Yep. None of this is about protecting anyone. It’s all about intimidation.
Writer. Grump. Pet-wrangler. MDANT. New novel 'End of a Century' out now. 'How Soon Is Now?' also available on Amazon and from Audible.
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Yep. None of this is about protecting anyone. It’s all about intimidation.
My new painting exhibition - Brave New Worlds: A Century of Science Fiction Cinema - is now open to the public! If you’re not in the Devon area, you can browse online, where you can buy the original artworks as well as T-shirts, framed prints and postcards. barnabyedwards.co.uk/brave-new-wo...
Edinburgh provides a dramatic backdrop for my time travel novel ‘How Soon Is Now?’, with many streets and landmarks making their way into the book… #BookSky #Edinburgh #WhatToRead www.amazon.co.uk/How-Soon-Now...
Punching police in the face is a very weird way to express legitimate concerns and make our streets safer.
Great to hear from you, Sue! Hope you're doing well (or as well as can be, under the many circumstances at play these days...). I'll let Beth know you were asking for her! Mostly good with the menagerie - we lost our oldest cat last month (at 18!) but everyone else is well.
I've seen – up close and personal – the kind of people who go out to scream at hotels, and they are not 'concerned citizens'. They're hateful bullies who get off on terrorising vulnerable people. The last thing we need is for the Prime Minister to tell them they're heroes for doing it.
If this far right rhetoric was doing Labour any favours at all, you could almost believe it's just a cynical ploy to appeal to the Reform vote. But since it's failing to do that, while alienating Labour's core support, one can only assume someone at the heart of Labour genuinely believes in it.
Remainers, 2016: 'Brexit's a bit shit, isn't it?' The British Right, 2016: 'Shut up! You're talking Britain down! How dare you!' Elon Musk, 2025: 'Britain's a collapsing hellhole of apocalyptic crime and racial violence!' The British Right, 2025: 'Well said, Sir! Thank you so much!'
If these guys are really determined to celebrate their culture and heritage, how about they join a Morris dancing troupe or stay at home to perfect the art of the spotted dick pudding instead of all this fannying about with roundabouts?
When you say that flags on roundabouts isn't about racism, that may well be the case for you. But these are the people you're throwing in with... Every argument about immigration has racism at its core. Peel back even one layer, it's always underpinned by racism and white supremacy. Always.
How Sweden’s ‘secondhand only’ shopping mall is changing retail. Built alongside the city’s recycling centre, it includes a dedicated drop-off point called The Return, where residents donate unwanted items. theconversation.com/how-swedens-...
Remembering Violet Carson, born this day in 1898.
It's still lasting.
I always wonder what these guys would think of themselves if you could travel back five, 10 years or whatever and show them how they’ll be carrying on in the future.
Tomorrow’s the day! Monday 1st September sees the opening of ‘Brave New Worlds: A Century of Science Fiction Cinema’, a new exhibition of paintings by the implausibly talented @barnabyedwards.bsky.social. It’s at Exeter Picturehouse until 2nd November. Do come along!
You know, it never occurred to me that recipes might be AI-generated, so now I'm paranoid. Considering AI doesn't have taste buds, I'd rather not leave that to chance. Looks like AI has just pushed me toward buying more cookbooks. Providing they're not AI-generated, too.
It's the last few hours of this US promo - grab yourself my debut spy novel for less than a dollar if you live across the pond. Other platforms are also price-matching.
Such a weird time. You really could see a kind of performative hysteria mutating out of the initial – understandable – shock. It definitely sewed the seeds for other, less forgivable, cultural mutations to come.
The first major news event I heard about online before seeing it in traditional media.
Christopher H Bidmead : a warm, engaging and hugely intelligent man who enjoyed putting the cat among the pigeons on interviews. In real life though, he was approachable and kind: and made the nicest coffee I’ve ever had. Here is is at home in Dec 2013 when he kindly asked me round. RIP Chris x
I’ve just heard the sad news that former Sigue Sigue Sputnik drummer Ray Mayhew passed away on the 28th August. Ray was the absolute wild one of band. I only met him once, he was off his face and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. R.I.P. Ray. Go raise some hell wherever you are.
Tobies get everywhere.
Very useful skill.
Pleasantly surprised this morning to discover that zoologist, surrealist painter and TV documentarian Desmond Morris, author of 'The Naked Ape' and 'The Human Zoo' is still with us, living with family in Ireland, at the age of 97.
Looked hard for Donald.
Every Reform-obsessed news outlet after their wall-to-wall Farage-fawning sweeps him to power: ‘HOW DID THIS HAPPEN - FULL ANALYSIS PLUS PICTURES OF OUR GLORIOUS LEADER INSIDE.’
Let’s all just enjoy this glorious Schrödinger’s Trump moment while it lasts.
Today's poster for my imminent painting exhibition - Brave New Worlds: A Century of Science Fiction Cinema - seems to fit the current un-summery weather. If you're around in September and October, do please come along. Failing that, the entire exhibition will be going online on Monday. Please share!
I am informed by the bill to renew the hosting of Threadinburgh dot Scot that it's 3 years since I launched the site. One of the first things I put there - and one of the most read - was a deep-dive into the unexpected history behind the nostalgia for Creamola Foam threadinburgh.scot/2022/08/29/t...
Damn right. Their idea of an acceptable 'us' will continually be whittled down until 'us' just means a few high-ranking fascists and the billionaires who bankroll them.
It goes even further. There is nothing you can give the far-right/proto-fascists/fascists that will satisfy them. No point at which they will think “OK, *now* we have the society we want so we can stop”. There will always be someone to crush under their boot. The only end-game is their defeat.
The UFO Interceptor & SHADO Mobile 2, from Dinky Toys’ 1978 catalogue. Surprising, perhaps, that the toys from a by-then rarely seen Gerry & Sylvia Anderson Sci-Fi show from 1970 should still be selling 8 years later, but then, they really are darnably cool toys.
And these clowns want people to believe they have detailed, fully-costed and completely workable solutions to problems that have foxed every government of the past 40 years or so? Seems ... unlikely.
I wonder if Dinah could actually list and elaborate on any of these 'media lies'?
Thanks to Tesco's superlative customer service, those magazines are already pre-hidden inside the motoring magazines.
On this day, August 29, 2014: 'Men's lifestyle'.
We have several parties now not just 2. We MUST HEAR from the others. The broadcast media are allowing ONE to set the agenda. It’s not a science @bbcnewsnight.bsky.social @itvnews.bsky.social @skynewsrss.bsky.social You CAN decide to look at LD, GRN etc too. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/71...
Happy birthday to Elizabeth Fraser. Here's a thread of Cocteau Twins live performances, starting with From The Flagstones and Musette And Drums filmed for The Tube in 1984 youtu.be/7x0FbC5njbY
One crucial piece of info missing from this story is that, thanks to its history as a place for resting and retraining spies, Inverlair Lodge was one of the inspirations for Patrick McGoohan’s 60s classic TV show ‘The Prisoner’…
Huge thanks, of course, to all you lovely people who have already done this!
Only a few days to go until my new painting exhibition opens on 1 September. 22 original paintings inspired by a hundred years of science fiction cinema. Here's one based on a 1970s classic. Do please come along if you can - if not, don't forget to access the virtual exhibition. Please share. Ta!
That's great to hear, Kenny - hope it adds a little something to your holiday! Thanks so much for the support!
That wasn't one of mine, but I'm all for leaving reviews all over the place for books we love! :) Cheers!
If you’ve read and enjoyed my books, you’ll be a pal for life if you’ve got a few minutes to give them a rating and review on Amazon or Goodreads so other readers of taste and distinction can find them. Thanks so much! #BookSky www.goodreads.com/author/show/...
Byres Road Book Festival 2025 25–28 Sept, Glasgow The programme for the sixth annual Byres Road Book Festival is now online. All events are free but ticketed. byresroadbookfestival.com/tickets/
Allister Heath is still a thing? Well, I never!
'Go on now, go, walk out the door Just turn around now 'Cause you're not welcome anymore..'
Never can say goodbye? Oh honey I can, and have a bonus ‘go fuck yourself’ while I’m at it.
“Unique, truthful and frequently very funny” @thetimes.com “A candid journal of resilience” @latimes.com “Full of life and joy and copious swearing” @heraldscotland.bsky.social “A minor masterpiece” Classic Pop ‘The Tremolo Diaries’ by Justin Currie is OUT NOW Buy: tinyurl.com/2b3yb4u9
Hi authors! Please remember to file a claim!
The director, Aisling Walsh and I will be in conversation at the Byres Road Book Festival on Sept 28th. We'll be talking all things Austen and discussing our creative collaborations and process. It's free but you have to book. Hope to see you there. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/miss-auste...
Cricket, doing Cricket-type stuff.
Get to it, then, every author in the class action.
There is some good news and some bad news for Mr Osman at Oxfam Ealing.
At the recent protest outside a hotel in Falkirk, the 'concerned citizens' were so concerned that they arrived with smoke flares and eggs to throw. As you do, when you're just a peaceful concerned citizen.
1995 was a big year - maybe this will stir up a few memories. … or you could go all the way back with ‘End of a Century’, a sunny, funny romantic comedy for lovers of ‘High Fidelity’ and ‘One Day’. Out now in print and on Kindle- free with Kindle Unlimited! www.amazon.co.uk/End-Century-... #BookSky
Sorry about that! :)
Thanks, Mike - hope you enjoy it!
Good writing session tonight. Back in time travel mode and – in draft one, at least – shamelessly involving another hapless butterfly in some temporal shenanigans. #AmWriting #BookSky
What if you could walk around in your own past? What if your lost loved ones weren't gone forever? But be careful what you wish for. Not every second chance is a gift... 'How Soon Is Now?' – 'part time-travel tale part emotional rollercoaster' – is out now! #BookSky www.amazon.co.uk/How-Soon-Now...
A day of shame for the UK. A political party proposes mass deportations and the response from other political parties is not to condemn this as going further than even Mosley or the National Front.
I absolutely did not anticipate that final word.
Even if I wasn't already a devotee, I'd try it if Kate said so.
Happy half-birthday! I've just ordered a copy to celebrate - looking forward to reading it.
Today, Saltburn is six months old. Happy half birthday. 🎉🎉🎉🎉 I wrote about it all below, the book, reviews, sales, promotion. It being a tough old gig for indie presses. So please share. And here’s to the next six months! @renardpress.com open.substack.com/pub/drewgumm...
That kind of sloppiness can reveal a lot about the unconscious bias of the people putting the story together. Someone should've spotted that – but it didn't strike anyone involved as inaccurate.
Raises eyebrows
Oh, thanks! It's a sweet, summery sort of book, I think, with lots of 90s nostalgia (though I did have some fun poking at the idea of yearning for a 'golden age' at the same time...!)
Take a trip back to the long, hot summer of 1995 with ‘End of a Century’ - a sunny, big-hearted read ideal for lovers of ‘High Fidelity’ and ‘One Day’! Read it now, in print or on Kindle - free with Kindle Unlimited! www.amazon.co.uk/End-Century-... #BookSky #SummerReads
It’s easily done. He’s an insignificant little man outside of the Twitter pond.
Long may he be ignored and forgotten!
People I never hear or read about (for which I am truly thankful) since binning Twitter, no.1258: ‘Lord’ Daniel Moylan.
At Xitter and Facebook, scammers claiming to offer “marketing services” to writers are rampant – and like vermin sneaking aboard a ship they're following us here. Let’s stop ‘em with this handy moderation list! #authorsky bsky.app/profile/inventingrea...
Sunday mind-melter: There was a time when many of the UK's top soap stars were born in the 1800s.
Things would be so different, wouldn't they?
Great interview - well worth a read. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
St George's flags aren't 'lining British streets', though, are they? They're lining English streets. This unconscious jingoism (England = Britain) is part of the reason the rest of us are being dragged into Farageland against our will.
Live from my dad's workbench: it's his latest batch of weird woodcarvings! Two Maris and a cluster of phantoms. Available in his shop tomorrow evening... 👁️ wellswoodcarving.bigcartel.com
New #WriterBeware blog post: this story of complaints and conflicts of interest at UK publisher Fortis Publishing really highlights how important it is for there to be firewalls between agenting, publishing, & adjunct services, when offered by one person or company writerbeware.blog/2025/08/22/a...
It's simple, if you throw paint on a plane then you get proscribed and any 80 year olds defending you get arrested. If you ask people to burn down hotels, and they try, you get an interview in the Telegraph and positive coverage in the BBC. That's sensible, proportionate policing.
Tasty! I wonder if it would pair nicely with vegetarian ham (chicken flavour)?
Now she's going to make loads of money out of being famous for being racist, while all the racists who support her pretend she never said anything racist. It's a bit mad, all this.
This is her career now, and she’s going to make an absolute fortune.
… and the other! www.amazon.co.uk/End-Century-...
Done! Here’s one of mine … www.amazon.co.uk/How-Soon-Now...
📝 400+ pages 🥀 urban fantasy 🌃 set in washington state 🔥 slow burn 🤍 romance and angst 🗡️ demons and vampires 📕 first in a duology 🔖 universal link: mybook.to/D3rL5 💌 itch.io link: rebecca-crunden.itch.io/the-wish-and... 📖 goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/23... [ 💙📚🪐]
Time travel is easier than you think … and far more dangerous than you can imagine. Meet The Nostalgia Club. They’ll guide you through it safely. Probably… #BookSky #FridayReads #MustRead www.amazon.co.uk/How-Soon-Now...
I debated writing this. It can feel tempting, upon encountering yet another instance of this administration’s racism, to let it be. How many ways can you say the same thing over and over again? And yet we have to write it down, if for nothing else, so those who come after us know we were against it.
I had the best time this week talking to #MarkBillingham on the podcast. You can listen here: podfollow.com/quick-book-r...
The reissue of 'Astronauts' by @thelilactime.bsky.social is a wonderful thing, as it Stephen Duffy's 'I Love My Friends'. And at these prices? You'd be mad to miss 'em...
For the duration of the Bank Holiday Weekend, I've reduced the price of every already released album on Needle Mythology by 20%. To help you decide, here's a playlist featuring some of my favourite songs from those releases. Purchase link in the playlist description. open.spotify.com/playlist/0UX...
A troubled soul. A mysterious invitation. A secret band of time travellers ... and a desperate mission into the past. It's all in 'How Soon Is Now?', out now in print, on Kindle and on Audible. Free with Kindle Unlimited! #BookSky #FridayReads #WhatToRead #MustRead www.amazon.co.uk/How-Soon-Now...
Stone cold classic. Red vinyl repress of this Glasgow essential...faithfully replicates the original 1984 Polydor Records UK release with a printed inner sleeve. Pre-order final copies of Rattlesnakes: monorailmusic.com/product/ratt...
True. People just retreat into a world of their own, and have plenty of online and real-world sources to tell them that whatever they believe, no matter how daft or unlikely, is right.
JD Vance met with boos, heckles and told to ‘go f**k a couch’ at Union Station in Washington https://www.thepinknews.com/2025/08/21/jd-vance-met-with-boos-heckles-union-station/?utm_content=1755804004&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky
Grow, little friend, grow!
“I was baptised by the explosion of Scottish writing that burst forth in the nineties. I remember the glory of seeing your own people on the page, how it made me feel worthy, and really, really powerful.”
