This is the first silver medal I have ever won and unsurprisingly it wasn't for running. I'm so pleased - and very honoured - to have it. Many thanks @histnovsoc.bsky.social and congratulations to all the category winners hns2026.com/competition. #hns2026, #historicalfiction #histfic #novel

So thrilled to be shortlisted in the prestigious #hns2026 competition. I couldn't be happier to have A Murder of Crows recognised by the #historicalnovelsociety. Thank you @histnovsoc.bsky.social #historicalfiction💙📚 #booksky

Hope you can read #earlierNotations on my copy of Waterland by Graham Swift. They've written 'Straight into the story' at the beginning of chapter 1.

Just discovered #ShamelessSelfpromoThursday! So here's my collection of stories, Uncertain Terms. It's about uncomfortable, isolated people in the last century. The humour's dry. It's had good reviews. A bargain at only £3! You'll find it here: www.amazon.co.uk/Uncertain-Te...

This has to be the most poetic book review I've ever seen ☺️ So chuffed! "Thoughtful irony and realist minimalism." What a lovely way to describe Uncertain Terms! 💙📚 #books #ShortStories #HistoricalFiction #HistFic #LiteraryFiction https://buff.ly/41jsIlr

Did you know that #ValentinesDay happens to fall on #InternationalBookGivingDay? Which book would you give away today? And why? 💙📚 #BookSky #Bookworm #novels #shortstories #books (Image by Rey Seven on Unsplash)

Last day of #NationalStorytellingWeek, and I'm celebrating Alice Walker whose #birthday is today. She once said, "Fiction is such a world of freedom, it’s wonderful. If you want someone to fly, they can fly." (I get that! 🤭). #HappyBirthday Alice Walker.

Today, to mark #NationalStorytellingWeek, I'm recommending this anthology of 20 short stories from across Africa, edited by the legendary Chinua Achebe and CL Innes. One I dip in and out of regularly. It's quite old but still beautiful. #BookSky 📚💙 #books #ShortStories

Great to start the day by reading another 5-star review of my book on Goodreads, (especially when I'm marketing it myself and so far have done everything back to front ☺️). Anyway, at least I'm learning. And this is a lovely review. #shortstories, #books #BookSky 📚💙 https://buff.ly/3CQtQDs

As it's #NationalStorytellingWeek, I thought I'd give a shout out to all the #LitMags, #Anthologies and indy presses who work so hard for little, if any, financial gain but keep going for the love of #shortstories (#novels, #poems, #flash etc). You're heroes! 💙📚 #booksky (pic Howie R, Unsplash)

I suspect that #NationalStorytellingWeek is actually aimed at children, but why should adults miss out? Especially when this year's theme is 'reimagine your world' - an idea that's hugely appealing with all that's going on in the world right now. #BookSky 📚💙 (image by Robert Anasch on Unsplash)

Celebrating #NationalStorytellingWeek & Paul Auster's birthday. He said, "When a person is lucky enough to live inside a story, to live inside an imaginary world, the pains of this world disappear. For as long as the story goes on, reality no longer exists." One of my favourites of his #books 💙📚

I picked this up on one of the book exchange shelves and it's brilliant. Totally recommend it.

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 20/20

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 19/20

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 18/20

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 17/20

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 16/20

"There is no such uncertainty as a sure thing." Happy #BurnsNight everyone!

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 15/20

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 14/20

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 13/20

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 12/20 - the title story!

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 11/20 - The Border by Tanuja Desai Hidier (from an old anthology)

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 10/20

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 9/20

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 8/20

Choose 20 #shortstories that have stayed with you or influenced you. One story a day for 20 days, in no particular order. No explanations, no reviews, just names and (if possible) covers. 💙📚 #Booksky #BookChallenge #Books Day 7/20

Just seen this on the Thames Water website. Seems our rivers aren't the only places where they dump sh*t.