Well here’s something: the BBC has included LIKE A CAT LOVES A BIRD: THE NINE LIVES OF MURIEL SPARK in a round-up of the must-reads of 2026. I’m sandwiched between Liza Minnelli and Cher - a big camp old Merry Christmas to me! ✨

Once again thinking about the time Sinéad O'Connor attended an anti-Sinéad O'Connor demonstration in disguise 💛

James Bailey - Like a Cat Loves a Bird The Nine Lives of Muriel Spark À paraître en juin aux Princeton UP

some men sneeze like they've never sneezed before and they're not sure what's happening and they think they might be dying

Watercolour painting in a woodland, with an interesting wooden footbridge over a stream. This is the second version: I gave the first version to the person who owned these grounds but she has since moved. I hope it's a nice reminder for her. #art #watercolour #woodland

Here’s the cover for LIKE A CAT LOVES A BIRD: THE NINE LIVES OF MURIEL SPARK, out 16 April with @sceptrebooks.bsky.social Preorder here: lnk.to/LikeaCatLove... Please share! The book doing well means I can write another (and fulfil my dream of owning a pizza oven), so it’s pretty serious 🐈‍⬛ 🐈‍⬛ 🐈‍⬛

The real victim at the centre of this absurd case is very clearly Dr Beth Upton To witness the way in which she’s been dehumanised and vilified by Peggie and their (Sex Matters) legal team, the tribunal judge, the British media, and UK politicians has been beyond horrifying Solidarity Beth

Do I have any journalist/reviewer followers who are fans of Muriel Spark and would like to join Miriam Margolyes in owning a proof copy of Dr Bailey's excellent book about the writer? I have ended up with an extra proof, and proofs are precious, so I'd not want to let it go to waste.

George Buday continued creating many illustrations for The Radio Times amongst other commercial publications while living voluntarily at Netherne Hospital, working from his studio in an old summerhouse in the grounds, which was apparently full of cigarette smoke & blaring classical music

this is Penelope.

kind of obsessed with this custom binding for Moby dick by Susan and Chaim Ebanks at Exeter Bookbinders

Well this is ridiculous.

A moment of appreciation for the pie dish I bought from the charity shop for a grand total of £3.50 🥧

I am once again thinking about Cher’s author bio.

Discovering that Muriel Spark adopted Patricia Highsmith's cat, Spider, is all I needed to make a dull day better.

Take note, American Sparkites. Sparkettes? Sparkles.

Great big news! My book, LIKE A CAT LOVES A BIRD: THE NINE LIVES OF MURIEL SPARK is coming to America! I'm so pleased that @princetonupress.bsky.social will be publishing my strange, slippery take on Spark's life and work. It'll be out in spring! 🐈‍⬛💘🐦‍⬛

The loneliest man in the world.

This gorgeous little book of slides from the Design Council collection has arrived & single handedly saved my sanity

Ice pond at sunset, 4.05pm

From the archive for Beryl Bainbridge, #BornOnThisDay in 1932, thoughts on THE BOTTLE FACTORY OUTING, a darkly comic novel w/ a note of tragedy. A group of factory workers go on a company day out. What could possibly go wrong? Quite a lot as it turns out. 💙📚 jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2020/04/28/t...

Earlier today, I was notified that someone was at my door. This is who it was:

In the jungle #art #oilpainting

News! On 16 April (same day my book comes out) I'll be chatting with @jennashworth.bsky.social at @blackwellsmcr.bsky.social We'll be talking all about LIKE A CAT LOVES A BIRD: THE NINE LIVES OF MURIEL SPARK, and I’d love it if you could join us. Tickets here! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/like-a-cat...

Oh gosh! I adore Muriel Spark, I shall definitely need to get this when it comes out. 😍

As one who has come late in life to a passionate admiration for Spark’s novels & the intelligence behind them, I look forward very much to reading this. I mean, just look at that photo.

This looks wonderful!

This perfect duffer is trying out for the role of spokesmodel for this wonder by @drjamesbailey.bsky.social which I’m so looking forward to reading

My brilliant friend @drjamesbailey.bsky.social has written a book about Muriel Spark. It’s sharp, warm and funny. A joy to read (and ready for pre-order). 🐈‍⬛

#CoverReveal : We're obviously always delighted to celebrate one of our (very!) local literary stars, Muriel Spark, and Hodder has James Bailey's Like a Cat Loves a Bird, "a spiky and delicious new literary biography", coming next April. #books #livres #MurielSpark #Edinburgh #Edimbourg

Here’s the cover for LIKE A CAT LOVES A BIRD: THE NINE LIVES OF MURIEL SPARK, out 16 April with @sceptrebooks.bsky.social Preorder here: lnk.to/LikeaCatLove... Please share! The book doing well means I can write another (and fulfil my dream of owning a pizza oven), so it’s pretty serious 🐈‍⬛ 🐈‍⬛ 🐈‍⬛

Proofs are in! A huge thank you to @sceptrebooks.bsky.social for sending these my way. LIKE A CAT LOVES A BIRD: THE NINE LIVES OF MURIEL SPARK will be out in April, and these proofs will be going out into the world imminently. Terrifying! Exciting! Mostly terrifying!

Nancy By Ernie Bushmiller August 26,1946

Beautiful everyday Ladybird things. The Trimphone (How it Works: The Telephone, 1972) Artist: BH Robinson

I love this photo because it looks like it belongs in a life insurance brochure, which is all I’ve ever really wanted, to be honest.

Now I’m falling asleep and she’s calling a cob

Francesca Wade examines how Gertrude Stein’s “desire to wring every ounce of meaning from a limited set of words” made the expatriate writer famous in her own country.

Very sad to hear of the death of Patricia Routledge, although I’m now laughing at the memory of first moving in with my boyfriend, and finding out that he owned a copy of Hyacinth Bucket’s Book of Etiquette: For the Socially Less Fortunate 💜

Some days I’m doing okay, but on others I recall the time I accidentally submitted a recipe for orange-scented peach cobblers instead of my CV when applying for my first graduate job

Morning! And what a beautiful one it is. Here are a couple of #iPhone15Pro shots takes from the moving train :)

He thinks he’s a potato.

He's filed himself

Georgia O'Keeffe carrying her canvas in the desert, c.1920 (via FB) #WomensArt

Here's a photo of me, looking quite sleep-deprived as I clutch a very early copy of my book, LIKE A CAT LOVES A BIRD: THE NINE LIVES OF MURIEL SPARK. It isn’t out until April, but a few of these bind-ups are making their way through the world, and I wanted one as a memento. The book is written!

I miss Caroline Aherne - watching an old episode of The Mrs Merton Show, and she’s just asked whether “we should save the environment, or can we live without it?”

God, I love The Human League

I spend a lot of time thinking about when Kate Pierson from the B-52s put her motel up for sale (furniture included)