Simon Guerrier

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Passionate about connecting historic books and archives with communities, readers and researchers?...

The Day of the Triffids

A number of films have been donated by a former BBC employee. With these were reel-to-reel recordings made in August 1968 of ‘The Day of the Triffids’, which had been broadcast on Radio 4 FM in June and July that year. These copies are of very high quality.

I’m looking for speakers for a London event on the science of Star Trek. I’d really appreciate suggestions from underrepresented minorities in STEM, especially PoC/global majority.
(10 min, central London, Sept, currently unpaid but I’m trying to fix that)
Feel free to message

In a world of lies, we need the BBC more than ever. This week could be our last chance to save it | Polly Toynbee As the public consultation on the BBC nears its end, the right will be out in force to undermine it. But its supporters can do their bit – with this guidance, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee

‘All those who care about the BBC’s future should hurry and send in their response before 10 March.

Despite strong public support for the national broadcaster, you can bet battalions of enemies driven by the right will be out in force to undermine it.’

Redacted emails raise questions over the BBC’s relationsh... Internal BBC emails show how a project that may have shed light on the broadcaster’s negotiations with the royal household was quietly shelved

The BBC WAC Campaign has after months of chasing through FOI uncovered the motivation for the 11th hour pulling of a public catalogue of its written archives. This falls short of the basic requirement of a major archive as well as the Charter itself.

£ but see reply.
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

The House of Lords Digital & Communications Committee just published their report on AI, copyright & the creative industries, and their conclusions could not be clearer.

🧵 1/5

They do. Single reader qualifies for PLR, too.

FWIW, “Beyond the Sun” was a working title for Serial B (The Daleks aka The Mutants aka Exciting Adventure) and not Serial C (which the production team or the time called Inside the Spaceship).

It's WORLD BOOK DAY, so here's a 10% off voucher for any book on the Obverse website.

WBD2026

obversebooks.co.uk

(and now I'm off to send @nickmcampbell.bsky.social a nice, neatly copy-edited version of his BEYOND THE ANNUAL YEARS book!)

Photograph of front covers of 10 books by Terrance Dicks. Top row: Doctor Who and the Keeper of Traken; Doctor Who and the Auton Invasion; The Adventures of K9; Dalek Special; and Shakedown. Bottom row: The Adventures of David and Goliath - Sports Day; T.R. Bear Afloat; The Camden School Kids School Fair; War of the Witches; and Wereboy!

It's #WorldBookDay and while archives don't tend to be somewhere you find a lot of published books, our new Terrance Dicks Archive came with a full library of his works - and who were we to say no? Let us know if you spot an old favourite among this (very select) selection 📖

Tales of the Suburbs by John Grindrod review – an entertaining alternative history of queer Britain From London’s commuter belt to the country village gay club, these portraits of LGBTQ+ life are filled with humour, compassion and observational flair

Tales of the Suburbs is Book of the Day in the Guardian! ‘This fantastically entertaining alternative history of queer life in Britain’ www.theguardian.com/books/2026/m...

At 4pm on Saturday the 7th, BBC Radio 4 Extra are re-broadcast my adaptation of Iain M. Banks’ ‘The State of the Art’ starring the late Sir Antony Sher as the ship. So pleased that’s going to be out there again.

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David Ferguson suggests some starting points for enjoying a huge range of Doctor Who adventures never seen on TV…

https://downthetubes.net/five-places-to-start-listening-to-doctor-who-audio-adventures/

Kenith Trodd obituary: firebrand TV producer and Dennis Potter’s right-hand man Trodd, who has died aged 90, was the bold and influential producer behind Dennis Potter’s greatest works, championing radical drama and shaping British television with a lifelong commitment to creativ...

We lost Kenith Trodd last weekend, a brilliant producer and forward-thinking man who believed deeply in television and the British screen. He was ahead of his time in many ways. "A film is a film is a film."

My tribute is now up on the BFI website: www.bfi.org.uk/news/kenith-...

Portico Library appoints Susie Diggines as chair of trustees

The Portico Library in Manchester has appointed Susie Diggines as its new chair of trustees 👇 #BookSky

Cover of Geraint Franklin’s book High-Tech Britain, showing the Lloyds Building

Congratulations @geraintfranklin.bsky.social on your sparkly new book, High-Tech Britain, out tomorrow

This needs to be done because Sylvia Townsend Warner deserves all the remembering we can manage

The cover for Uncanny Magazine Issue 69, "Kuolonuni" by Broci: A femme-looking figure with blue-green wavy hair and red eyes stands with one hand atop the other, open palmed up, a blue-pedaled flower with yellow stamens floats above centered to their chest. On their head is a pale blue snake with red eyes curled like a circlet. Their sleeves are pink, and their shoulders have wavy, yellow feathers or hair attached to a yellow and pink high collar. Behind them, green lily pads crowd each other out in a black background. The whole image has a hand-drawn look, with the colors textured like watercolors on paper. In white text is the "Uncanny" banner, "March/April 2026," Issue Sixty-Nine," and the artist, writer, essayist, poets, and Uncanny staff credits.

Uncanny Magazine Issue 69 Part 1 features all-new short fiction by Angela Liu, Anjali Sachdeva, and Stephen Graham Jones! buff.ly/VcNzPe8

I’ve just sat in the garden for my lunch break and finished reading a daft book

I will never not adore "and allies" in a fieldguide title. Don't mess with the grasshoppers or the earwigs and crickets and cockroaches will fuck you up

Promise I'll get some pink stuff before publication day.

I once sat next to him at a dinner at an academic conference, where he overheard that I was interested in sci-fi and asked, very gravely, whether I though Cold Lazarus was a bit Blake’s 7.

Very sad to hear from his wife that Kenith Trodd passed away on Sunday. A brilliant, fearless maker of tv and film, including a long and lively partnership with Dennis Potter. It was an honour to know him and interview him about his illustrious career. www.screenonline.org.uk/people/id/14...

Interview: Mock elections for people with learning disabilities in Bexley With local elections imminent, there’s lots of talk about what councils can and should be doing to engage residents in the process — especially those residents who, for one reason or another, don’t us...

Thing from my day job: I spoke to the team at Bexley Council who have organised mock elections for adult with learning disabilities: socialcare.today/2026/02/26/i...

We’re not told specifically in the text of the book

amazing cover for a fascinating moment in time. the advent of containerisation famously ended the London Docklands as actual docks (because container ships are incredibly big and wouldn't be able to travel up the Thames)

The Widow of Bath, by Margot Bennett

Loved it, the last third particularly. In case of interest: 0tralala.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-...

“Bombastic side eye” says my resident expert (9), approvingly.

More of this, please and thank you

YouTube video by Play For Forever Play for Today - Love Letters on Blue Paper (1976) by Arnold Wesker & Waris Hussein FULL FILM

Richard Pasco, Elizabeth Spriggs and Patrick Troughton in Play for Today - Love Letters on Blue Paper by Arnold Wesker, directed by Waris Hussein (2nd March 1976)

youtu.be/_mfywL3znkY?...