iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Heather Burns @heatherburnstech.bsky.social · 3h

As per my previous blogging about real history being age-gated, a folk song merely about the 1966 Aberfan disaster now requires age verification. Which is a fairly awful irony. Chapeau @cjforms.bsky.social

YouTube screen cap showing “sign in to confirm your age. This video may be inappropriate for some users”. The song is about Aberfan.

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Patrick Ness @patricknessbooks.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

New Lizards book! Out October 8th! Genuinely think it’s one of the best books I’ve ever written. Brilliantly illustrated by Tim Miller.

Cover of The Pelican and His Blimp by Patrick Ness. Plus the author in socks and sandals but he has a cold, so don’t judge

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Mark Thompson @markreckons.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Just seen Danny Tommo referred to as "Captain Thugwash" and seriously, that's excellent work.

static.klipy.com

Amy Poehler's Perfect Chef's Kiss

ALT: Amy Poehler's Perfect Chef's Kiss

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kottke.org @kottke.org · 23/09/2026

Engaging read on how the Bugs Bunny cartoon What’s Opera, Doc? was made. “To get the extra work done, Jones and his crew secretly shaved a couple weeks off other, easier films and faked their time cards. It was something they did on occasion.” [animationobsessive.substack.com]

animationobsessive.substack.com

Why ‘What’s Opera, Doc?’ Looks Like That

It’s one of the really famous cartoons. If you’re reading this newsletter, you’ve probably watched it yourself. After almost 70 years, What’s Opera, Doc? endures.

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Fleur Hitchcock @fleurhitchcock.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Oh my word, been a big reading weekend, just begun this wonder. Highly recommend! Fascinating and a MUST READ! Yesterday finished Cut him Out in Little Stars by Lucy Strange and oh! My heart!!! So good. Officially a teen book but my mum and her friend Vicky would have loved it

Photo of "A British Childhood" how our children live now by Frank Cottrell-Boyce.

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Steve Gale @stevewg.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Colley Hill, Surrey: coffee break from birding the steep scrub. Love the plaque on the bench I’m sitting on

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Tagtiv8 @tagtiv8.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

There are books where we make lots of notes. Then there’s this awesome book from @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social where there are so many notes and bookmarks 🥰 A must read for all teachers and parents - even more so for policymakers and politicians. #edusky

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Matt Miller @mattmiller.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

a comic by Russ Heath, who drew the comic one of Lichtenstein’s most famous panels was based on

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Adam Rutherford @adamrutherford.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I’m back on Start the Week on BBC Radio 4 at 9: Carlo Rovelli on philosophy and physics, Lavinia Greenlaw on difficulty in poetry, and James Graham’s new play about John Maynard Keynes. Stick that heady mix in yer podcast pipe. How lucky we are to have the BBC.

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Lesley Watts @ljwattswales.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Four books that feature dogs - from the cute to the heartbreaking (teenage edition). More info in ALT text. #KidsBooksFriday

Sputnik’s Guide to Life on Earth by Frank Cottrell Boyce. Everyone believes Sputnik is a dog but only Prez knows he is a kilt-wearing visitor from another planet. Adorable and funny.

Bitter Sixteen by Stefan Mohamed (for older teenagers) Daryl is no ordinary talking dog - he is a film fan and full of advice for 15 year old Stanly who finds having growing superpowers when you live in a small town in Mid-Wales can be a challenge.

Outwalkers by Fiona Shaw. England has become a police state and Jake and his beloved dog Jet must escape by walking to Scotland to find freedom. Tense and packed with incident.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. On a world where you can hear everyone’s thoughts, Todd and his dog Manchee one day discover a patch of silence and a breathtaking adventure begins.

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Cartoon Brew @cartoonbrew.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The first trailer for 'Animation Mavericks: The Forgotten Story of UPA' has arrived, and without a press release or marketing push, it has already drawn more than 40,000 YouTube views in a week. We can't wait to see it when it releases in early 2027. www.cartoonbrew.com/documentary-...

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Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The Observer announced another share issue today for an additional £10m funding as print circulation drops from 114k to 90k. It’s notable that in the same time period I have built a circulation of 124k for my personal Substack..having set it up amid fears I would lose my job (as I in fact did).

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Patrick Ness @patricknessbooks.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Today I started writing CHRONICLES OF A LIZARD NOBODY book 4. Honestly, I have never felt the joy and love in writing that I do when I write these middle grade books about my little weirdos. I'd write them forever.

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cwalshuk.bsky.social @cwalshuk.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

ICYMI: @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social interview on Front Row about his (then-upcoming) @waterstones.bsky.social Children's Laureate Lecture and launching the new Children's Booker Prize is still available: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

bbc.co.uk

Front Row - Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce on the new Children's Booker Prize - BBC Sounds

Children's Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce on the power of books and Kae Tempest's new novel

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Ben McKenzie @benmckenzie.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This is literally a plot point in “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis. Written in 1935, it predicts the rise of a fascist populist who promises each family $5,000 per year if he’s elected.

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tbuktwo67.bsky.social @tbuktwo67.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

#DoctorWho Random fake Target covers.

Edit. Doctor Who fake Target cover, Gridlock Russell T Davies.

Edit. Doctor Who fake Target cover, Smile by Frank Cottrell-Boyce.

Edit. Doctor Who fake Target cover, Vincent and The Doctor by Richard Curtis.

Edit. Doctor Who fake Target cover, Tooth and Claw by Russell T Davies.

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Lucy Antal aka Grab Your Spoon @lucyantal.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

The barbarians are at the gates again. Liverpool Council is proposing to cut library opening hours, removing early evenings & weekends. Have you seen this @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social ?

Liverpool City Council is consulting on plan for further cuts to opening hours at Allerton Library, and other libraries across the city.

Allerton would close at 5pm, instead of 6pm on weekdays, and close for lunch on Saturdays. It would remain closed on Thursdays and Sundays.

Elsewhere, Central Library would cease to open on Sundays and close at 5pm instead of 8pm most evenings.

Childwall would close at 5pm instead of 6m, and remain closed at the weekend.

The proposed changes will make it difficult for people who work during the day to use our libraries, and for children/young people who use libraries as a quiet place to study or do homework.

You can have your say on the council's plans at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/LibraryOpeningHours2026

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David Quantick @quantick.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Come see me talk! (Hat not included) www.hastingsbookfest.org/events/david...

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Alastair Gittner @agittner.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

I was alerted to its "adult value" by this podcast. It is taking a break at the moment but there is an extensive back catalogue and the presenters are such enthusiasts about reading and books. @backlisted.bsky.social www.backlisted.fm/episodes/247...

backlisted.fm

247. The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin — Backlisted

Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Tombs of Atuan (1971), the second Earthsea novel, is the subject of this episode. Joining Una and Andy is writer Frank Cottrell-Boyce , current Children’s Laureate. We loo...

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Carole Cadwalladr @carolecadwalla.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

NEW: Cryptobillionaire Christopher Harborne - the man who gave Farage £5m - has quietly dropped his defamation suit against @wsj.com over this 2023 article 👇 1/

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David Osland @davidosland.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The RNLI isn't subsidised by the taxpayer. Some people seem to be getting them mixed up with Eton, Harrow and Winchester.

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Derf Backderf @derfbackderf.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

65 years ago on Nov. 14, little Ruby Bridges was escorted into an all-white elementary school in New Orleans. Norman Rockwell, renowned for blissful depictions of Americana, did this remarkable painting for Look magazine. Printed as a double page, over-size spread, it's his masterpiece.

Norman Rockwell painting, depicting little Roby Bridges being escorted into a school by Feds. Racial slurs are pained on the wall behind here. A thrown tomato lies on the ground.

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Richard Wells @slipperyjack.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

I'm in Abbots Bromley for the horn dance (pics later), but I'm bringing something back... Look what I found in the village church second-hand bookshop. All first editions. £1 a pop ✨..!

Penguin first edition paperbacks of Nigel Kneale's The Quatermass Experiment, Quatermass II and Quatermass and the Pit

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Ian Greaves @greavesian.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Join me for a skeetalong-a- #PendasFen this Wednesday night when BBC4 reruns it from 10.15pm. Behind the scenes stories, pics and things to spot. If you've seen the play before, then follow live. If it's new to you, give it proper attention and then join the # on catch up. Link in bio to the book.

Title screen for Play for Today: Penda's Fen (1974)

Close up on Dictionary of Place Names reading "Penda's fen" with Penda in italics.

Cover of Penda's Fen: Scene by Scene (Ten Acre Books 2025)

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Brian Bilston @brianbilston.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Ten years ago, ‘You Took the Last Bus Home’ was published. It was my first collection of poetry and incredibly, it’s still going strong. To celebrate the anniversary, I thought I’d share a poem from it every day this month, starting with the title poem.

You Took the Last Bus Home

you took the last bus home don’t know how  you got it through the door

you’re always doing amazing stuff

like the time
you caught that train

Brian Bilston

A pic of the cover of ‘You Took the Last Bus Home’ featuring a red bus with the backdrop of a beautiful moonlit night.

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Lesley Watts @ljwattswales.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Very much enjoying this

A British Childhood: how our children live now by Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Photo of book being held in my hand with white wall and blurred bookcase in the background.

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Lesley Watts @ljwattswales.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Both excellent in different ways

A British Childhood: How Our Children Live Now by Frank Cottrell-Boyce and May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry

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William Dalrymple @willdalrymple.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

An essay I've just written for @nytimes on why Big Tech is the 21st Century’s equivalent of the East India Company: "What It Would Take to Dismantle the Most Powerful Companies in the World" www.nytimes.com/2026/08/28/o...

nytimes.com

Opinion | What It Would Take to Dismantle the Most Powerful Companies in the World

A playbook to curb the growing power of Big Tech.

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bookluvvr.bsky.social @bookluvvr.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Read @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social's "A British Childhood". This is a wonderful book. Even before I'd finished it, I was recommending it to people - and I'll be buying multiple copies as gifts. The personal and historical accounts providing snapshots of the difficulties experienced by parents 1/4

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Mairi-Claire Kilbride @mairiclaire.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Loved this. So much to worry about, so many ways to work to put it right, or at least to make better. Beautifully written: I laughed, I cried, I wished my 15 yo would let me read to him again. To borrow from the testosterone boy: @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social "would you just write more, wee man!"

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Frank Cottrell-Boyce @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

She had Jesus and Gravity. Gravity finally let go.

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Tallgirl6234 @tallgirl6234.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

This needs to be a thing

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Joel @itsjoels.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

This is the letter kids got at the end of Dolly’s Imagination Library. I defy you to read this and not cry.

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Joel Morris @gralefrit.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

If only anybody knew what the Beatles looked like. Unfortunately, when making a film about a subject as opaque and obscure as this, one has to use one’s imagination.

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Frank Cottrell-Boyce @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

and if any of you think I haven't already pitched J R Hartley Versus the Machine - Revenge of the Fly Fisher - then give your head a little shake.

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David Slack @slack2thefuture.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

You didn’t “inherit” 43 of my scripts, Anthropic, you stole them.

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Darach Ó Séaghdha @darach.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

In the latest piece for my #calling353 series in @thejournal.ie I ask why Maureen Sweeney’s story gets left out of the new movie Pressure. It’s raining men: Why exclude this Irish meteorologist from her own story? jrnl.ie/7131294

jrnl.ie

It’s raining men: Why exclude this Irish meteorologist from her own story?

A new movie explores the role meteorologists played in planning D-Day – but Ireland’s Maureen Flavin Sweeney seems to be largely left out.

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Louie Stowell @louiestowell.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

This was such an incredible moment

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Gwladruns @gwladruns.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Alexei Sayle in conversation with Frank Cottrell-Boyce? Oh my word.

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Monica @softtail65.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Lol 😅🤣

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Through the Square Window @squarewindowpod.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Our new episode is out today! @samiraahmeduk.bsky.social and @gkw.bsky.social sit down with Joy Whitby, creator of Play School and Jackanory, and the woman who brought us Catzweazle and The Book Tower, among many other children's TV shows. Available wherever you get your podcasts.

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Matthew Sweet @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

events.bl.uk/events/the-l...

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Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

My favourite grasshopper fact: Grasshoppers first appeared on the planet 250 million years ago. Grass did not appear on the planet until 40 million years ago Imagine it: 210 million years, hopping around on any random surface you can find, waiting for the grass that will make you truly yourself.

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Louie Stowell @louiestowell.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I was just reminded by my computer of this Odyssey cartoon I drew in MS paint with my mouse in the early 2000s What a time capsule in terms of memes.

A cyclops drawin roughly on a computer looking grumpy. Odysseus is on a ship having stolen the cyclops' sheep. Odysseus is saying: ALL UR RAM R BELONG TO US LOL!

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Thomas I-G @thomasig.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Coincidentally, both at some point have shouted "up the 'ra!"

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Ed Wilson @eddwilson.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

number of households in temporary accommodation in England has risen to a new record high… 135,580 households… at the end of March, including 177,530 children… The number of children in temporary accommodation… also at a record high… 18th consecutive quarterly rise in child homelessness. #BBCPM

theguardian.com

Polls open in Clacton, where Farage spent more than £10,000 in byelection against Count Binface – as it happened

The Reform UK leader resigned as the MP for Clacton at the start of July and forced a byelection

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