Come down to the next instalment of More Song on February 6th at the 1 in 12 Club in Bradford with readings from Rowan Evans, Sean Roy Parker and Rebecca Lockwood. Bradford is the City of Culture 2025 – let's celebrate! Open mic fully booked. £4 entry. moresong.co.uk/events/more-so…

Colin Barrett’s Wild Houses among winners of Nero book awards theguardian.com/books/2025/jan…

Frankenstein inspired by suicide of Mary Shelley’s half-sister, book reveals theguardian.com/books/2025/jan…

Breaking Lines: Futurism and the Origins of Experimental Poetry review – the beauty of art made by typewriter theguardian.com/artanddesign/2…

To raise funds for future More Song events, we have created a hand-bound pamphlet, featuring new poems from 19 poets who read at the series between 2023-2024 including Fran Lock, J. R. Carpenter, Sarah Corbett, Scott Thurston and many more ⭕️⛓️ moresong.co.uk/fundraiser-pam…

I've just read #WeDoNotPart by Han Kang. I read this in one go. A book filled with silence but equally filled with raw passion. Haunting, lyrical, visceral. I don't quite have the right words for this. The way Kang describes landscapes and our world makes you feel like you are

Rediscovered: a young English novelist’s warning of the Nazi threat theguardian.com/books/2025/feb…

‘I desire the things which will destroy me in the end.’ The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath, 2000 Reinfried Marass @ReinfriedMarass

It's not hoarding if it's books

New poll finds 40% of Britons have not read a book in the past year theguardian.com/books/2025/mar…

If you only read one book this year … make it this one! theguardian.com/books/2025/mar…

Mutiny brews in French bookshops over Hachette owner’s media grip… theguardian.com/books/2025/mar…

Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Brothers Karamazov

Never under-estimate children's books. They're the books that make us readers in the first place. As such, they're the foundation stones of our civilisation - there would be no other books or reading without them! (Art: Quentin Blake)

Adolescence: drama schools hit out at ‘stars from nowhere’ narrative ‘…drama schools like hers have a “life-changing” impact on their students, from resilience to communication skills, … “Regional drama schools are crying out for funding,” she says.’ theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2…

"'Leeds Playhouse: A Tale of Two Theatres' is, at its very best, and in a time of crisis in the Arts, a consummate expression of the value of continuity." - and also, dare I say, of community. Do read Steve Whitaker's comprehensive review in The Yorkshire Times:

"'Leeds Playhouse: A Tale of Two Theatres' is, at its very best, and in a time of crisis in the Arts, a consummate expression of the value of continuity." Do read Steve Whitaker's fascinating review of this "survey of such extraordinary breadth."

Well picked out Translating Women @translatingwomen.bsky.social! It is now the WINNER of #InternationalBooker2025. Congratulations to publisher And Other Stories as well as the author and translator.

Congratulations to author Banu Mushtaq and translator Deepa Bhasthi on winning the #InternationalBooker2025. Well done And Other Stories !!!

Poetry Launch by sue vickerman at the Quaker Meeting House in Settle Friday 11th July 7.00pm. 'A Suitcase Full of Dog' All welcome; free entry.