Dorothy Parker's favourite two words were 'cheque enclosed' (not 'share', 'followers', 'likes', or 'impressions') - know your value, writers #booksky

Thanks @thenewworldmag.bsky.social for your Great Lives feature. It's one of the main reasons I subscribe. I'm now delving deeper into the life of Victoria Ocampo (1890 - 1979) and her literary magazine 'Sur' while it pelts down with rain outside.

Really looking forward to the National Humanities Lecture on 3 Feb (6pm) given by Elif Shafak. This is free and is also being streamed on YouTube. Contact School of Advanced Study to join online.

A fine literary cartoon in Private Eye #booksky

If Perfect Days had been directed by an American, there would be aliens popping out the toilet or a van crash at the end. Thankfully, it remains in the everyday throughout, with the imagination the only form of escapism.

Michael "your luggage has more leg room than you do" O'Leary, shares his compassionate philosophy for running the UK...

Agatha Christie died on 12 January 1976 - 50 years ago today. Did you know our Agatha Christie business papers comprise thousands of letters, incl. from the novelist herself? 📷 EUL UA/P/5i: Christie receiving an honorary degree from @exeter.ac.uk in 1961 #AgathaChristie #OnThisDay #OTD #Archives

In under 48 hours, you organized nearly 1,200 marches and vigils in all 50 states and DC for Renee Nicole Good. There are more of us than there are of them — and We the People won’t stop demanding accountability for ICE’s killing of Renee. #ICEOutForGood

"Strongman interior minister Diosdado Cabello", "Strongman Hun Sen" and two references to Meduro as a strongman on p6 of Financial Times (10/01/26). Why are 4 articles on 1 page all echoing Trump's favoured strongman language?

Meanwhile, in the primary schools across Great Britain... (FT, 10 Jan)

@endbirdshooting.bsky.social A century ago this month, D.H.Lawrence was complaining about the shooting of Robins, Songbirds and other tiny creatures in Liguria. youtu.be/2u5xPZT3c6I?...

Get ready for Phase Two: a raid on Oslo to seize the Peace Prize.

‘There is a distinction between AI safety, which is hypothetical, and AI harm, which is happening now. For one thing, much of the data on which AI models have been trained is stolen – including, as it happens, from me.’ John Lanchester on the misdeeds of AI pioneers: www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v4...

So the the FIFA Peace Prize truly was meaningless after all?

Toilet graffiti at Topsham Brewery, Exeter.

UK alcohol consumption is at an all time low according to the Financial Times. Fellow guzzlers, you know what you need to do. See you at the bar.

In the spirit of the Epstein files, I give you Mary Berry redacted...

NCRI report on how social media inflates the profile/influence of far right nut jobs like Nick Fuentes. networkcontagion.us/reports/amer...

Is it possible to have a democratic public brain? Joss Hands thinks so... www.bloomsbury.com/uk/public-br...

Indy Film Library (IFL) has announced its fifth annual Student Short Showcase – an online film festival of student filmmakers. indyfilmlibrary.com/2025/12/12/i...

Beatpost is "a social platform for writers, readers, and thinkers who value quality content and meaningful interactions." It still needs a bit of development, but looks promising. Just shared something on 'Digital immersion and D.H. Lawrence' beatpost.net/post/18642f4...

When asked which celeb he'd be, Mark Selby said Tom Hank. An interesting choice given Hanks has discussed being able to remain detached from difficult situations, something Selby excels in when grinding out results. #snooker

It's December 1925 and D.H. Lawrence espouses sentiments which would later inform the opening paragraph to Lady Chatterley's Lover #Booksky youtu.be/5dSYuoMARdA?...

Reminder that Starbucks’ CEO made 6,666x more than the company's median employee in 2024. This was the widest CEO-to-Worker pay gap in the entire S&P 500. And we're supposed to believe Starbucks can't afford to bargain a fair contract with its unionized workers?

The reason I like snooker is it's the only sport where commentary focuses on table heaters rather than the shots. #snooker #ukchampionship

National Humanities Lecture with Elif Shafak on 3rd Feb is a hybrid event. Tickets here. www.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...

It's November 1925 and D.H. Lawrence is off to Liguria, Italy. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_U45... #booksky

FfilmSchool (FfS) is recruiting for a paid, collaborative documentary-making residency in the Cambrian Mountains (starting January 2026). The programme is designed to educate in and strengthen radical filmmaking infrastructures. No experience is required. Apply / info: ffilmschool.org/apply/

The religion paradox with Jon Stewart: 'Religion has given people comfort in a world torn apart by religion.' youtube.com/watch?v=qSmr...

The Risks and Benefits of Using AI in Research Research Training Monday 13th October 2025, 14:00 - 15:00 BST (London) Online live via Zoom Register here: www.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...

Freelance Writing Tutor - Evening Workshops for Adults, Landmark Arts Centre Deadline: 17/10/2025 - London We are expanding our pool of freelance writing tutors to lead creative writing workshops for adult learners in the evenings (Monday–Friday) www.nawe.co.uk/DB/jobs-and-...

The richest man on earth owns X. The second richest man on earth is about to be a major owner of TikTok. The third richest man owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The fourth richest man owns The Washington Post. See the problem here?

"The move toward a final solution is not a jump. It takes one step, then another, then another." Toni Morrison youtu.be/IXR9PByA9SY?...

FREE teaching materials & resources related to graduate skills in the screen industries, created as part of the SIGN network. Employability and career launch Problem Solving Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Technological developments Screen industries – now and in the future screen-network.org.uk

StoryLab Conversations is an online narrative filmmaking publication for enquiring filmmakers to explore their form through practice-led conversations with their creative peers. See link for more info. vimeo.com/1116135963?s...

Where were ICE 200 hundred years ago when slaves needed them? youtu.be/6Kz-66LXGok?...

Various talks and workshops were cancelled from the Green Festival today at the last minute because the insurer refused to cover anything deemed political, religious, or cultural. A nature workshop encouraging preservation falls within this definition... nottmgreenfest.org.uk

It's September 1925 and D.H. Lawrence is ready to return to Blighty for a bit, though he finds the Atlantic an 'unsympathetic' ocean with barely a friendly fish! #booksky #1920s #literaryletters youtu.be/fqRsIvFd-bU?...

The global fact-checking community is confronting growing uncertainty, compounded by rapid technological shifts such as the rise of generative AI, and the policies of the Orange One in the White House. Get involved here... www.law.ox.ac.uk/content/news...

The Entertainer offsets the rampant greed and profit obsession of our times by handing over ownership of their toy shop chain to staff. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Talk on 'DH Lawrence and Nottingham' at Erewash Museum, Ilkeston, on Wednesday 13 August at 1pm given by local English teacher Michael Rumble. This is part of this year's Ilkeston Community Arts Festival, more details at www.ictaf.org #Nottingham ##dhlawrence

Step back to August 1925 to the literary salon of Philadelphia's Centaur Press, who had recently published D.H.Lawrence. #booksky #amreading #1920s #books youtu.be/vHsCHG6PRfQ?...

Join 'An Absolute Necessity to Move' on Substack if you have any interest in D.H.Lawrence. Monthly posts. anabsolutenecessitytomove.substack.com/subscribe?ut...

'The state is making an idiot of itself' www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZSb...

Top book on Sicily. thedigitalpilgrimage.wordpress.com/2025/07/21/s...

"There are languages in which the words ‘past,’ “present,’ or “future” do not exist. Would speakers of those languages perceive time—and therefore life, renewal, mortality or death—the same way as we do?" Wonderful words as always from Elif Shafak #booksky elifshafak.substack.com?r=33ri8i&utm...

"Independent publishers are dropping any problematic subjects and instead branching out into new areas, such as Asian cultures and art history. She sees this as “a form of ideological opposition and survival in this totalitarian nightmare”." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The first unmanned flying weapon was launched over a century ago – the full implications of that flight are only now being understood ✏️ Tom Arms & Greg Treverton

Really looking forward to George Saunders' new book in Jan 2026 in which he considers how certain politicians and business people from the 1980s who worked hard to debunk the science around climate change, might be feeling now. #booksky

Advert for a dentist in Exmouth.