Really honoured to return to the wonderful @fictivedream.bsky.social with a new story, Creatures of Our Time. Just now and then, the muse needs toning down a bit to become credible fiction…
I’m supporting #ReadItForward2026!
If you buy my books Black Gables, The Midnight House or Welcome to Dead Town Raven McKay during February bookshop.org will donate 10% to @booktrust.org.uk and @scottishbooktrust.bsky.social
#KidLitUk
#supportindiebookshops
Such a pleasure to take time re-reading and thinking about these special stories, each of which beguiles and haunts me in a different way. Thanks to Jonathan Gibbs @jonathangibbs.bsky.social for the opportunity to take part in A Personal Anthology. apersonalanthology.substack.com
Fantastic news! So looking forward to it. Congrats Martina
Beyond excited to share the news that my first poetry collection, Midnight at the Saltmarsh, will be published by @thegallerypress.bsky.social in May 2026! 💫✨
Great news Mike. Congrats! Looking forward to your collection
Utterly delighted to be joining Ballerini Book Press, with a new story collection, Blurred Edges, planned for publication in the first half of 2026. Huge thanks to Renée Ballerini for this wonderful opportunity.
ballerinibookpress.ch/author-signi...
Great to see The Midnight House on this fabulous list of the best Cork books of 2025. Thank you @marjbrennan.bsky.social @irishexaminer.bsky.social 📚✍️✨ www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/ar...
This was the 300th edition of the project, which means that the archive website now presents over 3,500 individual short story recommendations!
And who's been picked the most times? I hear you ask.
Announcing The Scratch Winter Sale!
For two weeks before our festive break buy all our titles with 25% off.
For all the readers and writers in your life!
www.scratch-books.co.uk/shop
CHRISTMAS OFFER! Buy SHOO! (for 3-6 years) or THE DANGEROUS LIFE OF OPHELIA BOTTOM or THE INVISIBLES (8-12 years) and I'll send you a signed and dedicated bookmark! Just leave your details and who you'd like the book dedicated to via my website susiebower.co.uk
The 2026 lit mag rankings are now available from my website! They include an overall ranking, as well as separate rankings for fiction, flash fiction, non-fiction and poetry. If you find these helpful, please show your support by liking & sharing 🙏
Creepy green lake. Black rose. Floating black silhouette. Midnight blue sky. Full moon,
Green, black, blue. School on shore of eerie lake. Leaves. Black rose. Floating figure in black. Blurb of book in white.
Black & white photograph of author.
Green & yellow Carnegie nomination board
#BookHaiku a day Totally Gothic
a chilly mist crawls across
a lake of secrets
Beside a spooky
school with creepy staff,
fragile memories
trapped, set new pupil
Rosella on Edge ,
eerie Black Roses #CarnegieMedals
#Gothic
Absolutely thrilled that Black Gables has been nominated for the Carnegie Medal for Writing.
Huge thanks to all the librarians and readers @carnegiemedals.bsky.social
Special thanks to @everywithwords.bsky.social and Silvia @pfd
Congrats to all the nominees!
#Carnegies2026
We’ve updated our submissions pages with news of our winter call, and info on the new ghost story call:
Michael Longley #halloween
I'm so happy to be doing another fiction workshop, this time with the wonderful @munsterlitcentre.bsky.social in Ireland - online, join from anywhere (timezones permitting)! munsterlit.ie/fiction-work...
7 pm IST, 2 pm EDT, 9 am PDT, 1 am WIB / 4 am AEST / 6 am NZST (for the keenest beans 😍)
A selection of children’s books for reading at Halloween on a purple background with a white moon and flying bats.
I’ve updated my Halloween book recommendations blogpost, adding in some recently published titles.
Happy spooky season reading!
#UkKidLit
vsviewfromthebookshelves.home.blog/2025/10/25/h...
Lovely to see Black Gables on this fab list! Thanks @bookcraic.bsky.social 👻🏫🍁🖤💀🍂🧌
bookcraic.blog/2025/10/11/s...
Children In Read is now LIVE! The largest signed book auction in the world. All proceeds are in aid of @childreninread.bsky.social
Delighted to have three signed spooky books with bookmarks in the bidding!
www.jumblebee.co.uk/childreninre... 📚✍️✨
Background image shows an open notebook and pen on a wooden table. The text reads: Publishing Your Work - October 2025, Poetry & Writing Submissions - Journals, Competitions, Bursaries, Residencies. www.thisiswordbox.com
Over 160 calls for literary competitions & submissions including poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, art, photography, & more - contests, literary journals, residencies, bursaries etc - open or with deadlines in October 2025. Please share & best of luck!
www.thisiswordbox.com/wordbox-blog...
Thank you Sarah!
Great to see Black Gables included in this fab round up! 📚✍️
#BlackGables
Delighted to have been awarded a 2025 Mentorship in Fiction Bursary with Frank O’Connor fellow @laurajeanmckay.bsky.social
@munsterlitcentre.bsky.social
We are delighted to welcome 2025 Frank O’Connor International Short Story Fellow Laura Jean McKay to Cork and also to congratulate her on her recent good news that her translated novel ‘Les Animaux de ce pays’ has been shortlisted for a French literary prize - prixmaya.org/selection-ro...
Delighted to announce that first prize of the Southword Creative Non-Fiction Award is Judy Crozier, whose winning story will be published in issue 49 of Southword (winter 2025). All the details on the other winners can be found on our website - munsterlit.ie/southword-cr...
"I was trying to be as reportorially honest as possible. That I think links to your question about investigative journalism. I didn’t want to write a literary thing at all ..."
Tim MacGabhann talks to @monalisavitti.bsky.social about his memoir THE BLACK POOL
minorliteratures.com/2025/09/10/i...
Lovely to see Black Gables in this spooktacular book display @gutterbookshop.bsky.social
🖤👻🍁🍂 #BlackGables
