@iancritchley.bsky.social
Writer and Editor | Winner Hammond House, HISSAC | Stories in Best British Short Stories, Mechanics Institute Review, Structo, Lighthouse, Litro, Fiction Desk and others | Short story chapbook published by Nightjar Press iancritchley.com
It's PUBLICATION DAY for my debut novel, IN THE DESERT!
I've been writing for decades (many) and this is such a hugely big day for me.
Thank you so much to my publisher @cowboyjamboree.bsky.social for believing in this book and to everyone who has helped along the way!
Links to buy in thread 1/
Congrats Barb! Have a great day x
03.03.2026 09:15 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Posted a short story yesterday on the blog. Inspired by the Cottingley fairies and the repitiousness of Elden Ring. kieranstorieswriter.wordpress.com/2026/03/01/i...
02.03.2026 06:41 — 👍 0 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0Excited to be making my stage debut in a production of Marcelo Dos Santos's play Backstairs Billy at the Queen Mother Theatre, Hitchin in June!
02.03.2026 09:44 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Irish folk only (for now)- don't want to order through amazon? I've signed up for BUYTHEBOOK and you can pre-order the paperback of IN THE DESERT TODAY.
If you're interested in my debut novel (I hope you are), please consider a pre-order. Or ordering on Tuesday!
www.buythebook.ie/product/in-t...
Thanks so much to Christopher Hamilton-Emery at Salt and all those who gave me very welcome feedback! www.saltpublishing.com/blogs/house-...
25.02.2026 08:54 — 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 1
Front cover of Paradise by Ben Tufnell, published by Influx Press. Cover shows a dense forest under an apocalyptic sky.
I was just wondering what to read next when this popped through the door. Will read straightaway! @bentufnell.bsky.social @influxpress.bsky.social
28.02.2026 10:07 — 👍 7 🔁 2 💬 2 📌 0
White text on multi-coloured background. Text is a quote from a writer called Dan Jones who has had a Henshaw Press Critique. He describes it as 'detailed, intelligent feedback. Absolutely fantastic.'
If you want 'detailed, intelligent feedback' which is 'absolutely fantastic' for improving your writing - then you should apply for our Henshaw Press Bespoke Critique Service.
Personalised feedback produced by experts on a piece of your choice.
Go to the website to apply!
#writing #Writer
The Scratch Mechanic is IN…
Come and get advice from Camilla Grudova, Harriet Armstrong, Rowe Irvin and Amber Medland!
10-2pm March 14th, @Foyles Charing Cross Road
www.foyles.co.uk/events/the-s...
On Sat 7th March, 10am - 5pm, I'll be taking writers for a whirl through everything you need to know about submitting short stories to UK, US & European literary magazines. Includes a handout of over 100 clickable links. Online. £79. Enrol at
www.citylit.ac.uk/courses/subm...
Congrats Vicky!
26.02.2026 07:25 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Richard Bentson, Unsplash. An old fashioned fairground organ with gilded decoration, an elaborately dressed conductor in green and orange, in front of serried ranks of organ pipes. You can imagine the carousel it is so evocative
Writers! As the creative carcinoma of #AI art spreads,
Unsplash, Library of Congress, Wikicommons, and artvee offer endless free human resources for your newsletters etc.
Writing in Victorian times, artvee is well stocked with art from that era and before.
#writing #books
It's Wednesday afternoon, it's sunny, it's officially nearly the weekend... and A PERSONAL ANTHOLOGY!
This week's guest editor, picking and introducing a dozen favourite short stories, is @guillermostitch.bsky.social, author of The Coast of Everything and Lake of Urine.
Sign up below!
Bill Tope has started his own brand new literary magazine called Topiary Stories, which has an open call for submissions of short stories up to 6,000 words: topiary.code.blog
23.02.2026 13:04 — 👍 3 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0It's very good!
23.02.2026 13:07 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Also coming in March, debut story from @danlockton.com
20.02.2026 09:08 — 👍 23 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 1
Paired with @danlockton.com next month, In Splendid Isolation, a debut story by RL Doughty.
21.02.2026 07:22 — 👍 17 🔁 7 💬 0 📌 1
Front cover of The Building Inspector, a series of short stories by Myriam Frey, published by Nightjar Press. Image shows 6 freestanding pillars/poles in a field against a wooded background
Sunday morning reading by @dustynewrose.bsky.social @nightjarpress.bsky.social
22.02.2026 10:56 — 👍 9 🔁 1 💬 2 📌 0
Sorry to hear this, Rónán. You are a tremendously welcome presence on my timeline. For me, this place (and Twitter in the old days) has been absolutely invaluable for discovering books, writers, publishers etc. I wouldn't otherwise hear about
(PS let's go to the Vic together someday)
Quite apart from anything else, Small Prophets has introduced me to Cinder Well's music, which I'm enjoying very much
20.02.2026 13:34 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Paired with David Rose’s Heimat next month: Murder by the late Paul Green.
19.02.2026 09:18 — 👍 12 🔁 5 💬 0 📌 0
12 stories about death and dying, you say? And 25% of pre-orders with the code FEB26?
What more could you ask for?
@saltpublishing.com
The cover of Tatler in a February presumably in the 1980s or very early 90s. Prince Charles: “Is (he) too sexy for his own good?”
Under the Greenwood Tree by Shakespeare from As You Like It: “Under the greenwood tree Who loves to lie with me, And turn his merry note Unto the sweet bird's throat, Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather. Who doth ambition shun And loves to live i' the sun, Seeking the food he eats, And pleased with what he gets, Come hither, come hither, come hither: Here shall he see No enemy But winter and rough weather.”
An antique ad for Colman’s Mustard.
Tebbit/Thatcher in Spitting Image.
Great news! I have a new story out with Blood+Honey in March. Thanks to EIC David for picking it up. Really excited to share. It’s a wild one. Four pictorial clues below @bloodhoneylit.bsky.social
15.02.2026 18:43 — 👍 7 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0
One of four new Nightjars coming in March.
18.02.2026 14:48 — 👍 26 🔁 5 💬 1 📌 1
Thrilled to announce that I have a new business, The Ghosting Company, offering writing services to anyone with a message or story they need to tell.
If you have an idea, we have a book.
theghostingcompany.com
I worked as the proofreader on this and the forthcoming Strange Buildings, which is even better!
15.02.2026 14:33 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Cover of Departure(s) by Julian Barnes. Cover image is the painting Evening by Howard Hodgkin, swathes of green and black earth with a pinkish sky
Sunday morning reading
15.02.2026 10:21 — 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
And we're looking for new readers! If you'd like to join our reading team or just want to know what it entails, please get in touch at info@thin-skin.com
12.02.2026 17:35 — 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 2
Happy publication day to the deep, dark, beautiful ride that is Keshed by Stu Hennigan.
We’re incredibly proud to be publishing this bold, uncompromising novel.
Congratulations @stuhennigan.bsky.social, and thanks to @turnarounduk.bsky.social, Jack Smyth, Tom and Jaime Witcomb and Alex Billington.
Front cover of On the Future of Species by Adrian Woolfson. Yellow background with a semi pixellated picture of a bird
An honour to attend last night's launch of @adrianwoolfson.bsky.social's important new book @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social
12.02.2026 09:52 — 👍 4 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0