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Francesca Steele

@francescasteele.bsky.social

Freelance journalist with a focus on film. Former Senior Writer @thetimes.com Host of the writing podcast Write-Off. Agent: Laura Macdougall at UA, Insta @francescasteelewrites Recovered from #longcovid

2,010 Followers  |  1,554 Following  |  74 Posts  |  Joined: 14.11.2024  |  1.8446

Latest posts by francescasteele.bsky.social on Bluesky


Any primary/prep school teachers follow me on here?

27.11.2025 13:52 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Hi Scott, Iโ€™m writing about The Salt Path debacle. Would love to quote you, is there a way I can contact you? Thanks!

08.07.2025 17:57 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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When good movies turn baaaaaad.... 28 Years Later and why I've got the Rage

Nope I DIDNโ€™T hate 28 Years Later, just bits of it. The first half is a folk horror, fever dreamt masterpieceโ€ฆ read here, and SUBSCRIBE! Purlease and thank you culturetrash.substack.com/p/when-good-...

23.06.2025 10:30 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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When good movies turn baaaaaad.... 28 Years Later and why I've got the Rage

I went to see 28 Years Later and now Iโ€™ve got the RAGE open.substack.com/pub/culturet...

20.06.2025 08:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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The Ballad of Wallis Island review: Gig economy The humour might be inconsistent, but thereโ€™s real chemistry between Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan as former lovers and bandmates who meet again for a well paid one-off gig.

The humour might be inconsistent, but thereโ€™s real chemistry between Tom Basden and Carey Mulligan as former lovers and bandmates who meet again for a well paid one-off gig.

@francescasteele.bsky.social reviews The Ballad of Wallis Island, out now. www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-so...

01.06.2025 17:25 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 8    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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I want to talk to you about horror (stay with me!). And blenders.

Itโ€™s my first proper Substack post. Please do subscribe! open.substack.com/pub/culturet...

15.05.2025 07:50 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 3    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Guys I did a substack open.substack.com/pub/culturet...

14.05.2025 07:47 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 2    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Have you been to the full moon party in Thailand? Send me you anecdotes good and bad pls! Can definitely be anonymous

17.03.2025 14:26 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 1

I am looking to speak to people who have moved back into London (or another city) after moving out to the country for years. Esp if theyโ€™ve moved back for retirement. Please get in touch!

13.03.2025 10:04 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Your favourite Agatha Christies, go!

04.03.2025 20:08 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Itโ€™s Meghan SUSSEX not Markle, Christ, Mindy.

04.03.2025 09:53 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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So far Iโ€™m worried for poor Daniel that he will spend his entire stay chez Sussex laboriously admiring Meghan and never get a chance to try out those homemade bath salts..

04.03.2025 09:11 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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For a film critic I have a shamefully high tolerance for crap TV. Will Meghan get me in the end? Stay tuned!!

04.03.2025 09:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

There is a man in my co-working space who taps his foot ALL the time and it is slowly driving me utterly, utterly round the bend

13.02.2025 11:55 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

In a reading funk - I want to read something clever but also fun and light, domestic fiction probably, am thinking Such a Fun Age, Pineapple Street, that sorta thing.

Any thoughts?

12.02.2025 18:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 2    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Mine too. Hero

05.02.2025 11:18 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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Dav Pilkey on Dog Man: โ€˜Parents should let kids pick the books they want to readโ€™ The childrenโ€™s author has sold more than 140 million copies of his comic books โ€” as a new film opens, he talks about how he got the world reading

LOVED interviewing the supa Dog Man author Dav Pilkey for @thetimes.com about writing his way out of trouble as a kid and why parents should chill out about comic books.

The very enjoyable Dog Man film is out this Friday fyi ๐Ÿ•๐Ÿ‘ฎโ€โ™‚๏ธ www.thetimes.com/culture/film...

05.02.2025 11:12 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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๐ŸŽž๏ธ From Cameron Diaz to Keira Knightley, a flurry of high-profile actresses are making their comebacks

๐Ÿ–‹๏ธ @francescasteele.bsky.social

๐Ÿ”— inews.co.uk/culture/film...

04.02.2025 14:09 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 4    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Just meeeeeet meeee at theโ€ฆ apt apt apt apt apt apt apt apt

21.01.2025 14:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Ooh thanks! Can you add us pls @sianushka.bsky.social ?

21.01.2025 11:50 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Back on here after a hiatus, hoping madly for things that are the opposite of did they didnโ€™t they Nazi salutes

21.01.2025 11:34 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Ooh I want to be on this one pls, where is it?

21.01.2025 11:33 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
Help! I turned into my father at 43 New research suggesting that is the age at which we become our parents is true, says Stuart Heritage

Itโ€™s fine donโ€™t panic itโ€™s just me having a mild midlife crisis in @thetimes.com

Hair dye, tattoos and learning guitar in your 40s. Sad or VERY COOL?

www.thetimes.com/article/f0f7...

21.01.2025 10:05 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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โ˜…โ˜…

๐ŸŽฅ We Live in Time, starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield, too often leans on cliche - and its underlying message is startlingly regressive

๐Ÿ–‹๏ธ @francescasteele.bsky.social

๐Ÿ”— trib.al/ZnXhTnv

01.01.2025 10:30 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 1    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

I didnโ€™t like, sorry!

30.12.2024 13:14 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0
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The Split: Barcelona is trite and melodramatic At this time of year we want warm and cuddly dramas - but this feels like a telenovela

Truly, I am sorry inews.co.uk/culture/spli... @inews.co.uk

30.12.2024 12:13 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 2    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 1    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

EM looks about five here

21.12.2024 09:39 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Do I know any party planners on here? ๐ŸŽˆ๐Ÿฅณ๐Ÿพ

18.12.2024 14:32 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 1    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

Writers: yes, you are still a "real" writer if you
- have never published anything
- have no readers
- didn't write anything this month
- didn't write anything this year
- can't articulate words anymore
- can only float and mournfully wail
- were murdered ten years ago on this very spot

02.12.2024 19:59 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 19673    ๐Ÿ” 3232    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 404    ๐Ÿ“Œ 161
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H delighted to meet the marvellous @cressidacowell.bsky.social this morning, and tickled by the idea of training his viking in her excellent-looking new short story collection

30.11.2024 12:15 โ€” ๐Ÿ‘ 0    ๐Ÿ” 0    ๐Ÿ’ฌ 0    ๐Ÿ“Œ 0

@francescasteele is following 19 prominent accounts