Jen Matthews

Just picked up my copy today at vibes and scribes in cork 💙

I feel like most Irish and British writers who complain about being silenced have never done anything as brave as what Naoise has done here

Welcome home Sarah. All eyes on Gaza.

“The opportunity to move from despair to action.” 👏👏👏

Cover of An Alternative Irish Christmas: An Anthology. Green background, with the title in gold, there is a gold tree and the star on top is the Tramp Press logo

Contents page of An Alternative Irish Christmas, listing stories by: Jessica Traynor, Sophie White, Mike McCormack, Roisin Kiberd, Niall Bourke, Maggie Armstrong, Arja Kajermo, Sue Rainsford, Soula Emmanuel, Briana Fitzsimons, Belinda McKeon, Tim MacGabhann, and Anne Enright.

We are delighted to share the cover for a very special project we've been working on for Christmas 2025! An Alternative Irish Christmas is an anthology of stories, in traditional, unusual, extract, and essay form by some of our favourite authors. 1/🧵

Greta Thunberg gives her first words after she was released from Israeli prison where she was beat and forced to kiss the Israeli flag. She says the story is not about them, the story is about Gaza.

Aldi Pretty Horses

‘Really shocking’: Independent Dublin bookstore damaged in arson attack Books Upstairs manager hopes to partially open the D’Olier Street store later on Monday

A great shop that’s so supportivr of writers, and run by the best people. They’re open today if you’re passing, or you can buy a book via their website. @booksupstairs.bsky.social www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/20...

👏👏👏👏

Via Sarah Clancy's partner Anne Mulhall:

"Friends I am so happy to tell you that Sarah and all the Irish flotilla heroes are in the air flying to Athens and will all be on flights home to Dublin tonight or tomorrow.
Sarah will be arriving into Dublin airport at 11pm tonight."

Cover of poetry book “Tides Shifting Across My Sitting Room Floor” by Anne Tannam

Poem “Feral” by Anne Tannam

“Are you well?
Such a useless question.”

Binging Anne Tannam this morning and have had two lovely cries already by page 25.

Thank you!!

If I may make a suggestion, call your local TDs and councillors. Being a constituent is important to these people, they hate hearing from us.

There are lots of actions around the country in support of the Global Sumud Flotilla and Palestine today. #LiftTheSiege

What’s next? It’s not enough. I’ll email too, but facing that wall of WTF helplessness. If there’s any literary folks organising to take action please DM me. I’m not strong in the steering/ideas/leadership side of things, but am good at the boring logistical and admin stuff people normally hate. 2/2

Just rang Dept of Foreign Affairs and was read an official statement that was an essentially a PFO. (BTW The woman on the line was very helpful, and I have no doubt they’ve put this down to someone who has no input or control.) She explained that they were noting the phone calls received. (1/2)

Absolutely. Xxx

The whole thing is so unrelenting and brutal.

I’m so absorbed with worry about @sarahmaintains.bsky.social. I know so many of us are. She is the goodest of good eggs and one of the few people that actively fight for a better world in a meaningful way. This pain in our corner of the world— I cannot conceive of the pain in Gaza.

Thinking of @sarahmaintains.bsky.social and the other Irish citizens who are part of the @freedomflotilla.bsky.social, and have been detained by the IDF who illegally intercepted them in international waters.

Here is Sarah’s poem, ‘If I had any other thing’:

Sarah Clancy and Chris Andrews have both been kidnapped by the IDF.
Contact Dept of Foreign Affairs:
Address:
Iveagh House, 80 St Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, D02 VY53
Website:
www.ireland.ie/dfa
Telephone:
+353 1 408 2000 #globalsumudflotilla

Global Sumud Flotilla Statement - Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann 2 October August 2025 Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann is gravely concerned about the abduction of poet Sarah Clancy, one of several Irish citizens taking part in the Global Sumud Flotilla. The flotilla was ...

here is the @irishpen.bsky.social statement on the Global Sumud Flotilla

irishpen.com/2025/10/02/g...

Can't wait for the Dublin launch of New Arcana, happening tomorrow at @gutterbookshop.bsky.social with the wonderful Seán Hewitt. Come join us 🔮✨️

@bloodaxebooks.bsky.social

Ah enjoy Jess 👏👏👏

Ever wonder how Shirley Jackson went about writing The Lottery? Well, here you go. This is my 9th Jackson of the year and it was full of many such overlooked gems #MyYearWithSJ

What a queen. Spot on for small town politics.

Contact your elected reps to demand a diplomatic intervention to keep humanitarians safe.

Banshee Press is open for book submissions from 1-15 October — Banshee Press Banshee Press is open for book-length submissions of fiction, poetry and memoir from 1-15 October 2025 . All submitted manuscripts will be considered for our 2027 and 2028 lists (and perhaps beyond)....

@bansheepress.bsky.social open for book submissions from 1-15 Oct 👇

(Pl read the sub guidelines.)

bansheepress.org/read/banshee...

Ooh brilliant to be getting a chunk of unbroken sleep.

Credible threats to three Clare activists en route to Gaza - The Clare Champion A credible threat to sink the boats carrying three Clare based activists in the Mediterranean was received by the Global Sumud Flotilla yesterday evening, September 24. Speaking to The Clare Champion ...

clarechampion.ie/credible-thr...