Confessions (2025) -- a film! open.substack.com/pub/adamsmyt...

Confessions (2025)

In September 2025, I invited friends and family members to record themselves reading a 20-second passage from Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Confessions (1782).

open.substack.com

Hooray to @thespectator1828.bsky.social and to Frances Wilson for nominating THE BOOK GAME, by elusive but deserving (and unrelated) Frances Wise, as a Book of the Year for 2025! @4thestatebooks.bsky.social @chloehouston.bsky.social

We are delighted to host a major international symposium occasioned by the publication of 'Literature and Learning: A History of English Studies in Britain' by Stefan Collini ⏰Thurs 30 Oct 2025, 2-7pm 📍Senate House, London The event is free to attend BOOK NOW ⤵️ ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...

The History of English Studies in Britain: a Symposium

ies.sas.ac.uk

Warwickshire friends, please come to Waterstones Leamington Spa next Thursday and hear me and @adamwithbooks.bsky.social talk about The Book Game - I’d love to see you! Tickets via the link below, or message me. www.waterstones.com/events/in-co...

For one day only! The Book Game on Kindle for just 99p!

'Bacon’s utopian scientists have achieved miracles: they create artificial rain, snow and meteors.' Chloë Houston on a scientific utopia admired by tech bros today

Wisdom of Salomon

the-tls.com

Thanks to the brilliant Frances Wilson (author of Electric Spark: The Enigma of Muriel Spark) for these kind words about THE BOOK GAME @chloehouston.bsky.social @4thestatebooks.bsky.social

bookanista.com/frances-wise...

Writers behaving badly

Inside the minds of writing duo Adam Smyth and Chloe Houston, about the creation of their debut mystery The Book Game, jointly written as Frances Wise.

bookanista.com

Here "we" are -- that is, the two sides of Frances Wise -- signing THE BOOK GAME at beautiful Goldsboro Books off Charing Cross Road. Fast work. We got through a *lot*. @goldsborobooks.bsky.social @chloehouston.bsky.social

Just finished the excellent The Book Game by Frances Wise. Highly recommend. Witty, observant, nicely satirical, knowing without being arch. Bravo, @adamwithbooks.bsky.social @chloehouston.bsky.social

The Book Game is out today! Available in all good bookshops… @adamwithbooks.bsky.social

Out one week today!

adamsmyth.substack.com/p/novel

Novel!

With my friend Chloë Houston, I’ve written a novel and it’s about to be published.

adamsmyth.substack.com

Could *you* construct an ideal society? 🛠️ 🌇 Craft your perfect world using past visions of utopias in art & literature at @chloehouston.bsky.social's stand The Utopia Experiment at the #CommunityFestival2025 Find out more about the festival! 🔗 rdg.ac/3AUYDdZ

And beyond delighted that the hardback of The Book Game has landed 💥💚🦚🌳 Out June 5th. @adamwithbooks.bsky.social @4thestatebooks.bsky.social

Delighted to have our edited collection in my hands today! Huge thanks to Laetitia Sansonetti, our series editor, and our commissioning editor Guy Carney at Brepols - and to our brilliant (and patient) contributors. And from me to my co-editors Ladan and Sophie, super colleagues both.

Thanks very much to Tolhurst organic farm for having me over on Thursday to talk about utopias and the land. The first time I have discussed More’s men-eating sheep in close proximity to the real thing. #TheUtopiaExperiment #NotAllSheep

Out 5th June, delighted to see The Book Game in @thetimes.com & looks like we have a new subtitle #shagginginthefolly

Adam Smyth@adamwithbooks.bsky.social · last yr.

#shagginginthefolly in @thetimes.com

It was a pleasure to deliver a keynote talk at the inaugural interdisciplinary symposium of the Utopia Experiment at the University of Reading yesterday! Special thanks to @chloehouston.bsky.social for the kind invitation. A great variety of papers and thought-provoking discussions!

Thank you to all of our fantastic speakers at the Utopia symposium today, especially our keynotes @atasoyemrah.bsky.social and Chris Coates, talking here about his experience of living in communes & intentional communities. An inspiring day 😊

We are thrilled to be welcoming Dr Emrah Atasoy and Chris Coates to deliver keynote addresses at the inaugural symposium of The Utopia Experiment tomorrow at the University of Reading! Join us in Chancellors G04 or online (DM for link).

Dr Emrah Atasoy@atasoyemrah.bsky.social · last yr.

I am looking forward to contributing to the interdisciplinary Utopia Symposium at the University of Reading tomorrow! Thank you for the kind invitation @chloehouston.bsky.social! An important initiative: The Utopia Experiment! @uni-of-warwick.bsky.social @utopianstudpsu.bsky.social

Accidentally walked into an Eric Ravilious painting today and it was magic.

Delighted to be speaking at the 2025 Ceræ conference on Dreams, Visions and Utopias on 26 & 27 April. Do come or have a listen later. (And how marvellous is this detail from Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights?😍)

Ceræ@ceraejournal.bsky.social · last yr.

We're delighted to announce the speakers for the 2025 Ceræ conference! @chloehouston.bsky.social from the University of Reading and @jkeskiah.bsky.social from the University of Helsinki will give keynote speeches on April 26 and 27. We are so glad to have them! ceraejournal.com/conference-i...

Thanks for having me @memorients.bsky.social for this guest post on the material text in early modern European travel writing about Persia.

Medieval and Early Modern Orients (MEMOs)@memorients.bsky.social · last yr.

A special treat for you today! Guest blogger Dr Chloë Houston writes on Persian literary culture in early modern European travel writing: memorients.com/articles/not...

In a turn-up for the books, the Telegraph makes the case for English and Humanities degrees. What next, Brussels sprouts voting for Xmas? @englishassociation.bsky.social @royalhistsoc.bsky.social

Reports of English literature’s death have been greatly exaggerated

The rise of AI is making a degree in humanities more valuable than ever

telegraph.co.uk

#newbook A book with a cover that is similar to one that I loved in the past, raises my expectations of that new book. I love finding covers that have a similar theme, it makes we wonder what is in the pages to compare The Book Game by Frances Wise is coming from 4th Estate Books 13/3/2025

I think this is one of the most important pieces of work @englishassociation.bsky.social has done. Thanks to the inspiring teachers who joined the conversation, & Dr Rebecca Fisher, @bobeaglestone.bsky.social, the Globe. Enjoy reading it! englishassociation.ac.uk/summit-on-th...

Summit on the Reform of the English GCSEs: report and recommendations | The English Association

We support the teaching, learning, and enjoyment of English at all levels of education, from early years to further and higher education and beyond.

englishassociation.ac.uk

I thought I would spend this wet windy December day writing about an artefact we found in our little church which led us on a journey of discovery about the ancient custom of Maiden's Garlands. It all started just as the first lockdown was announced....... a🧵

It’s Black Friday! It is traditional to do some shopping on Black Friday, but also it’s a good day to protest consumer capitalism, so why not do both and pre-order my new novel (on discount today) at an indie? 🤝 uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

The Book Game a book by Frances Wise.

A group of old friends reunite for an idyllic week-long retreat. By Friday, their lives will never be the same again… In August, eight friends gather at a house in the Cambridgesh...

uk.bookshop.org