Make mine an alcohol-free Martini Vibrante and Oleada Fizzy-Blanc spritz…
Katy Derbyshire
@katyderbyshire.bsky.social
Literary translator from German to English, occasional publisher, Berlin lover, appreciator of wallets on chains. She/her. Photo © Nane Diehl
Bummer. I’m off alcohol for three months, including my big anthology launch and the Frankfurt Book Fair. I will think of wholesome ways to celebrate things, but first I’m having a brief sulk.
When Bridget Phillipson said her transphobic EHRC “guidance” is to “protect (cis)women”, she was lying translucent.org.uk/four-years-s...
Four Years, Seven Surveys, Four Complaints: What Our FOI Data Actually Shows
Four Years, Seven Surveys, Four Complaints: What our FOI data actually shows about trans women using single sex spaces.
translucent.org.uk
My sweet lovely son just checked in to say he wasn’t one of the people killed or injured at Berlin’s Pride. What a hideous feeling, that your loved ones or your community might be a target of violent hatred. Sending love to everyone scared for friends and family out there.
I went to the Perlentaucher website and remembered pretty quickly why I dislike it. It seems like many of the non-summary articles are grumpy dudes putting words into the mouths of people on the left, accusing Sally Rooney of supporting H*mas, etc.
In Sachen Verlagspreis, wo Weimer versucht, das Prinzip der unabhängigen Jury zu untergraben: Die Verlage sind jung und brauchen das Geld; für mögliche Jurymitglieder sieht es allerdings anders aus. www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/weime...
Weimer ändert Verfahren beim Deutschen Verlagspreis: Minister wird Preisträger auf Jury-Empfehlung selbst auswählen
Im Frühjahr gab es Kritik, als der Kulturstaatsminister drei linke Buchläden von einem Preis ausschloss. Bei einer anderen Auszeichnung ändert sich daher das Verfahren – und Weimer entscheidet selbst.
tagesspiegel.de
Apparently they picked my least favourite Berlin CDU dude as new mayoral candidate. Don’t fancy his chances much.
Max Czollek @maxczollek.bsky.social · 4w agoOk, statt Kai Wegner soll jetzt also offenbar Stefan Evers die Spitzenkandidatur übernehmen. Moment, ist der nicht gerade schon Finanz- und Kultursenator? Aber für wen Korruption ein normales Mittel der Politik ist, für den ist auch so was kein Problem. Evers, der Jared Kushner der CDU Berlin.
Very interesting and helpful on how one press has dealt with non-human submissions
isabella mori@moritherapy.bsky.social · 4w agoOur feminist mum banned us from listening to “Holding out for a Hero” because the lyrics were such bad advice for girls. I didn’t like to mention it before in case Bonnie Tyler read it.
I thought I was being clever, asking a male colleague how much he’d charge a particular publisher (probably more than a woman). He didn’t respond.
Für eine Studie* haben wir gefragt, ob man "wenn nötig große Immobilienkonzerne enteignen sollte, um gegen steigende Mieten vorzugehen". Deutschlandweit stimmte dem die Mehrheit zu (55%). Vergesellschaftung zu verbieten ist ein Schlag ins Gesicht der Bevölkerung, nicht nur der Berliner:innen.
They should call it the nominative determinism prize
The Booker Prizes@thebookerprizes.com · last mo.We're delighted to announce that Bukhman Philanthropies has made a generous commitment to fund the next 10 years of the International Booker Prize. In recognition of the decade-long commitment, the prize will be named the Bukhman International Booker Prize. Find out more:
Given the (strongly denied) story on Springer head Döpfner pressuring Merz to cooperate with the AfD, it would be good to keep an eye on the Telegraph’s approach to Reform.
Michael Savage@michaelsavage.bsky.social · last mo.NEW: Axel Springer says it is closing its acquisition of the Telegraph titles. Regulatory approval received - now says plans to build the titles in the US. Will it reposition as a Reaganite outlet on the centre right? Will its approach to Reform change? We’ll soon find out.
Switched too quickly between two books and now I violently dislike the new one. Maybe some other time.
I own a copy of the promo disc in this video (which gets a bit old-manish at the end but is otherwise good). The single is great! Every time I say or type “Hello there” I think “I’m Brian Matthew” youtu.be/tWVF8ZoQG7U?...
The Golden Age Of The SATURDAY NIGHT SUIT
YouTube video by The Overlooked Hotel
youtu.be
Genuinely scary UK TV from the days of the fold-out television watched cross-legged on the scratchy brown carpet of the school library.
Scarred For Life@scarredforlife.bsky.social · last mo.The pure, uncut hauntology of Programmes for Schools and Colleges
Sharing these again, for those interested in, translation, German, queer fiction, East German literature, books! ... Both events on next week at the TCD translation center on Fenian Street (couple of doors up from The Gingerman pub).
Siobhán Dowling@siobhandowling.bsky.social · 2mo agoTwo (free) Dublin events coming up soon featuring Berlin-based translator Lucy Jones. 1. German Translation Slam www.tickettailor.com/events/tclct... 2. A talk with Frank Wynne about the East German queer novel, Ronald M. Schernikau’s SMALLTOWN-NOVELLA www.tickettailor.com/events/tclct...
Also, it’s beautiful there and I read Flann O’Brien’s The Dalkey Archive and walked the Vico Road for myself. Presumably much changed since 1964.
Also, saw Willy Vlautin and pedal steel player David Murphy making beautiful sounds, Wendy Erskine and Claire Adams reading, and was “in conversation“ with Ivana Sajko in a Masonic lodge.
I led a joyful workshop at Dalkey Book Festival yesterday, casting light on literary translation with an amazing multilingual group of punters.
I keep meeting amazing people from @heistberlin.bsky.social — a newish worker-owned English-language local journalism platform in Berlin. And I really like their news and the whole project’s tone and language. So I signed up to become an accomplice (aka subscriber) and help steal the media back.
When utilized in literature review, LLMs consistently 1. fail to mention female authors in female-led literatures, 2. insist that men are more influential or more heavily cited when this is contradicted by objective citation counts, and 3. attribute women’s work to hallucinated male scholars.
Oh, btw, we’re looking for women saxophone and trombone players, maybe also trumpet, for a band project in Berlin. Playing late-50s r’n’b, jump blues and early ska.
We went to a secret gig by a small-time band I have loved since 1992. It was in a bar, where the pun-rock regulars just carried on playing dominoes around the edges while the tightly packed crowd danced. The brass section were wearing fab purple polyester suits with red shirts and diamanté lapels.
Just found a massive NF graffiti in a Berlin club. The staff were as shocked as I was, said they’d deal with it. But Jesus.
Sad to lose this actor, from Nescafé Gold (?) to friend to trans fans.
The Abominable Dr. Vibes@asterionhex.monster · 2mo agoIn case nobody has posted this btw. Jpg is cruddy but alt text has the text
