For anyone new to me, I write thrillers (www.samblakebooks.com 😊 #TheKillingSense No 1 bestseller, out now! 🎉) I founded Europe's biggest writing resources website @writing.ie, Ireland's International Crime Writing Festival @murderonefest.bsky.social & run a fab online writers group, Writers Ink 💙📚

It’s out! Our July roundup of opportunities for writers across Europe just hit subscriber inboxes📩 From mega grants to residencies and submission calls, we’re filling your dance card with deadlines to get you writing and achieve your dreams. Happy writing!

We absolutely need a culture of reading for pleasure - it’s my past, present and future. It makes me sad for children that such a culture has declined so much. I fully support this initiative. #readingforpleasure

Wow 🤩 I’m so so happy to be amongst the winners of #iamwriting literary competition for my novel Henhouse. Thanks to the judges, especially @livmaidment.bsky.social for rating my work.

Short story writers! Historical fiction writers! We're EXTENDING the HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition deadline to midnight on 1 August. We're looking for up to 3,500 words, set all or mainly 35+ years ago. Entry's still only £5. See more at historicalwriters.org/ddshwass-award-2025

Imagine, say, a steel company stealing coal to power their plant, arguing it's fair use because they they require that material to develop their own industry. Most industries are required to purchase their raw materials. This is scandalous #corporatetheft.

Survivors of former mother and baby homes, Magdalene laundries and workhouses in Northern Ireland have been advised of a deadline to come forward and give testimony ahead of a public inquiry. jrnl.ie/6626931

This is great news for everyone. Court rules that AI violates copyright. I hope this is the first of many cases and that the greed of tech firms thinking they are immune to charges of theft is quashed. Now we need some convictions! #AIviolatescopyright #authorsowncopyright #theftisnotfairuse

Dear applicant, Please don’t use AI to write your job application. Your sincerely, AI Company hiring team #youcouldn’tmakeitup

Check out issue 3 of The Belfast Review with a short story ‘Tis the season’ by yours truly! Thanks @thebelfastreview.bsky.social for publishing my work. Free preview online - or better still buy a copy! #irishwriters #thetroubles #christmasstory #belfast

www.bookbrunch.co.uk/page/free-ar... Hooray #curae prize! Thank you to @bookbrunch.bsky.social for being so supportive and unpaid #carers: we see you 💙📚 #booksky

Good evening #writers Just a little post to let you know our #writingcompetition is open ✒️ #flash #poetry #creativenonfiction and good ol’ #fiction 📑 Let’s see your work! Details on the website 👍🏻 @simonwhaley.bsky.social @gwynethbox.bsky.social @jaccigooding.bsky.social

@dublinairport.bsky.social #DublinAirport #Dublinbuses Do something about the bus station at the airport! After a flight that was delayed by five hours I’ve had to stand outside in an underpass in the cold for 25 mins. Why no waiting room? Why no info screens? #publictransport #bususers

Sharpen your pencils. This themed prize opens on 1st Han. All genres of writing permitted, including fiction, non-fiction, and non-academic essays. Open to all nationalities. Link below. Please share :)

Something to get you into the festive spirit ✍️ #5ActFestiveStory competition with Curtis Brown @cbcreative.bsky.social Get writing 🖋️

Off to London to see my wonderful daughter @ciarakadams.bsky.social in #follytobewise at The Hen and Chickens Theatre. Come along if you’re in London - tickets selling like hot cakes. #dramaonstage #londontheatre www.scallywagstudios.co.uk/productions....

Off to London to see my wonderful daughter @ciarakadams.bsky.social in #follytobewise at The Hen and Chickens Theatre. Come along if you’re in London - tickets selling like hot cakes. #dramaonstage #londontheatre www.scallywagstudios.co.uk/productions....

The world’s richest 1% have more wealth than the bottom 95% put together, according to Oxfam. There is no moral justification for this extraordinary level of inequality. It's distorting politics, rigging our markets, and granting unprecedented power to a handful of people.

Are you a young Black British woman who is keen to develop skills in recording and creating the stories and histories of your community? Apply for this ground-breaking programme of training and support. speaking-volumes.org.uk/apply-women-...

There's free delivery at Bookshop.org all weekend. Please help support local bookstores. uk.bookshop.org/

It's Black Friday, which is a big day for the big boys SO if you're a small or indie Irish retailer, bookseller, printmaker, craftperson (etc, etc) doing cool shit, please reply to this and lets share 'em as good as we can.

Prize for new writing in three categories: poetry, short fiction, and short fiction and poetry in Irish. Please share. Link below. 👇🏽 www.cuirt.ie/cuirt-new-wr...

Got a teen in your life and need a stocking filler this Christmas? Congratulations @samblakebooks.bsky.social #teenbooks #yafiction #xmaslist #booksforchristmas

Perfect for researching the past - read other people’s research #irishwriters #irishhistory #factchecking #readingforwriting

Great night at the An Post Book Awards ceremony in Dublin last night. Delighted to have been shortlisted for this award!

Microsoft Office has turned on, AND HIDDEN, a feature that scrapes your documents to train its #AI systems🤬 You must manually uncheck a box to opt out🤢 In Word: File>Options>TrustCentre>TrustCentreSettings>PrivacyOptions>OptionalConnectedExperiences>UNTICK 'Turn on optional connected experiences'

Yes! This! 👏🏼 👏🏼 It’s not just the words, it’s the tiny traces that inspire the words.

I'm pleased to share our new trailer for BLUE ROAD - THE EDNA O'BRIEN STORY. In Irish cinemas on Jan 31st w @breakoutpictures.bsky.social and in UK after. It features @louisekennedy.bsky.social Gabriel Byrne, Walter Mosley, Jessie Buckley and of course, Edna. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEEr...

Just spoke to Sean Rocks on RTÉ Arena about my story ‘Dessie and Hopper’. Thank you for having me! Listen back here www.rte.ie/radio/radio1... #rteshortstory #francismacmanus The whole story will be broadcast on RTÉ Late Date at 11:20pm TONIGHT. Podcast to follow.

A wonderful morning at the Irish Writers weekend! I met @cauverymadhavan.bsky.social and listened to her talk with Donal Ryan, Chloe Michelle Howarth. She spoke of parallels in Irish and Indian culture and was lovely to chat to. And I have a signed copy of her novel 😊 #irishwriters #theinheritance

A wonderful opening to the Irish Writers Weekend at the British Library with @louisekennedy.bsky.social and Graham Norton and Paul Muldoon. Great stories and anecdotes were told - there was sex, STDs, men in balaclavas and lots of laughter. Will you be there today? #irishwriters #britishlibrary

I'll be at the Irish Writers Weekend tonight to see @louisekennedy.bsky.social with Graham Norton and Paul Muldoon. There's still time to get tickets! Let me know if you'll be there! #irishwriters #britishlibrary www.seetickets.com/event/graham...

Here's another great starter pack: The Irish Literary Community Starter Pack - full of fabulous people 😊 Thanks @aislingwalsh.bsky.social

I was absolutely staggered to be shortlisted for the Historical Writers Association/ @dunnettcentral.bsky.social Short Story Prize 2024. The Award Ceremony in London last night was wonderful and I'm honoured to be in an anthology with five great writers. #irishwriter #historicalfiction #shortstories

I’m absolutely thrilled to be a contributor in the next issue of The Belfast Review ✍️😊