Solidarity with our friends and colleagues Edinburgh International Book Festival who have been under intolerable pressure. And respect to Baillie Gifford who have been thoughtful and transparent in their dealings. A disaster not just for book festivals but for the whole UK cultural sector. And to no end.

Statement from Allan Little Chair of Edinburgh Book Festival as Baillie Gifford sponsorship ends there too, following Hay

EXCL: Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner says Diane Abbott should be allowed to stand at general election - and tells me she has not been treated “fairly or appropriately”.

theguardian.com/politics/artic…

If I was a metal band this would be the name of my live album

Me, Tomiwa Folorunso and Halina Rifai were delighted to win the runner-up award for podcast of the year ScotPressAwards last night. And though awards don't really matter, we honestly think telling the story of #ShekuBayoh does. So please have a listen: theferret.scot/audio-and-podc…

'A master of euphoric despair.' I went to see Richard Thompson in Glasgow and wrote about it for The Times. thetimes.co.uk/article/richar…

The whole Newsnight interview with Faiza Shaheen is worth watching. Just shockingly unfair, vindictive treatment for a woman who would have been an exceptional MP and has worked so hard for so long. x.com/BBCNewsnight/s…

“Honestly I’m so shocked right now, to be treated this badly”

Faiza Shaheen, who was set to stand for Labour, describes hearing that her candidacy had been pulled over liking a series of Tweets which she claims Labour said would frustrate its campaign

#Newsnight

Lots in this by Gavin Francis that I agree with, some that I don't, and I say this as a signatory of the letter calling for BG to divest. The pressure should be on Baillie Gifford not on such endangered and valued arts orgs as Edinburgh International Book Festival scotsman.com/news/opinion/c…

Ahead of the release of the This Is Memorial Device album, based on the play, in turn based on the novel, musician Stephen Pastel and writer David Keenan interview one another

Peer Review: Stephen Pastel Interviews David Keenan… And Vice Versa

buff.ly/3yF0QfH

Busy time with Night Train to Odesa - thanks to birlinnbooks for a comprehensive update in their email newsletter.
Hasn't quite sunk in yet that I'll be reading my book on Radio 4, *every day* for a week, from Monday...
birlinn.co.uk/birlinn-newsle…

*Spoiler: I loved this book.

Been paid for something the day -THE DAY! - after I invoiced and less than a week after I filed. Fair near cried.

'I didn’t want to die as some mediocre YBA.’
My interview with Tracey Emin about her second coming after surviving life-threatening cancer
theguardian.com/artanddesign/a…

Excellent piece

The way Diane Abbott has been treated makes me viscerally sad and angry. When you think of all the offensive things that have been said by people who are allowed to hold onto their positions (in politics & elsewhere). How can there be no place for someone with her track record?

Contributing editor at the 𝘓𝘙𝘉 James Meek has been nominated for the 2024 The Orwell Prizes for journalism for his reporting on the war in Ukraine.

Read one of his shortlisted pieces, ‘Two Armies in One’, here: lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v46/…

Catch me live at Sneaky Pete’s in Edinburgh this Thursday, and Broadcast in Glasgow on Friday. Still a few tickets going for Glasgow. Appearing with Sulk Rooms and Dohnavùr
Tickets: warringtonruncorn.com/live/

‘We have a mission’: the Odesa artists refusing to abandon their studios theguardian.com/world/article/…