Dr Deborah Siddoway

Nothing like a bit of book post. @galleybeggars.bsky.social

@dickenssociety.bsky.social the Christmas window display at Fenwicks in Newcastle is A Christmas Carol! I’ll make a visit and report back soon.

Just under two weeks left to enter the annual GBP Short Story Prize - one of the highlights of our year, and where, for 2025/26, we'll be joined by two brilliant writers and one brilliant literary agent as judges (Sam Mills, Selby Wynn Schwartz, and Sebastian Godwin:

www.galleybeggar.co.uk/prize

Finished all my prep for the upcoming Dickens Day on 11 October, where the theme is Dickens and Art. I'll be talking about the use of art in Hard Times. So what does this 1842 watercolour have to do with Hard Times? A good question. You can still register to attend: www.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...

Hilary Mantel championed emerging writers - a new prize in her memory will help them get published Judged by Maggie O’Farrell, Ben Miles and Chigozie Obioma, the Hilary Mantel prize will recognise emerging talent, and pay tribute to the Wolf Hall author’s legacy

'A panel of five judges, chaired by O’Farrell, will assess 15,000 words of a novel in progress, and both winner and runner-up will receive not only money, but mentoring from Mantel’s literary agency, AM Heath; the publishing house John Murray; and the creative writing charity Arvon.'

I’ll be talking about the use of art in Hard Times at the upcoming coming Dickens Day. This novel has been a focus of mine for the last few years even as I completed my PhD. Looking forward to seeing my fellow
Dickensian soon.

Writing my paper for #Dickens Day, and having far too much fun. I have been obsessed with Hard Times for the last few years, and I have noticed so much about the little things Dickens wove into the book, art included. You can hear me speak on 11 October in London. ies.sas.ac.uk/news-events/...

We think the best way for #WomenWriters to overcome patriarchy is to support and promote each other. We aim to raise awareness, boost confidence and keep Bluesky friendly.

Would you like to join us? Follow #WomenWritersNet for details about our monthly chats.

Sunday reading and this time it’s close to home for me. My Grandad was a mining man. I remember him with love and fondness. But I always remember what he could have been had he not been sent into the pits before he had a chance to figure out the man he wanted to be. #miningmen

Friday night reading with my own best dog. I’m so grateful for people like @niallharbison.bsky.social who work hard to make the lives of dogs better.

It was the first novel he was able to write after the separation from his wife. I love contemplating how his own personal issues were feeding the emotional intensity of his writing.

It’s one of my favourite Dickensian endings.

Really informative and engaging. I spared you a couple of questions I had but might email you for some references later.

Looking forward to this talk tonight with @shelbyjudge.bsky.social

Given the horror story that was the last Dickensian adaptation (yes I am taking about THAT Great expectations) this can only offer an improvement on the art of the adaptation.

Just started this book while enjoying my lunch. I want to keep reading. Believe the hype. So far it has been utterly captivating.

Hi, Bluesky! 👋 We’re excited to be here. Our official move from Twitter/X happens on 1 September, but we’re already settling in. Follow us for writerly news and good conversation - including monthly Bluesky chats! 💙 #WritingCommunity

An interesting article in The Telegraph which picks up on the way Dickens treated the women in his life. Was he a bad person? Or is it fairer to say he was a flawed man of his time who made some poor choices (as they impacted on Catherine and Ellen)? And does this change how we read his work?

This is great advice. Until the time comes when you have to let a character you have embraced with the whole of your heart die, and you are sitting at your keyboard, with tears streaming down your face, not wanting to write what must be written, but putting it down on the page anyway.

a man in a blue sweater says that he needs to lay down ALT: a man in a blue sweater says that he needs to lay down

Me after coming back to my desk after two weeks of not looking at my emails:

We are now recruiting a new Commissioning Editor for fiction. Like all Faber editors, they will publish with dynamism and creativity, sensitivity and bravery – apply by 7 September.

faber.co.uk/careers/fiction-commissioning-editor/

a man standing in front of a mirror with the name charles dickens on the bottom right ALT: a man standing in front of a mirror with the name charles dickens on the bottom right

Doing a deep dive into a new area of Dickens research for me, and I realise there is still so much I do not know about his life. As a person, was he flawed? Yes, of course he was. But how he lived his life, and the way he manifested his experiences in his writing will never not be fascinating.

From 1 September, this will be our main home online. We’re migrating from Twitter/X and moving here to Bluesky. It’s exciting, and we look forward to many engaging conversations - including Bluesky chats! Thanks for finding us! #WritingCommunity

One of the best things about seeing the Lionesses win tonight was how proud they are to be part of the England team. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Penalties. I just can’t watch.

This is agony!

Let’s go Lionesses!

When it’s a reading kind of a morning, you pick a book of your TBR pile and open it up and just smile. I think I’ve picked the right book for me today.

Millbank Penitentiary, where Mary Furley was imprisoned after her death sentence was commuted to transportation for seven years.

I'm writing up the findings of my research, as well as the background to the criminal prosecution, over the next couple of days.