claremsimpson.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

Threatened by Trump and by Putin, the weekend of reckoning for Germany, and for Europe, is underway johnkampfner.substack.com/p/a-weekend-...

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Jesus H

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I’m George Takei and I approve of this message.

submitted 5 days ago • 2373 comments

After years of censorship, once-banned books are now resurfacing in Damascus, marking a new chapter of freedom in a city that was once controlled by fear 👇

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Great to see the Edinburgh Bookshop on here 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

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News of a New Town walking tour on women's history #Edinburgh www.businesslifeedinburgh.com/post/a-new-t...

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Insane how quickly the racist regression is happening in this country. Decades of progress being undone in weeks, without even any laws having to be passed. Just sheer intimidation from Trump and the right, and sheer cowardice from the corporations.

submitted 13 days ago • 316 comments

New episode up now. A biography and memoir special, with Laura Thompson and @johnmitchinson.bsky.social discussing books by Nancy Mitford, Roger Lewis, Elizabeth Jane Howard, P.D. James and Jean Rhys. 📚 www.backlisted.fm/episodes/233...

submitted 14 days ago • 4 comments

Excellent thread; @danielsohege.bsky.social and @zoejardiniere.bsky.social are two of my favourite people on here who talk about migration, it's refreshing to see people who know what they are talking about.

submitted 14 days ago • 3 comments

Horrified by news of our friend & fellow bookseller Mahmoud being arrested by Israeli forces alongside his nephew. A tireless campaigner for the power of literature, Mahmoud was in Edinburgh with us just months ago - please join call for their release! #Booksky www.theguardian.com/world/2025/f...

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Back then I was like all young professors tend to be: "I knew nothing, but I believed a lot." — Moominpappa

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Also don’t forget the Bridport Prize also has the Never Too Late Award for Writers Over 60. Please share :)

submitted 15 days ago • 5 comments

This is such a compelling watch.

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Curtis Brown Creative offer a series of breakthrough scholarships, bursaries, courses and mentoring for new writers, writers of colour and writers on low income and others. Details in the link. Please share :)

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Kew’s rescue mission: arborists head to Scotland after hundreds of trees and plants felled by Storm Éowyn - @donnalferguson.bsky.social reports 🌳🌲👇🏾 www.theguardian.com/environment/...

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Not a review, but a Scotsman Session at Scotsman Arts! Here are Kevin Lennon and Molly Innes in a brief scene from Dogstar Theatre Company's upcoming show The Testament Of Gideon Mack, based on the novel by James Robertson, and touring Scotland, 13 February-14 March. www.scotsman.com/arts-and-cul...

submitted 24 days ago • 1 comment

My good friend Raja Shehadeh with wise thoughts as ever. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

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www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

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We are marking the 50th anniversary of Seamus Heaney’s North with a reissued edition of the collection, reproduced in its elegant first typeface and original jacket. Out 19 June 2025: https://linktr.ee/seamusheaney Photograph of Seamus Heaney by Penny Abrahams.

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Space, time, money and support on offer for writers based in/near Edinburgh. Details here: cityofliterature.com/writers-room...

submitted 19 days ago • 2 comments

We need theatres outwith city centres, serving local communities and increasing access to the arts. Strange decision by Creative Scotland

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YOUR CARABAO CUP FINALISTS 😍

submitted 19 days ago • 18 comments

"Mikel Arteta, it must be the ball" #NUFC fans chant. #NUFC #AFC #CarabaoCup

submitted 19 days ago • 3 comments

This ball is a reet funny shape, eh? 🤣 #nufc #carabaocup

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Shortlist announced - so many fab plays. Im honoured to be a judge for this important prize www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/f...

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Here is the recording of our #SupportPlaywrights Ask A Literary Agent Q&A with Jessica Jones of Independent Talent & Camilla Young of Curtis Brown, led by me, @mogster.bsky.social & Jane Christie. 90 mins of brill questions and even briller answers. www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdY7... Please share.

submitted 21 days ago • 1 comment

There are also a bunch of new artistic directors north of the border, including Alan Cumming at Pitlochry, Jemima Levick at Glasgow’s Tron & James Brining at Edinburgh’s Lyceum www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/f...

submitted 22 days ago • 1 comment

We’ve been watching Wolf Hall, a fascinating study of how the fragile male ego of a fickle, greedy despot creates a culture of deep cruelty and mistrust, where everyone lives in fear of saying the wrong thing. Thank goodness we’ve moved on from those times.

submitted 23 days ago • 214 comments

I’m giving away a copy I got @lighthousebks.bsky.social Pls share. This short but vital book links past & present fascism & offers hope. ‘In 1937 the Nazis staged a show of stolen art showing the 'perverse Jewish spirit'…It also had work by foreign or queer artists…’ By @suchmayer.bsky.social

submitted 22 days ago • 2 comments

The astronomical sky above Edinburgh and Lothian – February 2025 A parade of all seven planets will be in the February sky plus an occultation ofMars and Venus at greatest brilliancy all year make for a memorable month ofsky watching. The Sun leaves Capricornus (The Sea Goat) on 15 February at…

submitted 24 days ago • 0 comments

Keen to hear from as many cultural events, theatres, festivals, arts centres, organise & freelances as possible on Creative Scotland’s funding decisions. Feel free to email or DM me. CS aren’t planning to disclose which applications have been rejected, but I certainly want to hear about them!

submitted 26 days ago • 2 comments

A wee bit of news from me in a big week for Scottish culture. Next week will be my last as The Scotsman's Arts Correspondent and with Scotsman Publications.

submitted 26 days ago • 6 comments

Welcome to the National Library of Scotland's Bluesky account! We're chuffed to be joining you all here 🦋 Lets run through some introductions!

submitted 26 days ago • 38 comments

So the secret is out. The ITV team that made Mr Bates vs the Post Office has been making a drama about the phone-hacking scandal. Featuring David Tennant as Nick Davies. And Mr Bates himself (aka Toby Jones) as me. An altogether less heroic role for Toby, but he’s brilliant as always

submitted 26 days ago • 51 comments