You sacked people for voting for a ceasefire, u refused to back a ceasefire motion because it mentioned collective punishment, you've suspended an MP from the PLP for calling whats happening genocide, u refuse to condemn Israeli war crimes & you won't call for a ban on arms sales

I just want to say that the invasion of Rafah literally turns the Gaza Strip into a slaughterhouse for everyone inside it. The invasion of Rafah means the closure of the Rafah border crossing, which is the only passage for individuals in Gaza to exit. The closure of the Kerem…

Breaking:

The Israeli army is starting to blow up complete neighborhoods in east Rafah, just four hours after ordering families to evacuate the area.
Again, about 200,000 people live in east Rafah.
Every house that is blown up makes dozens of families homeless more than ever.

‘Shepherd’ by Sarah Davy | The Lonely Crowd thelonelycrowd.org/2024/05/05/she…

Writers, readers, if you're looking for something to do next weekend, how about joining us to celebrate the publication of new anthology ‘Earthly Rewards’? Tickets here: thi-wurd.com/product/earthl…

'My thigh is swollen tight against the fabric of my boilersuit. My legs have abandoned me, won’t carry me back to the farmhouse, to my stove, my table and a whistling pot of tea.' It's Sarah Davy in The Lonely Crowd ! thelonelycrowd.org/2024/05/05/she…

‘Our shallower companion, Time, is an
Envious shadow, plaiting hair that looks
Like air, our cloudy child of black
Summer fires.’

It’s such an honour to be publishing new work by my favourite poet, Medbh McGuckian. The new poems are major works of art. thelonelycrowd.org/2024/05/05/wal…

‘I run my palm over his muzzle, then over his ears and he flinches. I tip my forehead to his and smell it before I feel it. Infection.’

New online fiction:

‘Shepherd’ by ⁦Sarah Davy⁩
thelonelycrowd.org/2024/05/05/she…

This week has been a week. Kept my fave cafe in business, saw bluebells on Gold Island, planned and organised authors, festivaled with my lovely pal, saw bloody incredible poetry, ate cheesy chips on the way home. 10/10.

This week has been a week. Kept my fave cafe in business, saw bluebells on Gold Island, planned and organised authors, festivaled with my lovely pal, saw bloody incredible poetry, ate cheesy chips on the way home. 10/10.

“We’ve got to be proud of what a bunch of knowledgeable geeks we all are.”

We had so much fun chatting with Mr B's Emporium‘s Nic Bottomley that this week’s #BookshopSpotlight rolled over into two parts.

Put your feet up this Bank Holiday & head to optindiebooks.co.uk 📚🛁

Looking forward to an overnight in Glasgow for this...bags of new writing and art...see you there??

Swift in Hexham!!!

Define hypocrisy:

Get all the book and bookshop goss from me here 🤭🤫

In case you missed it, this week’s Books, Unpacked episode features author & Sam Read Bookseller co-owner Polly Atkin, talking new books, their publishing journey - from Seren to Saraband Books & Sceptre Books - and more.

Head to booksunpacked.substack.com for the full story 🎧📚

I voted in support of issuing a public statement, and I'm struggling to understand why the Society of Authors would be opposed. They were perfectly happy to issue statements in support of Ukraine and Ukrainian writers, but suddenly they don't want to 'be political'?

This is the resolution that didn't pass.

Unbelievable.
#CeasefireNOW

Just gonna leave this here as a reminder: this happened. Spot the difference. I'd say something many of us know in our bones about UK publishing, but instead I want to thank the 786 of you who stood up for what is right today.