Last year, I decided to watch the winter solstice on the Newgrange livestream. As the light suddenly and decidedly split the dark of the tomb, I found myself also suddenly and decidedly sobbing, quite involuntarily. This month's newsletter is about that, and my new relationship with the solstice.

🏳️‍⚧️🇵🇸 Quakers holding the line w steadfast solidarity

"After a ... year of mostly experiencing horror at ... the increasingly bad-from-the-start things happening in the world, I began another year of resistance deeply affirmed that I am still capable of a wild, proportionate, instinctive response to something both so ordinary and utterly tremendous."

Last year, I decided to watch the winter solstice on the Newgrange livestream. As the light suddenly and decidedly split the dark of the tomb, I found myself also suddenly and decidedly sobbing, quite involuntarily. This month's newsletter is about that, and my new relationship with the solstice.

People who aspire to be academics: I wish to live a life of the mind Actual academics:

A thread on how I bought an old book about a place I am also writing a book about, and became the unsuspecting owner of a rare 19th #Glasgow artefact, connected with one of Glasgow’s most picturesque bridges!

A fascinating paper trail for any Sou-siders...

A thread on how I bought an old book about a place I am also writing a book about, and became the unsuspecting owner of a rare 19th #Glasgow artefact, connected with one of Glasgow’s most picturesque bridges!

After nearly three years of navigating the suburban-front-garden-as-class-signifier, trying to find a comfortable way of creating something good within the frustrating parameters of suburban design politics, I had the personally liberating realisation:

She's talking about crannogs again #naturewriting

Coming back to writing after an unplanned winter hiatus, a long-ish piece on how I finally read Rachel Carson's Silent Spring after my uncle's unexpected death last month. #naturewriting

Coming back to writing after an unplanned winter hiatus, a long-ish piece on how I finally read Rachel Carson's Silent Spring after my uncle's unexpected death last month. #naturewriting

Jamaica Kincaid talks to Sandra Guzmán about colonialism, gardening, and worshipping her plants.

What happens when you gift the devil a plot of your arable land so he doesn't mess with your other crops and cattle? Ecological magic. #naturewriting #lifewriting

"For the next 25 years, White proudly oversaw his farmland’s hands-off transformation into a mosaic of wildflower glades, hawthorn and blackthorn scrubland, and young woodland, which swiftly became a haven for nightingales, barn owls, turtle doves, orchids, butterflies, and countless other species."

What happens when you gift the devil a plot of your arable land so he doesn't mess with your other crops and cattle? Ecological magic. #naturewriting #lifewriting

For a list of Gazan accounts that have been verified as real as comprehensively as possible, check this thread by @mommunism.bsky.social. Pick one. Make them your project. You will feel better when you’re doing something to help. bsky.app/profile/momm...

This is terrible news! Auchindrain is one of the best historic sites in Scotland imo. It's a very important and very special place and there's nothing else quite like it. I took lots of photos and wrote about it. Link below. www.thedrystonecompany.com/drystone-dia... #Scotland #History #Museum

I’m thrilled to share that I'm now represented by Caro Clarke at Portobello Literary! It's a dream come true to work with this brilliant agent on a book that means so much, and to be in the company of the phenomenal writers they represent. I couldn’t have asked for safer hands or cooler people!

That the Deputy Ambassador of Israel to the UK is still meeting with MSPs - including one from the SNP - should be a source of shame for our parliament. No other representative of a government carrying out a genocide would be welcomed in Holyrood. Sickening www.parliament.scot/-/media/file...

second day of strike today, support the journalists, please avoid Guardian online for next 24 hours

In this week’s newsletter, I respond to a bit from Richard Mabey’s new book (in which he likens the act of making a garden to a domineering act of colonialism) with lessons on disturbance from Robin Wall Kimmerer’s generous new book, The Serviceberry. A garden is not a colony, it's a disruption.

Today Guardian and Observer journalists are on strike over plans to sell the Observer to a loss-making digital start up and put its journalism behind a paywall. 🧵 How can you support us? SHARE our posts WRITE to [email protected] JOIN US - there's cake!

In this week’s newsletter, I respond to a bit from Richard Mabey’s new book (in which he likens the act of making a garden to a domineering act of colonialism) with lessons on disturbance from Robin Wall Kimmerer’s generous new book, The Serviceberry. A garden is not a colony, it's a disruption.

Every year, Spotify Wrapped becomes something that feels actively hostile to the enjoyment of music, now with more blatant data mining to train AI. which is bad enough, but also remember that Spotify CEO Daniel Ek is a primary investor in an AI predator drone company

In this week’s newsletter, I respond to a quote from Richard Mabey’s new book The Accidental Garden (in which he likens the act of making a garden to a domineering act of colonialism) with the radical and urgent wisdom of Robin Wall Kimmerer’s generous new book, The Serviceberry.

so inspired by Jasleen Kaur makes me think of how representation at the gallery or lit event isn't the work done. the politics that underline our art aren't thought experiments. real life action must happen, a changed world must follow. if not, these places aren't housing our art, they're caging it

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70... Please sign and share if you'd like an end to moorland burning, raptor and mountain hare persecution, and the pointless slaughter of thousands of grouse for 'entertainment'. @chrisgpackham.bsky.social @markavery.bsky.social

Nov 29-Dec 5 is #ReadPalestineWeek & Publishers 4 Palestine are releasing *free* ebooks for a Free Palestine P4P already released AND STILL WE WRITE, which you can download below "Print it and share it. Make it part of your actions on Nov 29-Dec 5" 🇵🇸🍉 publishersforpalestine.org/2024/11/19/l...

it's absolutely heartbreaking and makes no sense that people in Gaza have to create gofundme pages to survive. if a gofundme page crosses your feed and you have the means to donate, if it doesn't set you back to offer £5 or £10 or more, if you haven't donated in a while, please do ❤️‍🩹

Have you ever seen an early medieval processional road? We at @govanstones.bsky.social are VERY lucky to have a Viking-Age one in our 1,500-year churchyard at Govan Old, brought to light by Prof. Driscoll, Clyde Archaeology, University of Glasgow Archaeology students, and our community volunteers.

Glasgow ❤️s @jortsthecat.bsky.social

Repeating my helpful little mnemonic song from Twitter: If he'll drive you to the criming, he's a Fed 👏👏 If he'll drive you to the criming, he's a Fed 👏👏 If you can't get there without him And you don't know much about him If he'll drive you to the criming, he's a Fed 👏👏

A beautiful conversation about a vital little book! Truly can't wait to get my hands on a copy or three to share

For anyone who enjoys nature writing, here's the starter pack: go.bsky.app/NXoPc6D & the feed: bsky.app/profile/did:... Please share with other interested folk. Thanks! #writingcommunity #nature #naturalhistory #birdingUK

Unfortunately, there's been a change of plan and I won't be at the Nature Chronicles prize giving tonight in person. I'm hoping to be there via Zoom though. Best of luck to all my fellow shortlisters, I can't wait to read your gorgeous essays in the anthology!

Later this morning I'll be travelling to Kendal for the Nature Chronicles prize awards ceremony. Being shortlisted has given me a serious confidence boost. My essay, 'Minibeasts', is about anxiety, care, and various small creatures (including my kids). lakelandarts.org.uk/events/the-n...

A very important piece, and my own answer is a resounding yes. Once we've done the Clyde, let's do all its tributaries too, like my beloved White Cart Water. I'd love to see what this kind of protection could do in preventing things like glyphosate-use to combat giant hogweed.

Tomorrow I'm heading to @kendalmountainfest.bsky.social, where my essay The Kailyards has been shortlisted for the Nature Chronicles Prize! Last week's newsletter explores the background of this essay, and what 3 years of land grief looks like. So excited to celebrate the other award-winning essays!

Today is #TransgenderDayOfRemembrance. This year, we remember 350 trans people who were murdered. In the past 15 years, more than 5000 murders are documented, most of them trans women of colour in the Global South. We mourn the dead. We fight like hell for the living.

Tomorrow I'm heading to @kendalmountainfest.bsky.social, where my essay The Kailyards has been shortlisted for the Nature Chronicles Prize! Last week's newsletter explores the background of this essay, and what 3 years of land grief looks like. So excited to celebrate the other award-winning essays!

Every book is a bucket (there's a hole in mine), a bag, a box, a pocket, a parcel. It's a made container & it needs care in the making for what it holds.

part of the reason I happily incorporated my partner's name into my own!

#naturewriting #lifewriting

➡️Selling weapons to those committing genocide is complicity. 🇵🇸It's time for the UK Government to act, and end arms sales to Israel.

#OTD, 17 November 1915, thousands of Glasgow housewives and workers - Mrs Barbour's Army - marched on the city's Sheriff Court in support of 20,000 rent strikers, leading to the introduction of rent controls throughout the UK.