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Zena Barrie

@zenabarrie.bsky.social

Author & co-director of Camden Fringe Writes things, reads things, goes to watch things www.zenabarrie.com

2,096 Followers  |  4,053 Following  |  57 Posts  |  Joined: 15.11.2024
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Posts by Zena Barrie (@zenabarrie.bsky.social)

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I am in Southwark tonight at The White Hart, The Brunswick in Brighton on Friday and then with @amnestyfeminist.bsky.social in London on Saturday afternoon

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/neurospicy...

www.brunswickpub.co.uk/event-detail...

#comedy #poetry #diversity

03.03.2026 14:58 β€” πŸ‘ 47    πŸ” 14    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Word of Mouth @ The Carlton Club A fun evening of spoken word as part of Chorlton Arts Festival. Featuring Dave Williams, Zena Barrie & headliner Robin Ince + more TBC

Looking forward to being part of this -what a treat to read with @robinince.bsky.social, @zenabarrie.bsky.social, @anniesacre.bsky.social and more! Come let us entertain you, May 17th, Carlton Club, Chorlton! www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/word-of-mo... @cafchorlton.bsky.social

20.02.2026 12:08 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Hi Katie, I have known Robin for over 20 years. He is a good and incredibly kind man and there doesn't seem to be so many of them these days so perhaps find another target if you need one?

16.02.2026 12:26 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Poems about standing up and standing out
ROBIN INCE
Let the Quiet Ones Rise

Poems about standing up and standing out ROBIN INCE Let the Quiet Ones Rise

This is the cover of my next poetry collection - it is out on 2nd April which also happens to be 3rd anniversary of my father’s death. A constant inspiration.

15.02.2026 10:12 β€” πŸ‘ 102    πŸ” 25    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2
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Well this is just as it should be! We are tickled pink to see the uniquely brilliant Two Similar-Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias on the shortlist for Satire and Humour in the CIBAs!
#humorousfiction #shortlistedbook #comedywriting
@zenabarrie.bsky.social

19.01.2026 18:48 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 2

I suspect it's the same kind of privilege misconception that makes men think a group containing 17% women is 50-50 and one containing 33% women is mostly women.

27.10.2025 12:05 β€” πŸ‘ 24    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0
An ad for soap

An ad for soap

Two vampires

Two vampires

Dementia ad

Dementia ad

Women with tea

Women with tea

as a keen sceptic, I put in over 27 mins of research into erasure of white faces in ads - due to this scrutiny, I discovered that there are SOME black faces in adverts - not all, not most - in fact there were almost as many vampires - no further discussion necessary

27.10.2025 11:57 β€” πŸ‘ 113    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 1

We’re looking forward to this latest #authorinterview by @womenwritersnet.bsky.social with our very own @brethertonwords.bsky.social who will be discussing her writing journey and her award-winning novel The Fire In Their Eyes. Come and join in on Bluesky this Thursday at 6pm BST.

20.10.2025 15:42 β€” πŸ‘ 9    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1

Was it a copy of Freddie Mercury's famous cat waistcoat?

18.10.2025 13:05 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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BREAKING NEWS: Citizens arrest of Anglian Water CEO, Mark Thurston, made in London for Public Nuisance - CAN - Citizen’s Arrest Network

This is impressive - solidarity with those women who performed the citizens arrest

www.citizensarrestnetwork.org/press/2025/1...

16.10.2025 10:22 β€” πŸ‘ 247    πŸ” 69    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 5
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πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰ Huge congratulations to @brethertonwords.bsky.social for being recognised by the Chanticleer Global Thriller Awards and for winning the Medical Thriller category in the NYC Big Book Awards! Needless to say we are… thrilled! πŸ₯³πŸΎ
#NYCBigBookAward #GabbyBookAwards #AwardWinningPublisher #SmallPress

16.09.2025 17:19 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 2
our cat Charles with Villager, shortly after it was published

our cat Charles with Villager, shortly after it was published

How A Publisher Almost Killed The Book I Waited My Whole Life To Write: a thread

My novel Villager came out in 2022. It was published by Unbound, who had little marketing/sales power. But I was excited & proud, since I worked so f-ing hard on it.

Here's an extract: www.tom-cox.com/the-village-...

10.10.2025 09:15 β€” πŸ‘ 238    πŸ” 76    πŸ’¬ 6    πŸ“Œ 9
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To mark the first #bookbirthday of The Portrait Girl by Nicole Swengley, the e-book is now at the very special price of 99p (on both Amazon and our own website) for a limited time! Why not help us celebrate and load your #Kindle with what the FT described as β€œa thoroughly engaging mystery”!

09.10.2025 16:21 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 2

This should be a lot of fun!

02.10.2025 17:06 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Book lovers in and around the Rugby area, do not miss the Rugby Literary Festival this weekend, but especially the spoken word evening hosted by Word Of Mouth this Friday. A range of fantastic performers will be on stage including our own @zenabarrie.bsky.social!

#Books #LiteraryFestival

02.10.2025 16:24 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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I went to Rochdale Comedy Festival on Tuesday to see @robinince.bsky.social and Dave Williams in the beautiful town hall. What an amazing place. They do tours and there is a very nice looking restaurant in there, deffo worth a ride on the tram.

02.10.2025 09:54 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

It certainly looks like the end of days.

02.10.2025 09:26 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Have actually signed up now after carrying your form around last year.

02.10.2025 08:16 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

As was the prosecco!

02.10.2025 08:10 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Who was the young MP who talked about being a former Jehovas Witness at your reception? He was great.

02.10.2025 07:56 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

πŸ˜‚

02.10.2025 07:49 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Talking about my book in West Kirby tomorrow - tickets here

www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/wir...

25.09.2025 21:35 β€” πŸ‘ 27    πŸ” 9    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Fresh off the back of being recommended by @robinince.bsky.social, today’s #BookQW is taken from the short story anthology Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias by @zenabarrie.bsky.social, and is a prime example of her ability to combine the absurd and the existential to masterful effect.

24.09.2025 17:35 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Josie Long: Now Is The Time of Monsters | The Stables Josie Long: Now Is The Time of Monsters

My brilliant friend @josielong.bsky.social is on tour - she is in Milton Keynes on Wednesday - her show is so funny and she has created so much that has changed comedy world for the better - tickets here

stables.org/event/josie-...

23.09.2025 22:42 β€” πŸ‘ 51    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

Congratulations to @robinince.bsky.social for his thoroughly deserved award. And thank you ever so much for once again recommending the hilarious Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias by @zenabarrie.bsky.social. We would love to see it in more independent bookshops.

24.09.2025 12:34 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Congrats to the marvellous Robin, richly deserved… and how generous to share the love! Couldn’t agree more about his rec for @zenabarrie.bsky.social β€˜s hilarious Two Men With Similar Looking Umbilical Hernias! Yes, buy books, support authors, support bookshops!

23.09.2025 21:25 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Thanks so much for the plug Robin and congratulations! See you soon X

23.09.2025 20:55 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Thank you so much to the Booksellers Association for awarding me Author of the Year for a second time - love you all - what remains of my career is about to go through a drastic change, so this means a lot - here is my acceptance speech @lucia-oc.bsky.social @zenabarrie.bsky.social

23.09.2025 07:48 β€” πŸ‘ 250    πŸ” 34    πŸ’¬ 31    πŸ“Œ 6

Oh my goodness!

17.09.2025 11:29 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Morning gang,
Fancy buying my book? Help me raise some money for a damp proof course.
www.breakthroughbookcollective.com/product/two-...
@breakthroughbook.bsky.social

08.09.2025 07:40 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1