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Shona Kinsella

@shonak.bsky.social

Scottish fantasy and horror author. Chair of the British Fantasy Society. Avid Reader. Vaguely gothic. She/her www.shonakinsella.com

2296 Posts2185 Follower720 Folgt
Ursula K. Le Guin Bot@leguinbot.bsky.social · 2d ago

We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art, and very often in our art, the art of words.

Nettlecake@nettlecake.bsky.social · 2d ago

Brilliant letter from Stuart Thompson to Jeremy Clarkson about his comments that benefit claimants should write weekly thank you letters to tax payers detailing how they spend their benefits each week.

Alison Fisk@alisonfisk.bsky.social · 5d ago

A rare and fragile survival from Viking-age York! A delicate silk cap made of hand-spun, undyed silk, c. AD 875-950 Silk was an exotic material imported via a vast network of Viking trade routes. Found during excavations at Coppergate in 1980. Yorkshire Museum 📷 by me #FindsFriday #Archaeology

My photo shows a hood-shaped silk cap from Viking Age York displayed on a thin metal stand against a dark display case background at the Yorkshire Museum. It is made from a rectangle of hand-spun, undyed silk, and shaped at the back by a centre seam. The pale silk is yellowy-gold in colour with a shiny lustre. The edges have been neatened with fine hems. According to the museum, it was probably worn with ties to fasten it to the head, as it includes the remains of two groups of stitches with which to attach ties. The museum says that the silk cap was likely worn by a female Anglo-Scandinavian resident of York. Also that “Silk was incredibly rare in the Viking North because it was not made locally. Silk-weaving is a Chinese technology, but by the 10th-century, the practice had reached the Arabian Peninsula, the Byzantine Empire, and parts of North Africa and Spain. Silk used to make the cap was imported from one of these places. The fine, pale-toned material would have been recognised in the town as a highly expensive and exotic fashion item”.
CL Hellisen | Preorder The Shape of Monsters@clhellisen.com · last wk.

My weekly free Patreon post is up - featuring food, white peacocks, sad writer whinges, mentions of @emfaulds.com, and @shonak.bsky.social @ianthegreen.bsky.social @rainewilson.bsky.social, @rtorrubia.com's Leeds event www.patreon.com/thequietsun/...

Eat, Drink and Be Merry Because Tomorrow You Might Get Hit by a Lorry | CL Hellisen

The Week That Was Another super busy week that wasn't actually that productive? But I did make a LOT of salads, sides, and desserts for a fa

patreon.com

Hillary Monahan@hillarymonahan.bsky.social · last wk.

Nobody wants predictive data models to stop working for the people in medicine. Or translating ancient Pompeii texts. Or the other ways we were already using it. We want it to stop replacing workers, killing the environment, and stealing from artists. Hope that clarifies.

@olalonde.bsky.social AI cures cancer. Bluesky: actualky the AI didn't really cure cancer. Just predicted the next most likely word in a loop until a solution to cancer was extruded
Joyce (Wolf) Chng/Ch'ng 🐺 Wolf's Path is a finalist!@jolantru.bsky.social · last wk.

Ok, lemme see. Can I recoup my finances (whee!)? So, here's my Kofi link to Dragon Physician. It's 5 USD or more. ko-fi.com/s/d3c5a11209 Do help me signal boost this YA fantasy about dragonriders fighting a regime!

Dragon Physician - Joyce Chng's Ko-fi Shop

Can Jixin succeed in a world of dragon racing run by powerful women? Can he fight the system and fulfil his dream of becoming a dragon rider? Or does ...

ko-fi.com

Dr Stew Hotston (he/him)@stewarthotston.com · last wk.

A reminder that the FantasyCon banquet early bird tickets end on Friday. If you're coming and thinking of attending now's the time to buy. it's always a great time of celebrating the best of British genre fiction. Much recommend.

British Fantasy Society@britfantasysoc.bsky.social · last wk.

Early bird tickets for the Fantasycon banquet end on Friday so will go up to the full price of £50 on Saturday morning. Get yours now: britishfantasysociety.org/product/brit...

Raf ᘛ⁐̤ᕐᐷ@rtorrubia.com · last wk.

Hanging out with some of my faves for this one, really looking forward to it. AND, you can be one of the first folk to get a special embossed copy of The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver.

British Fantasy Society@britfantasysoc.bsky.social · last wk.

The BFS is excited to announce our next in-person Leeds event. Outwith Reality – Scottish Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror. Wed 26th Aug, 7pm. Waterstones, Leeds. Ticket: tinyurl.com/OutwithLeeds @katiebruce.bsky.social @ianthegreen.bsky.social @shonak.bsky.social @rtorrubia.com @rainewilson.bsky.social

Shown is a graphic of the Scottish flag (white cross on a blue background) with a green silhouette of Scotland and two black silhouettes of unicorns. Top right is the Waterstones logo, a black W on a white background. On the right and left of the top text box is the BFS logo, a white dragon design curling around the letters ‘BFS’. Photos: Katie Bruce (top left); Shona Kinsella (middle right), Ian Green (middle left); Rafael Torrubia (bottom left), Lorraine Wilson (bottom right). The text boxes read “The British Fantasy Society & Waterstones Leeds, Outwith Reality – Scottish Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror, Ian Green, Shona Kinsella, Rafael Torrubia, Lorraine Wilson, Katie Bruce (mod), Wednesday 26th August, 7pm, Leeds Waterstones”
David Green@davidgreenwriter.bsky.social · last wk.

The participation form for FCon is closing at 11:59pm July 31st! This is for people who want to take part in the programme on panels, workshops, launches, readings and more! - you need your ticket to take part in the programming - we'll strive to use everyone who fills out the form and has a ticket

Fantasycon 2026 9 till 11 October 2026 @ Glasgow Crowne Plaza www.britishfantasysociety.org
Lauren (LJ) McMenemy@laurenwrites.bsky.social · 2w ago

PSA: this massive event happens online TOMORROW, Saturday 25 July. It's free for BFS members or £5 for everyone else. You'll get three hour-long panels discussing how writers use power to control, to influence, and to change, both for good and for ill. 🧵⬇️

British Fantasy Society@britfantasysoc.bsky.social · last mo.

The British Fantasy Society is excited to announce our next event day, taking place on Saturday 25th July 2026, 10am to 6pm (BST). BFS Online: Power in SFFH Ticket: tinyurl.com/bfspowr

Shown is a graphic that has a blue wormhole background with streaks of light blue lightning through it. In the centre is the outline of a fist smashing down. On the top right and left is the BFS logo, a white dragon design curling around the letters ‘BFS’. Text: BFS Online: Power in SFFH; Join the BFS as we examine power in speculative fictions, its many forms, the imbalances and the consequences, and what it means to really have it; Saturday 25th July 2026, 10am to 6pm, Online.
RJ Barker@rjbarker.bsky.social · 2w ago

LAST CHANCE TO GET 25% OFF. I have ordered the book You wanted Full price for And which You were probably Hoping I'd pay Forgive me The offer was So cheap And so good.

RJ Barker@rjbarker.bsky.social · 2w ago

In more A NUMBERS GAME related news. As befits their dodgy working class background you can practically STEAL Mal and Jackie's first adventure, A Numbers Game, with 25% off at Waterstones using the code SUMMER26. @angryrobotbooks.bsky.social @daturabooks.bsky.social

The cover for A Numbers Game. Again.