I’ve just been ignoring X recently but there’s some horrific stuff going on over there. open.substack.com/pub/zeteo/p/...

Listening to RTE breakfast show waiting for Donal Ryan’s interview as winner of the @orwellprize.bsky.social Such a different world! Finance Minister talking about what to do with their surplus and finishing off by gushing about Donal being recognised by the prize.

Orwell prize for political writing awarded to novelist killed in Ukraine war

Kamila Shamsie's #PENLecture, delivered last night in Newcastle, in partnership with @newwritingnorth.bsky.social and @nclanews.bsky.social, is now available to read in @literaryhub.bsky.social

Brilliant piece on the story behind The Reckoning, opening at @arcolatheatre.bsky.social this week: can a play hold real evil accountable? www.thetimes.com/culture/thea...

We’re thrilled that #PENPresents & #PENTranslates award-winner Heart Lamp by Banu Mushtaq, trans. from the Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi has won the #InternationalBooker2025, the first work translated from Kannada to appear on the @thebookerprizes.bsky.social shortlist. Congratulations to the winners!

Another really hard won category. What struck me when judging these awards was the superhuman empathy and doggedness possessed by publicists.

It was such a hard job judging the Marketing Strategy of the Year: there are some super smart, creative marketeers out there in the book industry!

“These books show us how we got here." – Kim Darroch, Chair of Judges Announcing the eight finalists for the 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Writing. Huge congratulations to all the authors! Winner revealed 25 June. Discover them now: orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-p...

“Troubled times lure out the very best from fiction. Only one can win. All should be read.” – Jim Crace, Chair of Judges Introducing the finalists for the 2025 Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. Discover the list: orwellfoundation.com/the-orwell-p...

📢 2025 Orwell Prize Finalists Announced! The Orwell Prizes celebrate the year's best political writing and reporting, inspired by George Orwell's values of clarity, courage, and fidelity to truth. Explore this year's shortlists & judges’ reflections: open.substack.com/pub/orwellfo...

Wonderful initiative! Looking forward to reading all of the books in due course!

It was inspiring to hear Mahmoud Muna talk about the power of the bookseller at London Book Fair last week, part of the @englishpen.bsky.social Literary Salon.

Is this the most back-handed compliment from a jury ever? ‘It made us feel lost, frustrated and disconnected.’ Congratulations to @blasttheory.bsky.social and Ting-Tong Chang on their @sxsw.com XR Special Jury Award. Fourth year of award winners for #futureartandculture ocula.com/magazine/art...

A brand-new franchise of South by Southwest is coming to London in June. Crispin Parry thinks participation in the showcase enables the UK to be a leading incubator of immersive arts.

Palestinian bookseller #MahmoudMuna will be in conversation with Olivia Snaije, in partnership with @englishpen.bsky.social - ⁠⁠Wed 12/03 at ⁠⁠Union Chapel, London N1 2UN. All profits to Educational Bookshop, Jerusalem, Palestine. Tickets available here: unionchapel.org.uk/venue/whats-...

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/culture/6939... Great piece by @fiammettarocco.bsky.social on @thebookerprizes.bsky.social and Nobel winner Han Kang.

At #bigsummit25: Robert Peston fresh back from the White House. Not at all cheering!

Great to see our client Saad Qureshi on the front page of the Telegraph & Argus in Bradford for his Bradford 2025 commission Tower of Now. And BBC too. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Looking forward to tucking in!

This really is troubling - despite Charlotte’s optimistic conclusion.

The first wave of the ALSO25 line-up has landed! ❤️ The spectacular 12th edition takes place on the weekend 11 - 13th July a bit of ‘LOVE AND HORROR’ is sprinkled over the magical Capability Brown landscaped lakeside. 🧟‍♀️

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... Timely discussion on the future of museums with @stephenkb.bsky.social Derby’s @tonybutler1.bsky.social and Birmingham’s Sara Wajid.

Wonderful segment at 1:40 on William Blake by Blake Cottage Trust ambassador John Higgs www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Can’t be repeated often enough ‘The UK’s creative industries are vital to the economy. Valued at £124bn, they are worth more than the life sciences, aerospace and automotive industries combined. Arts and culture alone contribute an impressive £34.6bn.’ on.ft.com/42hzVmL

In 2022 I launched a new literary prize for writer-carers (UK & ROI), the #Curae award. A wealth of wonderful prizes from across industry, publication and many entries. The second prize opened 1/02/25 and so far we have far fewer entries. There are around 7million unpaid carers: industry PLEASE help

It seems I made the front cover of the Bookseller!

Learnt today that birds do it, bees do it - act when there is no justification for action (AKA optimistically). First RSA lecture of the year from Sumit Paul-Choudhury launching his new book, The Bright Side: How Optimists Change the World.

Excited to join this talented team of PRs, marketeers, social media experts, podcasters & event specialists. @collectivewisdom.bsky.social is a new agency building bespoke campaigns across publishing & culture. Already working with top talent. Thanks Truda! www.thebookseller.com/news/communi...

Wonderful to see Weatherglass Novella Prize winner Aerth getting such rave reviews. Congrats @tomkinsdeb.bsky.social

With @bradford2025.co.uk putting on a fabulous opening event last night and tonight, delighted to see the @paraorchestra.bsky.social x Jeremy Deller collaboration The Bradford Progress included as one of five of the year's highlights in @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Our new team members bringing energy and expertise to 2025 @mattzki.bsky.social @angelaallan.bsky.social www.thebookseller.com/news/communi...

Very long day visiting Paris yesterday- seems like half the people I know chose to go that day, spurred on by the closing days of Surrealisme. A great exhibition. Also a privilege to see the newly restored Notre Dame.

www.undiscoveredcountryfilm.com Grand Theft Hamlet was a joyous and poignant way to start the weekend. Do catch it if you can. It was fun to see it at the ICA but it’s also on MUBI.

Great interview with Gary who is a joy to work with as a @theatrestrust.bsky.social ambassador and former fellow trustee www.thetimes.com/culture/musi...

2024’s been a rollercoaster, with some of the biggest challenges and changes so far. Lots of fun along the way. Happy New Year to all on Bluesky!

Incredible writing and incredibly powerful performance from Sutara Gayle @royalcourt.bsky.social

#freealaa www.theguardian.com/books/2024/d...

Winner of the first @englishpen.bsky.social PEN Heaney Prize. www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

Getting the team together for future planning and festive fun.

Congratulations to Susannah Dickey, winner of the first #PENHeaneyPrize

Congratulations to Susannah Dickey, winner of the first #PENHeaneyPrize

Great piece on Saad Quereshi sculpturemagazine.art/earthly-para... @idev-art.com

Avi Shlaim has won the £2,000 PEN Hessell-Tiltman Prize 2024 for Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew (Oneworld) 👇 www.thebookseller.com/news/avi-shl... #BookSky

We need your help! We're running our State of Arts PR survey again in 2025 to get a snapshot of how arts communication professionals are feeling as we go into the new year. If your job involves PR in the arts, please do complete the survey and spread the word to colleagues: bit.ly/4i80NeH