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Darren Chetty

@darrenchetty.bsky.social
2.3K followers 2.5K following 266 posts

Welsh Indian South African Dutch Londoner. PhD in Philosophy of Education. Specialising in Philosophy for Children, Children’s Literature, & Antiracist Education Rep: Rachel Mann, CAA www.darrenchetty.com linktr.ee/DarrenChetty

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Darren Chetty @darrenchetty.bsky.social · 23h
New book! A history of modern Wales for children 9+. Words by me @martinjohnes.bsky.social & me. Pictures by Matt Abbott. Welsh and English version out in November. You can pre-order here: Ein Cymru: lnkd.in/e3wUZN7U Our Wales: lnkd.in/ewDN-uEc
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NationCymru @nation.cymru · 01/10/2026
The author of a new history of Wales for children has said that young people need a history of Wales that goes beyond “great men”, simple heroes and villains and events within the country’s borders
nation.cymru
Author of new Welsh history book says ‘children can handle more complexity than we give them credit for’
Llinos Dafydd The author of a new history of Wales for children has said that young people need a history of Wales that goes beyond “great men”, simple heroes and villains and events within the countr...
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Letterbox Library @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
“We wanted to tell a history of the people of Wales and not a ‘great men’ history.” New children’s history of Wales from @darrenchetty.bsky.social @martinjohnes.bsky.social @mattabbottdraws.bsky.social #KidLitUK
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Miranda Dickinson @wurdsmyth.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Today is a day to go and find all the brilliant children's authors who *should* have had the shelf space and visibility all along. Because the #kidlit world is so much bigger, brighter and bonkersly brilliant than one dodgy 'celeb' who was given everything... ☺️
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Letterbox Library @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
2/2 - new Children’s Laureate @lawrencepatrice.bsky.social in the latest Beyond the Secret Garden column by @darrenchetty.bsky.social & @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social in most recent edition of @booksforkeeps.bsky.social #KidLitUK #BookSky
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Teach Primary @teachprimarymag.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Investigate what really makes a great pal, and build belonging, confidence and persuasive writing skills in your class with @darrenchetty.bsky.social's adorable picturebook, I’m Going to Make a Friend. Free PDF of activity ideas from @booksuperhero2.bsky.social www.teachwire.net/teaching-res...
teachwire.net
I'm Going to Make a Friend – KS1/2 book topic all about friendship
Investigate what really makes a great pal, and build confidence and persuasive writing skills in your class with I'm Going to Make a Friend
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Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
New book! A history of modern Wales for children 9+. By me & @darrenchetty.bsky.social. Pictures by Matt Abbott. eincymru.my.canva.site/home
eincymru.my.canva.site
Our Wales: A People's History
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Salena Godden @salenagodden.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Before I go, here's a link for the book launches: www.fane.co.uk/nikesh-shukla
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Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
fun part if you ask me: higher ed institutions in secular democracies are the closest approximation of a 'marketplace of ideas' as you are likely to find this side of a global revolution and a lot of people who claim to like that idea do not seem to love its results
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Wonderland Bookshop @wonderlandbookshop.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Beautiful topic ❤️ I'm opting for @darrenchetty.bsky.social and Sandhya Prabhat's I'm Going to Make A Friend. And it's also the perfect picture book to share with children starting school.
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Darren Chetty @darrenchetty.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The Bookseller reports that the DCMS is giving 300k for 'outreach work' that is essentially marketing and promoting Impossible Creatures. At the same time Bloomsbury is giving away 200,000 Harry Potter books - seems designed to have both books dominate children's literature for the next generation.
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Adam Rutherford @adamrutherford.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Pahahahahah Cofnas
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Nate O @nateo.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Why would Toby Young, the man that rebranded himself as supporting 'free speech' and awarded with a peerage after it was revealed he was a personal invitee to a secret racist conference pushing pseudoscience held on UCL property, want the UK state to defund its anti-disinformation unit?
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Darren Chetty @darrenchetty.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
£300k to market and promote a single book through 'an engagement programme' is a lot of public money. And we still don't know who is paying for the books. So a public / private initiative with a secret funder. The plot thickens... I've written about this here: booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/on-r...
booksforkeeps.co.uk
On Royal Horses, Mickey Mouse, and Impossible Creatures – Books For Keeps
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Letterbox Library @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
When she isn’t running Letterbox Library, director Kerry supports #LeicesterCity for her sins… 🦊⚽️🦊
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Darren Chetty @darrenchetty.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Achy Breaky Heart - Cyrus & Cymru soundslikefootball.substack.com/p/achy-break...
soundslikefootball.substack.com
Achy Breaky Heart
Sounds Like Football co-editor Rhys Owain Williams takes us back to 1992 (via the summer of 2016) to explore how Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus became a Red Wall favourite.
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Darren Chetty @darrenchetty.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Guantanamera - From revolutionary poetry to football chant soundslikefootball.substack.com/p/guantaname...
soundslikefootball.substack.com
Guantanamera
Sounds Like Football co-editor Darren Chetty traces the poetic origins of some of the UK’s most popular football chants. Does a trace of the original remain when it’s sung on the terraces?
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Darren Chetty @darrenchetty.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
When You're Smiling soundslikefootball.substack.com/p/when-youre...
soundslikefootball.substack.com
When You're Smiling
This week’s Sounds Like Football entry is from Kerry Mason, who writes on Satchmo, her Dad, and the joy and despair of following Leicester City.
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Letterbox Library @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
3/3 … and for more on The Queen’s Christmas ‘Present’ do read this fabulously-titled article by @darrenchetty.bsky.social in @booksforkeeps.bsky.social booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/on-r...
booksforkeeps.co.uk
On Royal Horses, Mickey Mouse, and Impossible Creatures – Books For Keeps
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Nate O @nateo.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
There are innumerable issues with Pinker (e.g. his association with Epstein), but I want to highlight how all the experts on history of violence wrote a special issue in Historical Reflections specifically because Pinker was perpetuating numerous falsehoods www.berghahnjournals.com/view/journal...
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"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux @bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
And which is more serious: 1) A silly campus protest 2) Someone said a mean thing Leftishly 3) Armed agents of the state murdering people 4) A political party using the state to silence dissent. (3) and (4) are very obviously a much bigger deal than (1) or (2), not that you can tell from the NYT.
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Charlotte Lydia Riley @lottelydia.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Heartened to see that my university is ending its contract with Turnitin before the next academic year, because Turnitin is going to use student submissions to train AI models. Institutions can and should resist this stuff!
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Dom Conlon @domconlon.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
This is an excellent analysis by Darren
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Letterbox Library @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Your regular reminder that if you visit us at bookshop.org you’ll find fab booklists like Young Carers, New Beginnings & books from the latest Beyond the Secret Garden column @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social & @darrenchetty.bsky.social in @booksforkeeps.bsky.social Visit: uk.bookshop.org/lists/beyond...
Screenshot from mobile app of bookshop.org. 

Shows Letterbox Library as selected bookshop and then the search bar followed by the top of their reading list "Beyond the Secret Garden: Reading Gender." Screenshot which shows introductory para to this reading list: 

“Highlights of the contemporary titles featured in the July 2026 (Issue 279) issue* of Books for Keeps' Beyond the Secret Garden (BtSG) column.  Co-authored by Professor Karen Sands-O'Connor & Dr Darren Chetty, BtSG examines "how Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic voices have been represented in our national story of children’s literature, and how we can bring about change". This most recent edition looks at representations of gender  and pays special heed to the recent "growth in books that examine gender and patriarchy within minoritised communities". The selection of contemporary titles is short but the sweetest!

Read the full article at: 

*https://booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/beyond-the-secret-garden-reading-gender/  “
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Philip Ball @philipcball.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
This is a good article about a frankly rather puzzling initiative.
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Melissa Colothan @mrscreadsalot.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Great and fair article. I'm still finding multiple copies of the last book all children received from above (the one about the previous queen) that children 'accidentally' didn't take home. Choice is key. Choice would be an easy adjustment to make to this initiative.
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Matt @mattlibrarian.eurosky.social · 28/07/2026
Great piece by @darrenchetty.bsky.social addressing The Queen’s Christmas Present initiative and the selected book Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell 📚📜 booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/on-r...
booksforkeeps.co.uk
On Royal Horses, Mickey Mouse, and Impossible Creatures – Books For Keeps
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Darren Chetty @darrenchetty.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
'We often talk about the power of reading. But as educators we should be equally attuned to the reading of power.... It may be churlish to look a gift horse in the mouth. It is downright irresponsible to fail to investigate potential Trojan horses.' booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/on-r...
booksforkeeps.co.uk
On Royal Horses, Mickey Mouse, and Impossible Creatures – Books For Keeps
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Books for Keeps, the children's books review journal @booksforkeeps.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
NEW #BfK article: @darrenchetty.bsky.social discusses the controversy around ‘The Queen’s Christmas Present’, an announcement has not been met with universal approval. #KidLitUK booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/on-r...
Graphic to advertise the Queen's Christmas Present with the Queen's crest.
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P.G. Bell @pgbellwriter.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
This is probably the most robust response I've yet seen to the Impossible Creatures/Year of Reading situation. @darrenchetty.bsky.social asks some very searching questions about who this giveaway benefits, and who might be driving it. #KidLit #KidLitUK
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Darren Chetty @darrenchetty.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
'We often talk about the power of reading. But as educators we should be equally attuned to the reading of power.... It may be churlish to look a gift horse in the mouth. It is downright irresponsible to fail to investigate potential Trojan horses.' booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/on-r...
booksforkeeps.co.uk
On Royal Horses, Mickey Mouse, and Impossible Creatures – Books For Keeps
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Letterbox Library @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Special mention also to editor Charlotte Hacking and @darrenchetty.bsky.social who wrote the foreword. @theclpe.bsky.social @otterbarrybooks.bsky.social
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Letterbox Library @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
🥳Then we were at the @nationaltheatre.org.uk to see the winner of the @theclpe.bsky.social #CLiPPA Award: ⚡️John Agard for The Poetry World of John Agard (Ill. @shirleyhottier.bsky.social) @otterbarrybooks.bsky.social #KidLitUK #BookSky (📸 @darrenchetty.bsky.social @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social)
4 people stood in a row smiling at camera. From L to R:

Man of colour with beard and wearing glasses, in red and white flowery shirt. Holds glass in left hand (with blue 'entry' sticker badn on wrist) and has arm across chest. 

White woman, grey hair tied back, wearing glasses, in long scoop neck green dress with white flowers.  

Woman of colour, shoulder length dark hair, wearing glasses in white blouse and long dark skirt- holds orange notebooks and biro in right hand.

White woman, short brown/grey hair, in long white shirt with flowers and buttons and in jeans. Has blue 'entry' sticker band on left wrist.  

All smile towards camera.Visual asset for winning title. Purple background. Multicoloured CLiPPA logo in left corner. Beneath this, in white font, "The CLPE Poetry Award 2026 WINNER". 

Below this, the winning title front cover "The Poetry World of John Agard, illustrated by Shirley Hottier". To right and taking up most of asset is a head/shoulder portray of winning author. Man of colour in profile, with white/grey beard and wearing Black soft hat with brim. Wears a bright green shirt under a red/gold/brown/black patterned jacket. His right hand is just under his chin and he wears a bright blue stoned ring on index finger.
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Yinka Olusoga @yinkaolusoga.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
A fantastic first keynote at #histchild26 from @darrenchetty.bsky.social & @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social providing rich & critical historical & philosophical perspectives on the child characters of children’s literature & adult fears & desires around childhood, belonging & identity, past & present
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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
The latest #BeyondTheSecretGarden column by @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social & @darrenchetty.bsky.social in @booksforkeeps.bsky.social highlights 1 of last year’s #LittleRebelsAward shortlistees ⭐️Kende! Kende! Kende⭐️ @childs-play.co.uk and its multilingual riches! booksforkeeps.co.uk/article/beyo...
booksforkeeps.co.uk
Beyond the Secret Garden: Multilingual Children’s Literature – Books For Keeps
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Letterbox Library @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Pop over to our @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social ‘shop front’ 2 see latest highlights from @ksandsoconnor.bsky.social & @darrenchetty.bsky.social ‘s column @booksforkeeps.bsky.social Buying from bookshop.org supports us AND the indie bkshop sector #KidLitUK #BookSky uk.bookshop.org/lists/beyond...
Screenshot from one of our book lists bookshop.org
Image shows a variety of book covers from the column ‘Beyond the Secret Garden: Multilingual Children’s Literature’
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Darren Chetty @darrenchetty.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
They put ad breaks in the beautiful game. What next? Paying fans to sing jingles?
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Darren Chetty @darrenchetty.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
If you think Americans invented the word Soccer you've probably not being a fan for very long.
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
It was such a great event! Am still referring to our discussion with other authors. Thanks and look forward to more events like it ☺️ @engmediacentre.bsky.social @theclpe.bsky.social @darrenchetty.bsky.social
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English and Media Centre @engmediacentre.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
... @nazneenahmedpathak.bsky.social for speaking so thoughtfully, @louiestowell.bsky.social for co-organising, Samantha Williams for bookselling, Adam Ferber for note-taking and Chris Beschi for photographing the lovely event!
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English and Media Centre @engmediacentre.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
...we explored patterns of representation in classic children's literature and the possibilities of speculative fiction when writing about colonial histories for children. Thank you to @candygourlay.bsky.social, @clairelinney.bsky.social, @gitaralleigh.bsky.social, JT Williams...
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English and Media Centre @engmediacentre.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
🧵📸 Last week, we were delighted to co-host with @theclpe.bsky.social the latest community conversation, Children's Literature: Speculative Fiction and Colonialism, organised so brilliantly by @darrenchetty.bsky.social. Through a series of activities and group, room and author-led conversations...
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Darren Chetty @darrenchetty.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Thanks to everyone who came along - some great conversations :)
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Mostly Book Talk @mostlybooktalk.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
Happy paperback publication day to @darrenchetty.bsky.social I’m Going to Make a Friend follows a child settling somewhere new and exploring how to make a friend (and how to be a friend too). Will start lots of conversations and I think it will be one kids will want to read multiple times #KidLitUK
Author Darren Chetty holding a copy of his picture book
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Amit Singh @amit-singh.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Summer School: Class, Culture & Discontents 📆 July 23rd - 24th 📍London Full programme with all star line up ⭐ 23rd July feat @darrenchetty.bsky.social @jolittler.bsky.social @jasnijjar.bsky.social etc on prison education, meritocracy, colonialism, war + more www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/summer-sch...
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Letterbox Library @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
London folks! 📣 THIS THURSDAY 5.30-7pm FREE @darrenchetty.bsky.social in convo. about picture book debut I’m Going to Make a Friend @littletigeruk.bsky.social Guess which friendly not-for-profit will be on hand with this glorious book (for just £6, rrp. £7.99) & posters… 😉 #BookSky #KidLitUK
tigeruk.bsky.social
Bluesky
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Darren Chetty @darrenchetty.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... Interesting episode on Englishness, football and racism. Striking that presenter David Baddiel doesn't reflect on his own role in weaving all three together on national television.
bbc.co.uk
The History Podcast - Sixty Years of Hurt - 3. England v Hooligans - BBC Sounds
David Baddiel tackles the ‘English disease’ of hooliganism.
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Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Top children’s books about friendship by former #LittleRebelsAward Judge & shortlister @darrenchetty.bsky.social -for @booktrust.org.uk blog. Includes 2 #LittleRebelsAward titles 😊 ♥️The Boy Who Loved Everyone 🌻Sunflower Sisters #KidLitUK #BookSky www.booktrust.org.uk/book-recomme...
booktrust.org.uk
8 favourite picture books about friendship
Author Darren Chetty recommends eight fantastic stories about friendship.
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Gita Ralleigh @gitaralleigh.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
The full lineup for this event on June 2nd now includes @candygourlay.bsky.social @nazneenahmed.bsky.social @clairelinney.bsky.social JT Williams plus organisers @darrenchetty.bsky.social & @louiestowell.bsky.social It will be a great discussion - come join us! www.eventbrite.com/e/childrens-...
eventbrite.com
Children's Literature: Speculative Fiction and Colonialism
A chance to discuss contemporary speculative fiction for children that engages with colonialism . For creators, educators, & readers.
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Louie Stowell @louiestowell.bsky.social · 23/05/2026
If you've spoken to me recently you might have heard me wang on about how excited I am about this discussion about contemporary uk speculative children's fiction and colonialism. If you're free afternoon of June 2nd (so, freelancers/students/other time-flexible persons) 4.30-6, JOIN US! #KidLitUK
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