‘The world is burning. Fascism is rising. Countries are falling. And we’re on the brink of incredible technological change, which will either be the end of everything or a new beginning. So, who needs artists?’ We do 🧡 www.theguardian.com/books/2025/a...

‘Right now, the trans and nonbinary community is fighting many of the same tabloid lies and legal obstacles thrown at lesbians, gay men and bisexuals since for ever. We are unnatural, we are a danger to children, we spy on you in toilets.‘ On solidarity, Pride and visibility.

Damian Barr@damianbarr.bsky.social · 3d ago

I wrote about Berlin and Pride and solidarity, especially within our community. I hope it helps. observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

ICYMI. 🧡 🌈 ❤️

Damian Barr@damianbarr.bsky.social · 3d ago

I wrote about Berlin and Pride and solidarity, especially within our community. I hope it helps. observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

I wrote about Berlin and Pride and solidarity, especially within our community. I hope it helps. observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

Damian Barr: I can’t say if it’s safe to march at Pride. I know it’s dangerous not to

Last week’s fatal attack in Berlin is the latest in a long line of tragedies that the LGBTQ+ community has had to overcome. Speaking out and standing together is vital

observer.co.uk

I wrote about Berlin and Pride and solidarity, especially within our community. I hope it helps. observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

Damian Barr: I can’t say if it’s safe to march at Pride. I know it’s dangerous not to

Last week’s fatal attack in Berlin is the latest in a long line of tragedies that the LGBTQ+ community has had to overcome. Speaking out and standing together is vital

observer.co.uk

Pride day here in Brighton! SPF, equality and joy for all!

Also deploying the same phrase! We have the technology.

Colin Alexander@colinalexander.bsky.social · 5d ago

OMG I’d forgotten about about the Tefal Eggheads 🤪 youtu.be/2r7XfhTKRMw?...

Mystery solved, I think.

Sandra Love@hellosandralove.bsky.social · 5d ago

Could it be an old Rumbelows ad?

I work at a public library. People who want to use AI seem to have no trouble doing so. People who don't want to use AI have a harder time. I crowdsourced and then finalized this document "How to disable or avoid intrusive AI" and then gave it a short URL: notoai.org Please pass along if it's useful

Was there a tv advert in the 1980s / 1990s with the slogan ‘we have the technology’. I seem to remember it but can’t find it and now wonder if it was a slogan in a fictional show?

Brighton Pride this weekend and every train brings a fresh tide of lgbtq+ loveliness. Welcome all!

This is going to make it very difficult to know which sports we should ban them from.

Kat Kerlin@katkerlin.bsky.social · last wk.

Some avocados are female in the morning and male in the afternoon, while others are on the opposite schedule. This helps them avoid self-pollination. How do they do it? A @ucdavis.bsky.social study explains. www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/st...

I will not give up on the em dash—I won’t.

Manisha Krishnan@manishakrishnan.bsky.social · last wk.

Authors and journalists are doing more first-person (hello 2010s blogging) and embracing "mistakes" in writing to prove they're not chatbots. There's even an “anti-Grammarly" app that leaves in typos and signs off "sent from my iPhone" to create more authenticity: www.wired.com/story/more-t...

this will be good

Katherine Mendelsohn@katherinemend.bsky.social · last wk.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/widening-t...

Go feast on some gorgeous queer art by two men who weren't born into money and who paved the way for so much of what we sometimes take for granted today. www.nottinghamcastle.org.uk/tworoberts/

Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun : Artists, Lovers, Outsiders - Nottingham Castle

Saturday 2nd May - Sunday 6th September 2026

nottinghamcastle.org.uk

Susan E Barsby@susanebarsby.bsky.social · last wk.

Spent the morning at Nottingham Castle, as I finished reading The Two Roberts yesterday. Lovely to see it all in real life! Beautiful exhibition and I loved the book. 💙

VERY excited about fancy paperback launch in Scotland via @bookmonger.bsky.social with the brilliant @nicolameighan.bsky.social It will be an evening of joys! All events listed here www.damianbarr.com/events

Events — Damian Barr

Damian Barr is an award-winning writer and broadcaster. He is the author of the memoir Maggie & Me and the novel You Will Be Safe Here. He presents the Big Scottish Book Club on BBC Scotland and BBC ...

damianbarr.com

Back to my desk today and working up to getting back to my novel by sharing some news/weeding neighbour's garden/being avoidant. Events! Come and see me with the brilliant James Cahill @foylesforbooks.bsky.social @canongate.co.uk www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-two-ro...

THE TWO ROBERTS: Damian Barr in Conversation with James Cahill

Award-winning writer Damian Barr visits Foyles to celebrate the paperback release of his newest book 'The Two Roberts' with James Cahill.

eventbrite.co.uk

150,000 marched yesterday in London for trans rights. Opened the Sky News app. Scrolled and scrolled. Nothing. BBC News app. Nothing. Guardian app. Nothing. This is what actual silencing looks like.

A very good time to read Cavafy's poem Ithaca (this version translated by the great Daniel Mendelsohn)

Penguin Random failed to register copyright for three of my seven titles with them, despite their contractual obligation to do so, which has done me out of $4500. That is a tiny number compared to some. Publishers have seriously let down their authors. They should use this money to make it right.

Official birthday portrait. Still celebrating. No plans to stop. 🎂 PS it’s made of Terry towelling and channeling Angela Lansbury’s fitness video.

In other news, I am about to celebrate a big birthday. So many times i never thought i’d get here. But here I am spinning around the sun with you all. Thanks and love and joy! ☀️ ❤️ 📕 🌈 🖼️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Queer teen heroes! Good dogs! A hidden history…. Thanks for listening to Operation Rex.

Damian Barr@damianbarr.bsky.social · 4w ago

All this week I’ve had a new fiction serial on R4 about a young gay boy trying to save his dog and the world. It’s called Operation Rex. And people have been listening WITH THEIR DOGS! www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

This goes far, far beyond s28. Hateful and harmful. The opposite of what school need and is supposed to be.

Zack Polanski@zackpolanski.bsky.social · 3w ago

On the 5th August, the EHRC's Code of Practice becomes statutory guidance. It will make life even harder for many trans & non-binary people. It's unworkable & harmful. The Good Law Project is challenging & wants to hear from people affected by these exclusions. goodlawproject.org/discriminato...

Saladin in 1189:

Katelyn Burns@katelynburns.com · 3w ago

The English crosses are weak

Hatred of AI now reaching the level of cultural consensus that becomes attractive to advertisers

Applications for the 2027 New Writers Awards are now open! Our year-long mentoring programme supports new writers to hone their skills. You'll receive a £2,500 cash award, a week at Moniack Mhor, and the chance to showcase work to publishers and agents 📚 Closing date - Wed 29 July

Thread: You may be aware of the far right idea of cancel culture - where, for eg, they incite violence against a gay man & say they have the right to free speech & its 😱 cancel culture!? Actually what they want to do is end your free speech but that even includes ending your native language! [1]

So great that you can now get audiobooks on @bookshop.org @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social Michael Abubakar does a fantastic job of bringing to life Bobby and Robert and all their pals. You can slip into his gorgeous audio world - and support indie bookshops - here: uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

The Two Roberts

SHORTLISTED FOR THE NERO BOOK AWARD FOR FICTION 2025A BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK A BEST FICTION BOOK OF 2025 FOR THE GUARDIAN, THE OBSERVER, THE HERALD AND THE BBC'Crackles with creative rebellion' DO...

uk.bookshop.org

This is horrifying. Yet is barely making third or fourth item on the news. Which says everything about news values and climate denialism in this country.

The National@scotnational.bsky.social · 3w ago

More than 2700 people died from heat-related causes during May and June’s record hot spells in England and Wales, experts have estimated