Jo Weston

A Poetry Award That Puts Poets First – And You Can Make It Happen - The Broken Spine Poets deserve more than empty prestige. They deserve real recognition, real opportunities, and real support. That is why I am launching The Broken Spine

A poet should never have to sell their soul just to enter a competition. That’s why #TheBrokenSpinePoetryAward will be free to enter—but only if we hit £5,000. No haunted arts council funding here, just pure community support. Will you help? 🔗

Angela Rayner accidentally pays less tax than she should have, resigns, and the media gives her hell.

Nigel Farage deliberately pays less tax than he should have, and the media gives him a free pass.

That, right there, is the problem.

Reform: Stop hiding from press scrutiny! Nigel Farage says he welcomes freedom of speech, even if people find it offensive. Surely that should apply to freedom of the press too? So why have Reform's Nottinghamshire councillors - who control ...

you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/re...

Watch online: Ilan Pappé & Avi Shlaim: The Long and the Short of Israel and Palestine From Wed 13 Aug - Ilan Pappé and Avi Shlaim have decades of experience in analysing Israel and Palestine, and their impact on individuals, the region, and the rest of the world. Expect a progressive a...

I recommend looking at this year's @edbookfest offering for online events.
I'm a chat moderator again this yr, + there's been lots of fascinating + informative stuff already, including this which helped me understand what's happening in Israel and Palestine:
www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival...

A screen shot of my Ticket tailor page yo book one of my Unbox Your Words workshops. One the left hand side is a white square with Unbox Your Words in several.colours, underneath is the text Unbox 1Hour writing muscle workout sept2025, tues2 Sep 2025 7pm to8pm BST, online, zoom. On the right is a black square with the words Unbox Your Words : Permission to play, and under, Unbox Your Words Art of the Swerve writing workshop, Sunday 21 Sept 2025 7pm - 8.30 pm BST, Online, Zoom

Screen shot of the four ticket options for my Zoom workshops: general admission, free place, concession and pay-what-you-can.

I never want cost to keep anyone from joining my zoom writing workshops so there are always free, concessionary and pay-what-you-can options. Find out more about my Sept Writing Muscle & Art of the Swerve workshops here - join us, whatever word-shapes you write! www.tickettailor.com/events/tania...

Today I start work again as a chat moderator for the @edbookfest online events.

Take a look at all the wonderful events you can watch online (options to buy a ticket, make a donation or watch for free if you can't afford to pay).

#BookFestival

www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival...

Scientists find link between genes and ME/chronic fatigue syndrome Large study suggests people’s genetics could ‘tip the balance’ on whether they would develop the illness Scientists have found the first robust evidence that people’s genes affect their chances of developing myalgic encephalomyelitis or chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a mysterious and debilitating illness that has been neglected and dismissed for decades by many in the medical community. Early findings from the world’s largest study into the genetics of the condition pinpointed eight regions of the human genome that were substantially different in people with an ME/CFS diagnosis compared to those without the illness. Continue reading...

Scientists find link between genes and ME/chronic fatigue syndrome

Initial DecodeME DNA Results - DecodeME 06 August 2025 The DecodeME team is delighted to announce that the initial analysis of 15,579 DNA samples is complete, and we have important news to share. Main findings from our analysis  Your genes ...

I've had M.E. for over 20 yrs and am proud to have contributed to this study by @decodemestudy.bsky.social

"Your genes contribute to your chances of developing #MECFS... 8 genetic signals have been identified... indicating immunological and neurological causes."

www.decodeme.org.uk/initial-dna-...

Banner image also includes a smaller image of three spoons that are joined at the base. Text is the same as the post.

Spoonie Author Chat (for creatives who manage spoons), August 4, 2025:

Calling all cover artists!
(No, not you, generative Al. Go away.)

Human cover artists:
Where can we learn more about you and your work?

Please quote-post and add
#SpoonieAuthChat to your replies!) #WritingCommunity

Nominate a charity - Movement for Good Nominate a charity for a Movement for Good award now.

Just a little ask... this draw closes at midnight tonight (Sunday 27th July). Please nominate us.
Key in their charity number 801279. We're in the health section.
Nominate us here:
movementforgood.com
#mecfs #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #MEAssociation

Done!

Better 20 years late than never.

'‘will introduce new training for #NHS #healthcare professionals... to increase understanding and ensure signs aren’t missed’.

‘This will help combat the stigma faced by people living with #MECFS , which stems from a lack of awareness about the condition'.

Lift-Off Approaches Come and see >>> Just a few days until the launch of The Dirigible Balloon on August 1st. We have 32 lovely poems from a dozen excellent poets with subjects that range far and wide … we ha…

Ten days until the 4th anniversary of the inaugural flight of the Dirigible Balloon. I think we should do something to celebrate. #PoetryForChildren #DirigibleBalloon
Here's a post from July 28th 2021 as lift-off approached >>>
northernjim.wordpress.com/2021/07/28/l...

'Reading rocks'
said the library fox.

“It’ll push disabled people into poverty”: Labour’s controversial welfare bill – podcast Guardian columnist Frances Ryan on the reality of being disabled in the UK and the impact of the government’s proposed cuts

For the evening podcast crowd, I’m on Today In Focus chatting about a chaotic week of disability benefits (with lots more about other things that don’t make you want to scream).

Listen here: www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2...

Clive Lewis MP @labourlewis This has now shifted beyond discipline or fiscal credibility. It's a punitive, flawed policy that weakens the safety net, harms disabled people, and risks destroying Labour's moral authority & electoral future. Voters aren't just watching what we cut - but who we protect. •

Yup

Our next online event is coming up! 🗓️💻

Every life has a story. Discover more about writing memoir and how to make it personal.

✨ Featuring former Memoir Award winners and Joe Sedgwick of The Literary Consultancy

✨ £10 / £1 tickets also available

✨ Sign up at www.crowdcast.io/c/memoir-2025

So true.

#ChronicIllness #HowToBeAnAlly

Thinking of you. You can get through this. X

Boxes of Jeyes toilet paper in a 1950s style co-op store.

Colourful sign saying 'We am Tipton'.

White woman with long blonde wavy hair, wearing a white hard hat and smiling at camera. In background, other people wearing hard hats. All are sitting in a narrow board going through a tunnel.

1950s fish and chip shop with staff dressed in 1950s style. Girl with brown hair in ponytail is serving at the counter.

Did you have this awful toilet roll at primary school, like me?
Found it at the Black Country Living Museum yesterday. If you haven't been, you should give it a go. Went 100 metres underground on a narrow boat, learnt about local history and ate 1950s style fish and chips. #Birmingham #Tipton

In three days we open for submissions for our debut poetry chapbook competition for UK poets! Full details: foxandstarbooks.org!

We're particularly keen for entries from global majority, working class, and other often marginalised writers, so please spread the word!

I admittedly stopped a couple of months ago to give my spirit a break.

But any bookshops in London with a part-time job 👋

No problem. I think it's a really relatable piece.

Last night, the House of Lords defeated the Government for a fourth time by passing an amendment establishing meaningful transparency measures for the use of rightsholders’ works in AI systems, many of which are being used without recognition, permission or remuneration. (1/3)

Order your copy here >>> dirigibleballoon.org/shop

Okay, thanks for getting back to me.

Love how these focus on individual aspects of writing a poem. @ninearchespress.bsky.social would it be possible to book on these individually, if you can't spare as much as £45?

Our first call for submissions for debut poetry chapbooks from UK poets is now up! We've set aside 20 free entries for low-income writers, and we're asking for an initial submissions of 3 poems/5 pages between 15 June and 15 July. Full details are on our website here: www.foxandstarbooks.org

Insights I've Gained from Dating with Chronic Illness & Disability. (Two people clink wine glasses whilst having a meal at a restaurant.)

“There is no perfect partner or #relationship. Every single person brings a new dynamic to a relationship. There are pros and cons to each dynamic. Decide what matters most to you most.”: buff.ly/8K8QVE1

#DatingTips #ChronicIllness #RelationshipGoals #MondayBlogs