It's a busy month for #UV24 debuts hitting the shelves 👏

Today it's the turn of Cinders and Stars, a stunning YA fantasy by Esther Scherpenisse.

Congratulations and happy publication day, Esther 🥳

bookfinity.com/book/Cinders...

@scbwi.bsky.social

Undiscovered Voices | Discover New Talent Undiscovered Voices is an initiative by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) British Isles to help fresh, new voices in children’s literature find agents, publishers and ult...

These 12 remarkable story openings make up the latest Undiscovered Voices anthology - available to download or order from undiscoveredvoices.com from tomorrow.

Thanks again to amazing panel of judges, team of readers and our fabulous honorary chair @louiestowell.bsky.social 🙏

Delighted to announce our #UV26 WINNERS!! 👏🥳🙌

@cmundywrites.bsky.social @rburrows.bsky.social @ivy-lin.bsky.social, Monica Gutierraz, Caroline Wigg, Zoe Dixon, Kirsty Hammond, Alicja Bagier, Claire Gordon, Dominic Yoboue, Claire Mowat and Alana Warbrick

CONGRATULATIONS on your amazing stories ❤️

We told you April was going to be a busy month 😅

Congratulations and happy publication day to #UV24 alumnus Louise Austin whose hilarious debut Alex Abbott is [Un]dead is out today 👏

Peterborough man creates supersized household objects He lives in his home among huge objects including a giant pencil, clothes peg and a 13-amp plug.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... normally I’m a sucker for miniature things, but I could get on board with this.

From Andrew Tate to Mountbatten-Windsor, my first name has been dragged through the mud. Can a global community of ‘Drews’ help change that? The ‘Council of Andrews’ started as a bit of fun – but has led to friendships, financial help and even fiances…

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle... I love this so much. But I think the Andrews doth protest too much.

The Easter crime wave sweeping Norway Visitors to Norway during Easter might find the streets emptier than usual, thanks to the nation's cherished Eastertime obsession: retreating to isolated cabins to binge crime fiction.

www.bbc.com/travel/artic... This sounds amazing! Can we have this in the UK please?

Is dark chocolate good for you? - BBC Bitesize How the BBC show Just One Thing tested the healthy chocolate theory

When the history books look back at the burning questions that occupied the minds of early 21st century humankind, this one surely will be up there in the Top 5. Comparing Dark Chocolate to Cadburys is like comparing water to wine, right? thttps://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zc6sxg8

I know! I do think schools need to be 'on it' when it comes to AI, and they've been good at talking to the kids about not using Chat GPT in essay-writing etc. Maybe they're just preparing the kids for the 'real' world of un-real work.The kids are all worried about not getting jobs cos of AI already.

Agreed, and if the artists and designers at the school could put forward their work, alongside the AI stuff so kids could compare it might be interesting. but I don't think that's happening. I prob need to check into it all a bit more deeply Maybe there's a 'good' reason they're doing this.

Just heard that my son’s sec. school is running a comp for the best poster designed using AI. They recently hosted an A.I. company who provided workshops to staff on using A.I. in PowerPoint. They are now offering a ‘deal’ to the pupils to use their version of A.I. at a discount. I feel queasy #AI

I had the biggest crush on Luke Skywalker, this photo just brought it all back!😍

Yes, exactly. I was making a programme about embarrassing school reports and she shared hers with us. But it’s listening to her on Woman’s Hour that made the biggest impression on me. She really Was that show. Even tho she’d retired, R4 won’t feel the same.

Dame Jenni Murray: Former BBC Woman's Hour host dies at 75 She was the Radio 4 programme's longest-serving presenter, having left in 2020 after 33 years.

So sad to hear this! Jenni had the most wonderful voice that was instantly recognisable; like listening to golden syrup with a splash of lemon juice mixed in for vim. I interviewed her once at her home for a TV show and she was absolutely charming and very welcoming. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Ooh yes, I like the sound of this.

Joe McLaren's wonderful cover art for my book Help The Witch, featuring a hair and a branch-handed tree man. Joe also did the cover art for my books Villager, 1983 and Everything Will Swallow You, and has just sent me an exciting sketch for the cover for my upcoming second short story collection (which I'm planning to self-publish, as a limited edition)

I love Joe McLaren’s jacket art for my 2018 short story collection Help The Witch but when you remove the text from it and see the whole thing in widescreen there is a whole other level of beauty to it.

blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/pro...

Today is publication day for ‘Fairies: A History’ - so I’ve written a special free post over on ‘All Old Strange Things’ to celebrate 📚🧚 open.substack.com/pub/drfranci...

No-one should outright lie about their publishing record, but self-publishing a novel is very different to getting yourself an agent and then acquired a traditional publishing deal. Sure, don't lie about it - especially to your publisher - but I'm not sure this article helps.

There is way too much hype surrounding 'debut' authors - the pedestal the publishing industry and the media place them on is wobbly to say the least. So it's not surprising that a lot of writers re-invent themselves, change their names to have another crack at getting their work out. While I don't

The Salt Path author Raynor Winn confirms she wrote secret first book Raynor and Moth Winn published a book they hoped would help get them out of debt, the BBC confirms.

I feel like the BBC are pushing this Lying Author narrative a bit too far now. I believe many 'debut' authors leave a trail of self-published, half-finished, 'academic text-books' in the wake of the first book they get trad-published. industry,https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj32vx61x6lo

Love this show.

If we made the green energy transition this war would be unthinkable and these authoritarians wouldn’t be in power — not in the US, not in Iran, not in Saudi Arabia, not in Russia. Hydrocarbons are killing our freedom and just plain killing us.

I would like to walk with crows. Any crows out there want to go for a walk today? I’ll bring flapjack.

Congratulations to Undiscovered Voices 2024 winner @johoward.bsky.social who has signed with @joannamoult.bsky.social at Skylark Literary Agency. Very excited to see what the future brings for you, Jo 👏

So great to see these stories getting released.

Three authors, Louise Austin, Stephen Daly and Esther Scherpenisse, pose smiling, each holding a copy of their new books

The wait is almost over for the #UV26 longlist announcement 🙌 Watch this space for news very, very soon...

We know UV really does help writers' dreams come true. The first crop of #UV24 books are out this spring. Congratulations Louise Austin, @thatstephendaly.bsky.social and Esther Scherpenisse 👏

The #UV26 longlist is live at undiscoveredvoices.com/longlist 🙌

More than 250 of you entrusted us with your stories and the standard was very high - it was a thrill to read them.

The longlist was chosen by our judges for their originality and quality of writing. Congratulations all 👏

Well isn’t that a splendid piece of Doctor Who news to wake up to!

Excited to announce the @uvcompetition.bsky.social longlist over on our website today! Huge congratulations to all the #kidslit writers who made it. We loved reading ALL the stories so much - loads of variety, laughs and great writing.

makes a change from 'FAMILY' spelt out in fruit or 'PROSECCO O'CLOCK' scrawled across the wine fridge.