Patrick Ness

“I have a girlfriend in Canada. Her name’s Alberta.”

Had the delightful experience of telling a French literary journalist about Beverly Cleary (asked about inspirations as a child, and she’s basically why I’m a writer). A proper genius. Lived to 104!

Just to emphasize, the BRILLIANT Jim Kay, illustrator of A Monster Calls, has drawn the endpapers for the Piper hardback. And they are amazing.

Page from Books for Keeps 195 - illustrator Jim Kay's Windows into Illustration feature.

Page from Books for Keeps 195 - illustrator Jim Kay's Windows into Illustration feature.

We feel inspired to share Jim Kay's Windows into Illustration feature #BfK 195 in which he describes the process of illustrating A MONSTER CALLS #illustration #kidlit @patricknessbooks.bsky.social @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social

booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/u...

Patrick Ness at special event at Walker Books with his editor Grainne Clear.

The atmospheric proof cover of Patrick Ness' new novel PIPER AT THE GATES OF DUSK coming April 26 Walker Books. Text reads: I DREAM OF NOISE.

Illustration of a huge burning figure striding through a pine forest. Endpapers for new Patrick Ness book PIPER AT THE GATES OF DUSK illustration by Jim Kay.

Honoured to receive a proof copy of PIPER AT THE GATES OF DUSK, book 1 in @patricknessbooks.bsky.social new trilogy, which returns to the CHAOS WALKING universe (Yes!). Coming April 26 @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social. Glorious too that Jim Kay, co-creator A MONSTER CALLS, illus the endpapers. #KidLitUK

Police: “What was the cause of death?”

Coroner: “New Doc Martens.”

Razzmatazz not included.

Hardcover of Piper at the Gates of Dusk in a plastic box with sparkling lights. It’s razzmatazz!

April 7, 2026.

I am so lucky. So many amazing people who helped along the way. I’ve had more than I ever dreamed as a 15 year old gay kid who wasn’t sure he’d even make it out alive. I have the job I dreamed of, and I’m so grateful. Stay alive, you beauties.

So great to see so many librarian and book friends at the wee exclusive proof release Walker Books three tonight for Piper at the Gates of Dusk. There’ll be big parties and launches to come. So great to celebrate with folks who were there WAY back at the start.

Ah, I got Glinnered again, that explains it. Never mind.

Proof copy of 'Piper at the Gates of Dusk' by Patrick Ness, publishing by Walker in April 2026. Tagline "I dream of noise".

Look what I've got & you don't have 😃 & signed by the man himself @patricknessbooks.bsky.social (who is as uncomfortable at parties as I am, so we say very few words to each other 😬).
Thankyou so much
@walkerbooksuk.bsky.social for organising a lovely event this evening, really brightened my week!

It's that time of year when my Spotify Roundup tells me "You don't use Spotify"

Gender criticals: "Listen to women! Unless you're Girlguides or the Women's Institute or you disagree with the male judge who wrote this decision or if you don't 'look like a woman' or if you're a trans man because then you're definitely a man."

Everyone will suffer from this madness. Everyone.

Gender criticals: "Listen to women! Unless you're Girlguides or the Women's Institute or you disagree with the male judge who wrote this decision or if you don't 'look like a woman' or if you're a trans man because then you're definitely a man."

Everyone will suffer from this madness. Everyone.

"I spoke to one 80-year-old woman who has been in our organisation for decades, who said it was one of the greatest experiences of her life, and the only place in her 80 years where she’s been treated as a woman with respect.”

What does this do for women's rights?

it is no end of appalling to me that we're in this situation. the unsafe people are not who are getting targeted here, they are simply being made *more unsafe* in a way that protects the actual dangers

As a kid, I thought Benji the dog must be one of the biggest stars in the world. My succeeding life has been surprisingly Benji-less.

Getting some heat for this. So with two respectful middle fingers up, I’m reposting. No LGB without the T.

Furious at this. TERFs and Gender Critical people are a loud, radicalized, wealthy minority, forcing groups who've done the right thing for years into horrible positions that none of them want. Stop buying Harry Potter. Fight for your trans brothers and sisters. They'll come for you next.

A little girl wants to be a Girlguide (a Girlguide!) but can't because some isolated billionaire fell down a twitter silo. The level of sheer, pointless cruelty. And a government (a Labour one!) that won't do a thing about it.

Furious at this. TERFs and Gender Critical people are a loud, radicalized, wealthy minority, forcing groups who've done the right thing for years into horrible positions that none of them want. Stop buying Harry Potter. Fight for your trans brothers and sisters. They'll come for you next.

This update includes information you may find upsetting. Please take care when reading. From today, it is with a heavy heart that we announce trans girls will no longer be able to join Girlguiding. This is a decision we would have preferred not to make, and we know that this may be upsetting for members of our community. There will be no immediate changes for current young members, but more information will be shared soon. Most adult roles - including unit helpers, district helpers and administrative support - are already open to all, so we are confident that no volunteers will have to leave the organisation. Girlguiding believes strongly in inclusion, and we will continue to support young people and adults in marginalised groups. Over the next few months, we will explore opportunities to champion this value and actively support young people who need us. We stand in solidarity with trans girls and women.

i hope every single person who still buys harry potter merch or engages with that franchise is happy that they're literally making girl guides cry

girl guides uk have been forced very much against their will to exclude trans girls. full statement is here: www.girlguiding.org.uk/information-...

It's that time of year when my Spotify Roundup tells me "You don't use Spotify"

K-Pop Demon Hunters was my Wicked: For Good.

I thought I could not be shocked by what prominent transphobes feel able to say about me. Turns out I was wrong.

Here is Richard Dunstan, a prominent commentator closely associated with the Sex Matters charity, speculating that I enjoyed being sexually assaulted as a child.

Oh good, another big budget tv series about gay men from a book by a woman writing for straight women. Hooray.

Have been annoyed since I posted this that I double negatived those last two sentences, but you know what I mean!

Among the many many other pluses of diversity (moral, cultural, economic), one is that it’s *interesting*. Not the same old shit over and over and over again. A lack of diversity is BORING. And that’s why boring people are against it.

Nice vibe in Seattle when the Kraken are playing, and Oregon is playing Washington.