#sundayMorningBookChat little late - I’m on holiday and reading a staggering rate! For those with a week off for half term, what are you reading this week? I’m working my way through two: Felix and the future agency by Rachel Morrison and the Museum of lost umbrellas by Marie Louise Fitzpatrick
Because we all need to know now, the book it: Crafting for Sinners by Jenny Kiefer. Out in October - which is nowhere near soon enough!!
Publication day is here 💃💃💃 Grab a copy of Wee, Snot and Slime Through Time today! You can pretend it’s the kids if you want. 🦠🧪🤢 shorturl.at/d25VS
My 10-tomorrow-year-old made a lot of this cake himself - it might be one of my favourite things we’ve made together. The lumpy ganache ooziness is all intentional, he stuck chocolate truffles and cake cut-off to the sides of the cake to make it spookily uneven. It’s gonna haunt my fridge tonight
I may be tired and a little hoarse, but as I said again and again on the Senate floor, this is a moment where we cannot afford to be silent, when we must speak up.
9yo’s learning about WW1 in his online history course today, and all I can think about is the time my Dad mentioned “back when Franz Ferdinand was assassinated” and my glitchy brain went “what, all of them?” 🙈
The cover of The Wolf and His King by Finn Longman in the centre of a gold square. Around it, in a pseudogothic font, are notes on its contents and themes. Each is pointing to the cover with a pointing finger (a manicule). The text: werewolf knight; the mortifying ordeal of being known; probably too much Latin; 12th century Brittany (sort of); the king's scribe-with-benefits; romance (medieval) with the yearning of romance (modern); period-typical heresy; manuscript production; feelings about fealty; werewolfism as metaphor for chronic illness/pain. At the top it reads "a queer retelling of Bisclavret"; at the bottom, "coming from Gollancz, 27th November 2025".
A little more about THE WOLF AND HIS KING, my Bisclavret retelling coming this November from Gollancz.
Please enjoy the manicules, I am very pleased with them.
Pre-order links here: finnlongman.com/books/the-wo...
Publishers Marketplace Deal Report: THE WOLF AND HIS KING by Finn Longman. Medievalist Finn Longman's THE WOLF AND HIS KING, a queer medieval fantasy retelling of the French werewolf legend of Bisclavret, about a knight cursed with lycanthropy who earns the love of a young king, to Diana Pho at Erewhon, in a two-book deal, for publication in early 2026, by Tara Hiatt at Gollancz (NA). The author is represented by Jessica Hare at The Agency. Fiction: Sci-Fi/Fantasy; March 27, 2025
Excited to finally have a Publishers Marketplace screenshot of my very own, more than four years after I sold my first book! Not saying this is the highlight of selling US rights, but... y'know... it's more than a little bit fun. Thanks @erewhonbooks.bsky.social :)
Yes!! My kids’ friends are the best. I love getting to the school gate and seeing them light up as they see their parents, or walking home with them and hearing all about their latest obsession. One boy is mad into The Beatles & Frasier, and I could honestly listen to him talk about them all day
Yes! It would not actually work, for so many reasons. I feel like your idea would be great in the hands of someone like Louise Finch, though
It wouldn’t be the sort of deep dive you were looking for anyway, mostly just my excuse to write a twisted angry girl twist on the phrase “Agony Aunt” tbh - I don’t think I could really do the issue justice
I SORT OF had an idea like that, but Dexter/Promising Young Woman-ish where a girl stalks a local teen AITA page. When girls send in esp bad probs she uses her “guy” persona to track down the boy in question, get his darkest thoughts out of him then exacts revenge. Don’t think I would write it tho
My 9yo’s doing a history project on Alan Turing which basically means I’m doing a history project on Alan Turing and I’m suddenly so invested in poor little Christopher Morcom I’m, like, one Google search away from Alan & Chris fanfic. Are there any books about (or inspired by) them? Anyone know?
In case you want some sweet news today.
I’m volunteering at the book fair at my kid’s school, and discovered Dav Pilkey paid for the whole thing.
For the entire school.
Every kid pre-k through fifth grade (the whole school) goes home with two free books.
please don’t text me war plans, because I’m actually at capacity right now and I don’t think I can hold appropriate space for you. do you have someone else you could reach out to?
He was a little feral boy who hated everyone, the shelter had him neutered & ready to go back into the wild but were worried he wouldn’t survive so we took him. They were right, he is actually a big softy who gets upset when our other cat brings home mice. He had NO hunter instinct, just snuggles
Oh no! Sorry, I’m on a bus, reception is dodgy. Let me try again
For a second I thought you’d posted a pic of this little guy, seen here posing with his namesake book (set up by my son on World Book Day 😂)
Catching up on the news before having my coffee is wild in this environment because I 100% thought they’d accidentally added Jeff Goldblum to the group chat. Didn’t even question it - the world is too stupid now, anything is possible
A graphic showing the cover of LOKI: A Bad God's Guide to Cauasing Chaos. It's yellow and, if you squint, shows Freyja, who we first met in the Loki World Book Day Book, Tales of a Bad God. We also see a very angry horned Hyrrokkin, a cat fighting a dog, and some random ocean creatures. Oh and Loki as a bat. I can't remember if he turns into a bat in the book I think i just thought it looked cool. Maybe I should add him as a bat, there's still time...
I have a brand new Loki out TOMORROW. But in the meantime, please feast your eyes on the cover of LOKI: A Bad God's Guide to Causing Chaos, coming early SEPT... #BeLEssLoki #KidLitUK @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social Preorder NOW www.walker.co.uk/978152951581... or www.pagesofhackney.co.uk/webshop/prod...
Post your favourite Doctor Who. Wrong answers only.
(seriously, name a more Doctor-coded author, I’ll wait…)
Happy Birthday to this absolute menace of a Dad/Grandude/Mentor - I miss you every single day. Today I’m celebrating in the most Larry way possible, though, start a 4-week residency at Bridgetown Secondary School teaching performance poetry to 1st Years!! You’d have loved The WRaPParound, Dad
Oh, I feel like I’ve seen this, was it illustrated by Chris Riddell, do you know? I have an image in my head and can’t tell if I really remember it or cobbled it together from different things.
Giving my kids an important cultural lesson this mid-term, and I’ve just realised - after a lifelong obsession - that Ted “Theodore” Logan is so adorably clueless he even gets his own name backwards (the nickname goes in quotation marks 🙈) I love him, kids are mind-blown that John Wick is so sweet
9yo’s doing a history course online (through DCU’s CTYI program) - I’m in awe of his teacher, keeping 15 history-obsessed 9 to 12yos on track when ALL they want to do is to wow the class with their own trivia. They’re so smart & excited, she’s amazing at encouraging them without detailing the class!
Just got this from Mom, “Dad’s” care package arrived safe & sound! I was actually on the phone to her when the delivery guy came (I wanted to make sure she didn’t think it was a mistake & send it away) but she wanted me to see how it all looked together. I think Dad would approve?
When you’re knackered & full of head-cold but you promised your 11 year old a Mommy-daughter #GaltentinesDay going to watch SIX at Garter Lane theatre with her friends. The make-up is doing its best, but the eyebags are winning 😭
A poem! A pee poem 😂
Oh good! Unless you needed it not to happen for a story, in which case “oh no!” But for real world implications, yes. Definitely a relief.M!