. Unsurprisingly, he was eloquent and brilliant: www.buzzsprout.com/1728150/epis...

In conclusion, this would be the perfect gift for a 57 year old man.

Further thoughts on "How Do People Stay The Same" What's the actual "cause" of it all is not explained, because... to explain is to explain away. It isn't explained but you do get told. In exactly the relentless, accretional (real word?) way that I am partial to:

Shades.. more than shades of Pessoa in @markabowles.bsky.social new novel How Do People Stay The Same. Superb. Less funny than his earlier book BUT more affecting.

A plea for organisations in the book world to fund, you know, books, instead of personalities: samj.substack.com/p/stop-rewar...

Please do read what Sam has to say here.

A plea for organisations in the book world to fund, you know, books, instead of personalities: samj.substack.com/p/stop-rewar...

Our Critical Reading school is open again! This is our popular online class where we pull apart novels, look at them from an editorial point of view - and also just have the fun of discussing wonderful works of art. Details here: www.galleybeggar.co.uk/school-criti...

Philip Roth, The Plot Against America Fran Ross, Oreo George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo Orhan Pamuk (trans. Erdag Göknar), My Name Is Red

It starts in August. Runs on Tuesday evenings (UK time but we welcome people from around the world!). And we're going to be talking about some wonderful books: Katherine Mansfield, The Garden Party and Other Stories Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit

You can write, but can you READ like a writer? Active reading is a secret weapon; it enlarges the toolkit, and turbo charges your own writing. Join me and Sam Jordison at Arvon's loveliest house this May. Bring sticky notes and some work in progress! http://bit.ly/4qY1qdQ

Done this in a couple of sittings. A great, great book. A savage and tender work of contemporary disquiet from one of the most distinctive voices in British fiction. Cheers to @markabowles.bsky.social @galleybeggars.bsky.social for sharing.

A Devil’s Alphabet by Annie Hayter has won The Galley Beggar Press short story prize! It's a marvellous story, Details in our newsletter: www.galleybeggar.co.uk/campaigns/vi...

It begins!

LOOK OUT!

'All of these things & thoughts filled her up, pushed their way inside her. They made her feel bigger & bigger, inflating her body with an uncomfortable invisible enormousness.' Thrilled to share The Appointment, published in RIC Journal, a story of appointments, wax. ricjournal.com/2026/03/19/t...

Cause for celebration:

From the gen z side of things I'd say you're right, I don't know anyone who likes booktok anymore. It's associated with poorly written erotica and influencer scandals. I use tiktok pretty regularly but never for book content... And books are my entire life!

I wrote about BookTok - and why publishers need an escape strategy: open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/b...

I wrote about BookTok - and why publishers need an escape strategy: open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/b...

A few more words about our beloved Sirius here - as well as an interview with Álvaro Enrigue, a serious writer.

New episode alert! Lori and Sam talk to the brilliant Joanna Kavenna about her wonderfully inventive novel "Seven". www.buzzsprout.com/1728150/epis...

In case you missed our series of IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS yesterday:

We'll be reading: Katherine Mansfield, The Garden Party and Other Stories Jeanette Winterson, Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit Philip Roth, The Plot Against America Fran Ross, Oreo George Saunders, Lincoln in the Bardo Orhan Pamuk (trans. Erdag Göknar), My Name Is Red

We are proud to announce the shortlist of this year's Galley Beggar Press short story prize: Fire! Fire! Or, Ascension by Kate Ansell A Devil’s Alphabet by Annie Hayter Clean Sheet by Kinneson Lalor

Also in our newsletter, a new novel by Alex Pheby. I said, A NEW NOVEL BY ALEX PHEBY. The Picnic. It is extraordinary. More information soon. Get ready.

I wrote about a very ancient love on my Substack: open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/a...

I wrote about a very ancient love on my Substack: open.substack.com/pub/samj/p/a...

More about my Rebecca West blue plaque obsession, with thanks to @samjordison.bsky.social of @galleybeggars.bsky.social for being my first and much appreciated proactive supporter. Find out how you can help! 💙 open.substack.com/pub/autumnin...

This was great fun to do. My Writer’s Bookshelf, spanning from Sherwood Anderson to Sue Townsend, via Joseph Roth, the Usborne Guide to the Supernatural World, Peanuts, Toni Morrison and many others… Many thanks to @mathewlyons.bsky.social for asking me!

Thank you to everyone who responded to my Rebecca West post. You have all given me heart and courage. I've written about what I'm up to here. Please forward this to anyone who might be interested open.substack.com/pub/autumnin...

Hello Bluesky! I am looking for anyone who cares about/writes about/thinks about Rebecca West. I've been on a 10 year mission to get her a blue plaque in London and am finally allowed to re-apply after it was last turned down. I'd welcome help building a strong application. Thank you 💙🙏

This week, a fantastic interview with the vivacious, fierce, fantastic Álvaro Enrigue. (Also some heartfelt words about Sam's beloved dog Sirius and the aid dogs have given to literature over the years.) www.buzzsprout.com/1728150/epis...

"The bigger issue is that even before I saw the list I knew that no prominent positions would be given to writers, publishers or - heaven forbid - critics. After all, why would their opinions count? It’s not like books are as important as baking."