Many many thank-yous to @alcs.co.uk - my payout is not huge but is a great help ❤️

Nine regional and country winners of The British Book Awards 2026 (#Nibbies) Independent Bookshop of the Year have been revealed today, all with a "through-line of energy, innovation, entrepreneurship" ✨ Read more here 👉 www.thebookseller.com/news/...

We ❤️ bookshops: where imagination can take flight 🚀 This World Book Day, we're thrilled to discuss the magic of bookshops with Hugh Bonneville, star of Paddington and author of Rory Sparkes and the Elephant in the Room! 🐘📕✨ @pgwells.bsky.social @hungerfordbookshop.bsky.social #BackstoryBooks

£22.78 to go to hit my fundraising target for BookTrust and a long run to do this morning. Can I get there before I get back? 🤔 www.justgiving.com/page/helen-t... #kidlituk

Helen in Wonderland's London Marathon for BookTrust

Help Helen Tamblyn-Saville raise money to support BookTrust

justgiving.com

There's a photo of me as a baby in the arms of Ruth Madoc in her Hi-De-Hi costume.

Bolt451. He's Our Bastard ❤️@bolt451.bsky.social · last yr.

Right folks. Feeling rather down at the moment so bringing back an oldie Please Quote this with your most minor celebrity interaction

If you're a National Trust member, it's that time of year again: Midnight tonight is the deadline. It's a shame people have to keep doing this to keep a toehold on historical truth in this country, but here we are. Voting link: www.nationaltrust.org.uk/who-we-are/a...

From the paper of record to the bulletin board for embarrassing middle aged people who cooked their brains online

The Times and Sunday Times@thetimes.com · last yr.

James Farquharson, 53, said that the book The Hate U Give ‘promotes partisan political views’ about race and GCSE students are being ‘brainwashed’

BIG YES to all of these!

Louie Stowell@louiestowell.bsky.social · last yr.

My children's books of the year so far since you didn't ask are Boss of the Underword by Tor Freeman, Donut Squad by @neillcameron.bsky.social and Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson and @dansantat.bsky.social. The latter is a picture book so those recs cover 3-12 year olds, you're welcome.

People love it

All famines are man-made, all famines are political. Historians of empire and humanitarianism have known this forever. Gaza is not starving, Gaza is being starved, by Israel, and this starvation is enabled by our government and by every other government that does not step in to force food and aid.

Happy St Swithun's Day from Winchester, where the cathedral bells have been busy already. Weather report here is there's been some gentle rain overnight, and now it's a lovely sunny morning but not too hot. Fingers crossed for the next 40 days

I can't donate any more - if you can, please do! It's such a great way to show some love to our fellow humans.

Humanists UK@humanists.uk · last yr.

With NHS blood stocks critically low, your donation could be the difference between life and death for three patients – whether it's a child needing surgery, a mother facing complications in childbirth, or someone fighting cancer. Please, consider giving blood. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I don't 'refuse to use' AI, I just don't use AI; in the same way that I don't shoplift, or plagiarise other people's books - it requires no effort of will, it's just not something I would think of doing

Dr Keith 🎃 Wilson@keithwilson.eu · last yr.

Bizarrely framed article about the people (all women) who ‘refuse to use AI’. And a #philosophy professor who says “The moment to opt out of #AI has already passed”. Oh well. That’s that then. 🤷‍♂️ #AIEthics www.bbc.com/news/article...

I once again find myself wondering what this country would look like today if the Green Party had been given even half the media attention that Farage’s various vanity projects got over the last ten years.

🧵NOT BY ME, this is a post from someone who wants to remain anonymous but works extensively with trans people pre-transition. They were asked by someone “why do you think that’s so much [coverage of trans people] in the news at the moment?” This was their response:

I know some excellent trans & nonbinary people so I care directly about their rights... and it also took a couple of really open face to face conversations with excellent cis friends to get to my current perspective on the 'debate' on trans rights.

Sandy Ernest Allen@sandyernestallen.bsky.social · last yr.

cis folks, i'm curious for you to share answers, if you want: what made you start caring about trans rights? who'd you know/what happened? tell me the story.

Today, we'll be joining the @societyofauthors.bsky.social outside Meta's offices to protest the use of pirated works to train their AI models. Join us if you can! More info: societyofauthors.org/2025/04/03/u...

Just looked at this database. 7 of my books have been stolen by Meta for their AI database. In 1842 my greatx3 grandfather called for an International Copyright Law to prevent his works being pirated. Now we have that law, yet once again authors are experiencing theft. @societyofauthors.bsky.social

Dr Emma Byrne@sciwriby.bsky.social · 2y ago

@societyofauthors.bsky.social Have you seen the Atlantic's database of work stolen by Meta to train its AI? I just found a lot of my work listed. Members might like to check for their own: www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

Doing the last minute World Book Day costume panic... for myself. Sorted the 6yo's costume days ago and just realised today that I need one for me too 🫠

Finally got round to responding to this government 'consultation'. Now feeling eve crosser about generative AI, if that were possible.

ALCS@alcs.co.uk · 2y ago

The Government is considering allowing AI companies to freely use your works, unless you opt-out. This is unfair and unworkable. Now is your chance to tell them what you think! Submit a response to their AI consultation using the guidance below. www.alcs.co.uk/news/your-ri...

Piranesi shouldn't be on a shelf, it should be on a plinth in the centre of every bookshop, bathed by the glow of a warm, soft spotlight, and when you are wise enough to ask for a copy to purchase, everyone else in the shop should break into applause and offer you champagne and Malteasers

CL Hellisen@clhellisen.com · 2y ago

While I was waiting for my work meeting, I was in waterstones browsing, and it really amazes me how books are shelved. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Piranesi - regular fiction The Scarlet Gospels - Clive Barker in SFF The Book Eaters and Camp Damascus in Horror Like....yeah, no.

why are you making me watch a video

erika@yeeeerika.bsky.social · 2y ago

i don't want to hear your most boomer complaint. what's your most millennial complaint?

I wrote here about playgroups, and the playschool I chair as the last remaining hold out of an anarchic, feminist moment from the 1970s which has lasted til the present day emilybaughan.substack.com/p/of-church-... but the early years funding crisis has come for us too and we look set to close 💔

Of church halls and custard creams

or, the strange disappearance of community playgroups

emilybaughan.substack.com

This book is great - I found it seriously disturbing, my 11yo enjoyed it (I am a wimp)

Dan Smith@dansmithauthor.bsky.social · 2y ago

2025 is the year the Night House Files are made public. First file: The Deadsoul Project. Coming on 13th Feb. It's the truth they didn't want you to know ...

Like the vast majority of parents, I don’t need to use your calculator tool to work out the answer to this question.

Absolutely sick and tired of Hilary Mantel being dead.

Look. It's fascism. It's trans-national, systematic, networked, fascism. They mean it.They're not joking. What are you going to do?

Happy winter solstice ☀️ The sun has risen on the shortest day of the year, and it now begins its long journey back towards summer. With each day we'll see the light strengthen as the hours grow longer, and the world starts yet another cycle through the seasons.