Very exciting pre-order post today (not least because it’s not officially out until next Thursday!). I’ve been looking forward to being able to read this for ages.

THE GREAT BEYOND Ruby, the daughter of a celebrated 1930s spirit medium, falls in love with the man trying to debunk her mother and must make a life-changing decision about who – and what – to believe. 🕯️Upmarket #HF 🕯️Faith vs illusion vs fraud 🕯️Knotty mother–daughter relationship #QuestPit #Q

Today the order banning #PalestineAction as "terrorists" came into effect. But they are not terrorists. They are protesters trying to stop a genocide. This is a "first they came for ..." situation. Unless we stand in solidarity against this assault on our freedom, they will pick us off one by one.

Highly recommend this book!

Katie Lumsden@katiejlumsden.bsky.social · last yr.

Psst – The Trouble with Mrs Montgomery Hurst is 99p only on ebook right now in the UK, on Amazon, Kobo and Apple 🥳 Amazon: www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0CD... Kobo: www.kobo.com/gb/en/ebook/... Apple: books.apple.com/gb/book/the-...

The sun is shining, I’m feeling reasonably okay and I’ve got big plans for the next few scenes in my novel redraft. So, I’ve decided to preemptively name today a Very Good Writing Day. Who’s with me?!

I cried reading this letter to @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social and @ashleydaltonmp.bsky.social. Please, please fund the plan, people with ME/CFS have waited too long already. A huge thank you to Tessa Munt and the other 71 LibDem MPs for this much-appreciated and much-needed support.

Tessa Munt MP 🔶@tessamunt.bsky.social · last yr.

So delighted that all 72 LibDem MPs signed this letter to @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social @ashleydaltonmp.bsky.social asking the govt to back the ME/CFS Delivery Plan with the resources it deserves. May this be a huge encouragement to the ME community and the start of meaningful change. #WorldMEDay

A vague whim and an impulse Ebay purchase later, and I seem to have started a new collection of old photographs. (I also seem to have written about it over on Substack).

On a New Collection of Old Things

Or, on how I came to be the owner of a box of vintage faces.

open.substack.com

I have acquired this fascinating little booklet from 1935, filled with all manner of things that were considered ‘general information’ at the time of publication.

For reasons I’m not entirely clear on, I’ve taken an unplanned 7 month hiatus from my Substack. But! I read back through it this afternoon, remembered I’m actually rather proud of it, and have tentatively started writing a new post. …hopefully it will not take me another 7 months to publish it.

I have had to talk myself out of a research rabbit hole about how telegrams worked. But! I did come across a great (unrelated to my novel!) anecdote about Spike Milligan, who, when holed up in his attic writing room, used to send telegrams to his wife downstairs, requesting cups of tea.

Pretty sickened by UK's Supreme Court 🤮 So I'm opening my submission inbox to unagented trans authors in the UK until the END OF APRIL. I'm not currently open to general subs BUT if you're a trans author writing folk horror, weird, experimental, mystery, literary/upmkt fiction, take a look below 👇

Today's news really does show how important trans voices are, and I would encourage any UK based trans authors who have horror books on sub to get in touch with me. I want to read your work.

Today’s Supreme Court ruling is deeply shameful. I want to live in a world that’s becoming more tolerant, not one that’s rolling backwards. Sending solidarity to trans people today and everyday.

In world’s-slowest-doll’s-house-project news, this weekend I have finished painting the railings and have attached them to the pavement.

Keep writing, keep creating, keep making art.

Damian Barr@damianbarr.bsky.social · 2y ago

To anyone struggling to make their art: THEY WANT YOU TO STOP WRITING/PAINTING/MAKING. They fear our rich inner lives, beyond even their reach. They fear our revolutionary fantasies, our ungovernable and unprofitable thoughts. Yes, the obstacles are greater than ever. So is the need.

Raising an imaginary glass to myself this afternoon for officially passing the dramatic midpoint of my novel draft just in time for the children’s Easter break. Let me know if you’d like me to raise my imaginary glass to you, too!

Thank you to the many people protesting alongside The Society of Authors today about Meta’s theft of authors’ work. Have you signed the petition yet? #DoTheWriteThing

The Society of Authors@societyofauthors.bsky.social · 2y ago

Thank you to everyone who has signed the petition which now stands at 10,000+! If you haven't added your name, #DoTheWriteThing -

Last year, I wrote the very first lines of a new novel project just as the daffodils were coming into bloom. A year later, the daffodils are back, and I’m half way through a third draft of that same project. Feels like great progress.

I had a birthday this week and celebrated with flowers, cake, lovely friends, and painting pottery in my kitchen.

Open letter in response to Meta's use of pirated material to train its AI. Authors, writers, creatives, please sign & share! forms.gle/1qebKTV6o7Au...

Open letter in response to Meta's use of pirated material to train its AI

In light of the recent revelation that Meta used millions of pirated books to train its AI, we are writing to express our deep concern about this alleged unfair and unauthorised use of our copyrighted...

forms.gle

It’s Friday, the sun is shining and I’m about to edit a scene about a psychical researcher visiting a young woman who claims to be being bothered by a poltergeist.

Writers! When you’re putting a synopsis together, do you capitalise the first instance of each character’s name? I haven’t done previously, but I read something recently by an agent/editor who said it makes synopses easier to read.

We’ve been so moved seeing the #FundThePlan videos over the past few weeks. Now, we want to get our call to #FundThePlan out far and wide. Here’s a little something we’ve put together for the campaign. We’d love your help making some noise with it 🙏

Hayley’s comics about her experience as a cancer patient are so emotionally striking & important. I particularly resonate with this piece about the NHS and how we shouldn’t let our gratefulness stop us striving for better care (or, in the case of many people with ME, literally any care at all.)

Hayley Gullen@hayleygullen.com · 2y ago

The way we talk about the NHS in this country is so frustrating. Nurses and doctors are apparently infallible saintlike/godlike figures. We know that’s not true. And we all say how grateful we are for it incessantly. While being aware it’s not fit for purpose. 1/7 #cansky

Today’s unexpected research rabbit hole: the history of intercom systems for flats. (If you’re interested — from what I can tell — they originated as tube-based systems in the late 19th century.)

On World Book Day a few years ago, my youngest dressed up as a character from a gorgeous picture book written & illustrated by a friend of a friend. I sent the author a photo of my daughter’s costume on Instagram and she sent a super nice message back.

Shouldn’t there be a name for the unsettling and deeply modern phenomena of looking at the changes made to your old home on RightMove?!

There is an awful lot to worry about in the world at the moment, but today I’m trying to focus on the good. So, the sun is shining, I’m wearing my favourite t-shirt and my friend came over with fondant fancies. (Oh, and the writing is going well, too!)

The energy I bring to Bluesky

a woman yawning while reading a book that says yeah

Alt: a woman yawning while reading a book on the sofa.

media.tenor.com

Big Bearded Spookseller@bigbeardedbookseller.com · 2y ago

The energy I bring to Bluesky

Knitting progress! I’m hoping to actually finish knitting the sleeves before the end of sweater weather.