Grief is the weirdest beast, because yesterday I found a handwritten recipe of my grandma's and I spent a solid 2 hours just full-on weeping about the fact that she'd underlined the words 'French Apple Slices' with a wiggly line, and very carefully left a space for the tails of the 'pp'

Having one of those weeks where I really miss the writing community on Twitter. I will never return to that hellscape, but so many people are still active over there, and it feels like crickets here. Ho hum.

I'm in no means advocating for the return of the death penalty, but my adjoining neighbours have spent all day from 7.30am shouting at their dog, which won't stop barking for more than 10 minutes at a time, and are now loudly putting up shelves AT DINNER TIME along the wall of my kitchen... crimes

Interested in entering #Discoveries2026? Last chance to sign up for our Your Novel: How to Get Started webinar. Taking place tomorrow night, Thurs 30 Oct, 7.00pm to 8.30pm (UK time). Learn how to write a great opening & uncover what the Discoveries 2026 judges are looking for. More details below 🧵

Your Novel: How to Get Started Webinar | Discoveries 2026

Get advice on how to write a great novel opening that will hook the judges and start preparing your submission to Discoveries 2026.

curtisbrowncreative.co.uk

I wish Llŷr Powell a very happy fuck off into the sun

This is an utterly nonsensical way to report the really relieving news that Plaid Cymru, a party which espouses all sorts of liberal values including trans rights, etc. (and which isn't even mentioned in this headline!!!) won the election by a 47% landslide, well ahead of Reform as well as Labour.

Atrios@eschatonblog.com · 10mo ago

Amazing

Made paneer, made paneer koftas, ate paneer, became paneer

NEW: Police knew a Kremlin spy ring recruited former leader of Reform Wales at least 3 years ago. So why was Nathan Gill not charged till Feb this year? Pls read part 2 of @thenerve.news special investigation into Nathan Gill. And please share! 1/

Reform candidate visibly squirms as he's confronted by a local family in Caerphilly.

Best for Britain@bestforbritain.org · 10mo ago

👏 "We've lived here all our lives. And I have never felt so unwelcome in my own hometown as I do since your party came into Caerphilly." "With all the rhetoric that you bring in, I have to say to my sons, please don't go there. Please don't do this." "I blame you for that."

How it started vs. How it's going I was a kid who wanted to be a knight, fighting for equality in an unequal world. I think I've done that 💚

In honour of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand: File corrupted: attempt retrieval?

Air and Nothingness Press@aanpress.bsky.social · 10mo ago

In honour of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand: The backup drive failed

Just a reminder: Freydis Moon is not a Mexican author. They are a a white person pretending to be Latinx. Do not give them any money. And yes they have a new book about to drop in the middle of Latinx heritage month.

I don't generally believe in signs from the universe, BUT the day after my grandma died, I went to my local secondhand bookshop and found a book I've been looking for for years, which isn't even published or distributed in the UK. theglobalwomenslibrary.wordpress.com/2025/09/29/a...

Angola: That Hair, by Djamilia Pereira de Almeida

A novel about dual Angolan and Portuguese identity, told through the narrator’s relationship over her lifetime with her hair.

theglobalwomenslibrary.wordpress.com

My grandma just died and fucking hell, fucking hell.

It is my honor and privilege to announce my second novel—THE WITCH AND THE HUNTRESS, a sapphic reimagining of the Argonautica focused on Medea and Atalanta preorder here: bit.ly/3VyYS8R

The Witch and the Huntress

Two of Greek mythology’s most complex and powerful women—Medea and Atalanta—join forces on Jason’s quest for the Golden Fleece in this suspenseful, sapphic ...

bit.ly

When I wrote the final SIR CALLIE book, I had to imagine the very worst Peran's world could be--a world where no one is immune to his whims and tempers; where his most dedicated are treated with as little humanity as his enemies. Where the world and the war are just a game for his own entertainment.

Today is a day when I keep needing to have little tactical cries because my grandma is still on end of life care, deterioriating, and I just love her so much!!!!!! She's so cute!!!!! I just want to wrap her up in a little blanket and keep her safe forever and ever!!!! Oh gosh!!!

Achievement unlocked: this girl was physically pushing past everyone to be the one to get on the train first, and I ended up sitting near her, so I gave her a single disapproving glare that was apparently so withering, so vitriolic, so full of disappointment and irritation, that she moved seats

File this under we told you so.

Today, I received my third (bullshit) election communication from Reform regarding the Caerphilly by-election. To date, I've had nothing from Plaid. Reform is going to win this election because they're the only party communicating (bullshit) with voters. The complacency from others is staggering.

📚 BOOK GIVEAWAY! 📚 I've teamed up with some of the best and coolest queer historical romance writers for this awesome giveaway! Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell your enemies-to-lovers! Form to enter: forms.gle/2dJteRjXmLxm5FkR7

at the 2022 an post book awards John Boyne won an award and gave a speech in which he immediately complained about how many years it took for them to give him the award and then he spent 10 minutes reading bad internet reviews of his work. my reaction was captured.

Seeing folks say that the rise and normalisation of the alt-right in the UK is because of the US and while I think the UK’s fascists are taking a lot of inspiration by the US’s tactics and aesthetics, it would be really cool for you Brits to also own up to the fact that this shit is also homegrown.

My most recent entry in my challenge to read a book by a woman from every country in the world is Poland, for which I read a rediscovered book of lesbian short stories from 1925, because queer history is incredible: theglobalwomenslibrary.wordpress.com/2025/09/12/p...

Poland: Lesbian Love, by Chawa Zloczower / ‘Evelyn Addams’

A series of short stories about lesbian relationships and intimacy, first published in 1925 and considered lost for 74 years.

theglobalwomenslibrary.wordpress.com

Editing is going great, thanks for asking

Very bewildered to see my micro-collection LONDON WEIRD has made it into the top 50 of horror short stories! It's 0.99 for three dark and unsettling tales of modern-day London, also free on Amazon U - perfect lunch break reading 👀 amzn.eu/d/cEFSv3h

Let’s make one thing clear from the start: Charlie Kirk was the victim of a shooting in a country where he, along with other right-wing extremist influencers, have been inciting violence for years. — Kirk is neither a martyr nor a hero, he is a cause.

You can and should complain to Ofcom here: www.ofcom.org.uk/make-a-compl...

Make a complaint

Ofcom may be able to help you complain about or report issues relating to: phone, broadband and postal services; TV, radio and on-demand programmes; interference to wireless devices; or something you ...

ofcom.org.uk

Iain Roberts@slowbikeiain.bsky.social · 11mo ago

I don't think I can ever remember a more fawning piece about someone arrested for a criminal offence. No attempt to balance it with quotes from, or any information about, his victims. No attempt to spell out what he did, despite it all being in the public domain. Deeply depressing.