James Sharpe

Ok, it's too hot. The cat is too hot and is trying to sleep in unusual places sandwiched against the skirting board (are skirting boards a natural cat coolant?) I want ice cream but managed to give myself a coffee headache rendering myself unmotivated to leave the house. It's all going well here.

Loved your book Tania! I also have your poetry books scattered around the house to encourage me to read a poem rather than look at my phone :)

Recent reads:
- A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers
- The City and its Uncertain Walls - Haruki Murakami
- Extremophile - Ian Green
- The Ministry of Time - Kaliane Bradley
- The Lamb - Lucy Rose
- Go On - Tania Hersham
- The Wall - Marlen Haushofer

One of the questions I’m asked most is about feedback and mentorship for nonfiction writers - well, I’m offering a new service via Hinterland. So, if you’re a nonfiction writer in need of a close read of your manuscript or in search of a mentor to help develop your writing, check it out.

And of course I’ve hidden a cipher in the above message. But in order to decode it you’ll have to read 8 books on my bookshelf and find the code I scratched into a crack in the back of a door. #BluePrince

So I think I’ve reached my limit with Blue Prince. I would have to transcend to another level consciousness to conquer the final puzzles by myself. It’s become more fun to sit with my partner while she plays and work together. She’s already transcended and returned to this plain of reality.

I made it in 32 days! But there's SO much to do post door 46 that's making my brain hurt.

At the top of the graphic is the text: "Free place on our residential Arvon Shorts course for a writer from an underrepresented community!". Below is a screenshot from the Arvon website, with the title "Residential writing course: Shorts", ahd the subtitle "Short fiction, non-fiction, poetry and hybrids", Tutors Tania Hershman and Holly Corfield Carr, Guest tutor Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa, Date Monday August 18th - Sat August 23rd 2025, Location Totleigh Barton

Applications open for 1 *FREE* place for writer from an underrepresented community on our "Shorts: short fic, poetry, non fic & hybrids" residential @arvonfoundation.bsky.social course in Aug. Email taniah@gmail.com by 4 Jun telling me how you're eligible & why this particular course interests you!

The short version of this is 'Some men (and it is men) are simply not mentally equipped to read science fiction, it's too much for them, they can't handle it'

My son works for this company here in the U.K.

It was playing the video game ‘Deus Ex’ that set him on the path to becoming a Biomechanical Engineer.

Sometimes, it’s nice to highlight the good things that video games can do. And also remind myself just how proud of him I am.

Pretty sickened by UK's Supreme Court 🤮

So I'm opening my submission inbox to unagented trans authors in the UK until the END OF APRIL. I'm not currently open to general subs BUT if you're a trans author writing folk horror, weird, experimental, mystery, literary/upmkt fiction, take a look below 👇

Why publishers, film studios, and television makers aren't kicking these fuckers doors down, putting a stop to this and suing them out of existence is beyond me.

More journalists need to talk about this the way Japanese articles do

New season of White Lotus should be set in Skegness.

They have to remove 15% of emotion from each episode.

Today, we'll be joining the @societyofauthors.bsky.social outside Meta's offices to protest the use of pirated works to train their AI models.

Join us if you can! More info: societyofauthors.org/2025/04/03/u...

From the DeepSpaceNine community on Reddit: For anyone who wants to watch DS9 in order with the TNG movies or Voyager. I made a guide on the least annoying way to watch all of 90’s era Star Trek in ch... Explore this post and more from the DeepSpaceNine community

This is the order we’ve been following. Nice and simple: www.reddit.com/r/DeepSpaceN...

We’ve been watching 90s Star Trek in story order. Other than few stops by DS9, we’ve just finished TNG. I’d forgotten how fantastic the finale All Good Things… is. Brilliantly written, acted and a noticeable step up in direction. We’ll miss Mr Picard and team until we hit the first film.

4 panel comic Panel 1: Weird Pink Potato Guy struts down the street saying: “Tee Hee Hee. Can’t wait to get home and post more AI Studio Ghibli content on the internet” Panel 2: Potato Guy arrives at his front door, looks directly at reader and says “I’m A Artist. Panel 3: Potato Guy disappears inside his house Panel 4: Potato Guy whistling in the foreground, taking off his hat. He has failed to notice the man in the shadows. It’s Miyazaki, and he’s screwing a silencer on to a pistol…

to the people posting Studio Ghibli AI slop. May Miyazaki bless you 🙏

A tiny cat called Panko who is black and white and ginger and grey and looks like she’s wearing eyeliner. She’s standing over a pile of hardback books wondering what she might read. Hours after this was taken, Panko had to go to the vets for her first ever checkup. She was a very good girl and even turned into a catloaf on the vets table. She was rewarded with cat biscuits and a big cuddle. She a good girl.

Timeline cleanse: here’s Panko inspecting the pile of books on my desk. She’s approves. I think.

Sadly I didn’t get the chance to head into the city proper. Also, I don’t like Heineken.

A medium glass of Heineken on a Heineken beer mat. This alt text is sponsored by Heineken. If you drink Heineken then your Heineken aura will be replenished.

I went to Amsterdam for a day this week for a work thing and this was the only photo I took.

YouTube video by Great Big Story A Spirited Journey to Kyoto’s Most Isolated Restaurant

I love STUDIO4℃ and collaborated with them on some animation for a film I produced and directed back in 2017.
youtu.be/9_0_OBy8LsY?...

YouTube video by Warner Bros. Japan Anime 【特報】ALL YOU NEED IS KILL ティザーPV／“ALL YOU NEED IS KILL” 1st teaser trailer

Just look at this gorgeous animation for All You Need Is Kill!
youtu.be/glIY7aowcPU?...

Let’s all please remember that the Guardian *did a deal* with OpenAI which they disclose elsewhere on their website but not within the increasing batter of sycophantic propaganda dribble they are masquerading as articles

I’m really enjoying Severance season 2 but I’m feeling quite disconnected from the story. Season one was SO tight and simple (to an extent) and funny. Maybe it’s the week-by-week viewing. Maybe it’s opened the world up too much too quickly. Maybe the characters are lacking any real focused goal.

My favourite genres are

5. oooh look, rain

4. it was all a dream

3. let's sing La Marseilles at Nazis until they shut up and sit down

2. space western

1. Let's cook

Haha, thanks! Maybe I'll do a more positive list too.

My favourite genres are

5. I’m slipping through the boundaries of reality and I’m quite sad

4. We don’t know what’s going on and the world is strange

3. Memories are malleable

2. Murder mystery in a small town but it’s a weird headfuck

1. Existential crisis in a near future capitalist hellscape

BLOODY HELL