Coming this week: a new audio piece about the Secret Lake, created by sound artist Emily Zurowski. It’s a portrait of the Secret Lake, one of Manchester's most mysterious spaces, created using sounds from the space and the voices of local residents. secret-lake-stories.captivate.fm/listen

LOVED working on this. Please listen even if you don't know where/what the Secret Lake is!

Some accidental blasphemy in the nativity set.

Was at a fancy awards thing last night - never let them tell you ghost stories can't take you places. (Although we didn't actually win, so maybe listen to them)

This, for reasons I can't really fathom, is 100% 'fully non-Christmas music which feels incredibly Christmassy to me'. open.spotify.com/track/6e65fH...

During the 1990s Tony/Toni was the key multigender name. 'Here comes Tony!' someone would cry and you'd not know if you were on the lookout for a man a bit older than yourself or a younger, probably cooler woman? In the 2000s it was supplanted by Joe/Jo. Today it's Jez. Funny old world, really.

Not enough fuss is made about Diane Cluck imho.

I love these Mark Edwards paintings - the Whitewood series. Strange, snow-covered worlds where men in bowler hats linger among winter trees. Part Magritte, part children's book illustration, part ghost story.

Calling all Manchester folks! I'll be at this event in Levenshulme next month in my capacity as a writer on the You Are Here podcast project - come and join us on November 7th at Levy Old Library 🦜

Huge day for total bollocks.

What does it mean to belong to a place - to walk its streets each day, to pass through its parks and live in its stories? Join us for A Sense of Place, a very special one-off evening of fiction, memory and sound exploring Levenshulme itself. www.tickettailor.com/events/leven...

In 2009 I split up with my ex and took her new internet DAB radio - it was played a random selection of podcasts and I found something called Comedy Death Ray which has now been doing a running joke on this bit pretty much every Halloween for 16 years as Comedy Bang Bang.

Another dream last night that me and Nick Cave only have six hours to organise a traditional Appalachian hoedown.

I have two tickets for @warringtonruncorn.com in Manchester tomorrow but have been cruelly stricken with a sickness so can no longer go. Free to anyone who wants to go - for a small donation to a charity that supports local refugees and asylum seekers.

I have two tickets for @warringtonruncorn.com in Manchester tomorrow but have been cruelly stricken with a sickness so can no longer go. Free to anyone who wants to go - for a small donation to a charity that supports local refugees and asylum seekers.

Shortlisted for a proper thing - for doing ghost stories!

New Review - today on the blog a look at the way different writers write fantasy with Writing The Magic - Essays on Crafting Fantasy Fiction edited by @dancoxon.bsky.social and @richardvhirst.bsky.social out now and strongly recommended! www.runalongtheshelves.net/blog/2025/10...

Long story but I'm taking my son an open top bus tour through Manchester during Storm Amy.

RIP Patricia Routledge. Always thought of this as genuinely deeply Kafkaesque. youtu.be/BKXEM3VcSEA?...

Next month, as part of our mini-season of Halloween goings-on, we're bringing you Harvest Horror, a folk horror writing workshop, exploring haunted landscapes, uncanny traditions and the strange rituals of the season. 📍 Levenshulme Old Library, M19 3QE 🎟 Tickets: buytickets.at/levenshulmeo...

I always wanted to write a piece on how Bowie and Scott Walker responded to one another creatively, and this does a better job than I would likely manage. (The piece seems to suggest the two might not have met but I'm fairly certain Bowie is Walker's interviewer in much of 30th Century Man)

Strangely nostalgic for stock images of internet piracy.

There's a bloody Reform UK pop-up by my local Tesco. I live in Andrew Gwynne's constituency so I guess they think there's some truth to the rumours about Andy Burnham trying to take it on.

Hey! I have a new book out! It's called Writing the Magic and it's a collection of essays on fantasy writing co-edited by @dancoxon.bsky.social and myself (but mainly Dan), and it's published by @deadinkbooks.bsky.social today. deadinkbooks.com/product/writ...

Nice to see the Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water dressed for a state visit.

Some lovely new Daniel Knox for autumn. youtu.be/z1CpgP0xkwA?...

NEW ALBUM: Mercado 48. Out Dec 5. First single Alligator out now. 🎹 Listen + Pre-order: danielknox.lnk.to/alligator 🎥 Watch the new music video Directed by Manuel Sá and starring my dog Flor: t.co/DR1NmXykTS

I don't think we talk enough about what a big deal it is that all of Doctor Who is just there for free on iPlayer.

John Coltrane in his hotel room, France 1965, checking his push notifications.

Worst thing about the Rayner-Mandelson saga is knowing that Jonathan Pie is going to do a bit about it.

Simpler times.

Absolute Longlegs vibes to this whole thing.

I often wonder about Past Times. Was it the first seemingly innocent droplet that ushered in the storm of toxic nostalgia that has deluged our national politics? Or if it was in fact the dam holding back the whole ugly tide and if we bring it back everything will indeed be okay?

Tried to sum up some swirling thoughts on Ozzy Osbourne, class and art.

Ah no, Allan Ahlberg. Probably the author whose books I've probably spent the most time with, in one way or another. Having them read to me, reading them myself, reading them to my kids. All that time and investment made his books feel somehow inherently wonderful.

Was at a train station yesterday and my son pointed out a 'weird furry slug thing which looks like a bat' on the wall which, on closer inspection, turned out to indeed be a bat.

The first issue of Lost Levenshulme sold out fast. We printed some more, and they sold out too. So we printed a whole load more - they sold out too! So for for those who missed out, the full issue is now free to read online. levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk/lost-levensh...

Trying to work out if I have any hobbies and I think the only one I can really land on is gossip.

Thinking of spending a fortune of hardback books and posting on social media pretending publishers sent them to me for free so other publishers see the posts and think I'm a literary influencer and send me some free hardbacks.

With Oasis being in town, I've decided to cash in by writing my own sentimental poem about Manchester.

Think this - Think They're Looking by Girl Group - might be my album of the year, and it's not even an album, it's an EP. I guarantee you will like this song: youtu.be/1B5yLUI0IUM?...

Just heard my uncle, my dad's brother, has passed away. Probably the first properly funny person I knew. I was quite intimidated by his sarcasm. Here he is playing an accordion - you can just tell from the look on his face and his wife's he's doing a bit which is annoying but also objectively funny.

Having a Black Sabbath phase because of all this - slightly disorientating to find that the album of the "final" Sabbath gig I went to when I was in college was recently rereleased in an expanded edition to mark it coming out 25 years ago.

My achievement of the day: finding a way of using Omar Rodriguez Lopez to soundtrack community arts.

Oddly tempted by these fashion proeessional sakteobard sport shoes on vinted.

Lots going on here, but my favourite detail of this is the daughter who hunts for the book in charity shops so she can write in the inner cover what a cunt she thinks the author is. Absolute maximum respect.

Nominations for the MCR Culture Awards close tomorrow & we’d love your support for Ghosts at the Old Library in Best Event. Local, haunting & rooted in community. If it stayed with you - take 2 mins to nominate: 🗳️ www.manchester.gov.uk/cultureawards ℹ️ levenshulmeoldlibrary.org.uk/ghosts-at-th...

Absolutely loved Adam Curtis's Shifty currently on iPlayer.

Decided I'm going to start saying things 'walk' if they're good, eg. "oh man, I love this tune, it absolutely *walks*" Really think it'll catch on.