iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Event news! @rhi.bsky.social and I are bringing Discworld to the Wirral! On the 3rd October we'll be in Port Sunlight talking Tiffany Aching's Guide to Being a Witch at a new fantasy, comics and games festival -Questival! We'll also be on panels and signing anything we see! questival.uk/pages/panels

questival.uk

Panels

Join Joel Rochester (@fictionalfates) and Paper and Word’s Abby Munro, Alex & Ben in Port Sunlight's beautiful church throughout the day for fascinating talks on all things fantasy fiction! To pre...

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Very worrying article about the Bartz v Anthropic case. I only discovered this when searching to see if any other authors have experienced big US publishers attempting to claim their authors' shares of the Anthropic payout, and for reverted rights works. It appears there are many.

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Called Mum from an art hotel in Japan. Wish I’d snapped a pic of her face when I mentioned that when you enter our room the lights go off and you experience being a sound particle passing through the cochlear. There’s also a trippy discordant soundscape under the bed😂 bnaaltermuseum.com/rooms/d-r-m/

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Ever looked at a chair and known exactly how it would walk, talk and gesticulate?...

A beige coloured shaggy chair with shaggy arms bent over from the back to form legs at the front. Looks as though it could come to life at any minute and go bounding around your living room, playing with your labrador.

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

WHAAAT! Today's writing research revelation: 2-Nonenal is a naturally occurring compound produced when omega-7 unsaturated fatty acids on the skin degrade through oxidation producing the distinct odour associated with aging. It typically appears after age 40, becoming gradually more noticeable 🤯

media.tenor.com

a woman wearing headphones and a tattoo on her arm

ALT: a woman wearing headphones and a tattoo on her arm

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

The girleen felt it important to correct the curriculum’s definition of her favorite god…

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Fifteenth wedding anniversary with @asianastroboy.bsky.social tomorrow and I'm remembering my Haldi in Mauritius. Turmeric is wonderful on brown skin, giving a gorgeous glow. It er... isn't quite the same on whiter-than-whities like me! Thanks to @rhi.bsky.social for de-simpsonifying me after!

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Tom Roberts @tpgroberts.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Hannah Spencer walking into Westminster, sucking her teeth, tutting, and muttering "tell you what, you've had some cowboys in here."

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

I’m not one for analyzing the style choices of women in politics, but when a politician is trying so hard to appeal to flaggers, it’s hard not to notice they wouldn’t look at all out of place around the conference table on the Death Star. #DressForTheJobYouWant

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Jack who wrote Aether Torrent @jackscarab.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Hi, my name's Jack. Here is the text of Terry Pratchett interviewing Bill Gates in 1995. Thanks to @rhi.bsky.social for summoning help, and to @20thcenturymarc.marcburrows.co.uk for the source, I have manually transcribed its 3,481 words into a Google doc. Enjoy. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

docs.google.com

Pratchett / Gates GQ Interview

GQ Magazine (UK edition), July 1995 GQ&A “I’m not sure what the word ‘nerd’ means” Bill Gates talks to Terry Pratchett about the future, the Microsoft revolution and how to become a billionaire WILLI...

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Researching flattery as a manipulation tool for a vile character and realising the people we should truly fear are those whispering flattery to world leaders with fragile egos. The path to power and riches just requires no moral compass and the stomach for insincerity debretts.com/the-flattery...

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Gah! On top of everything else, Brexit has stolen dresses with massive pockets from us. Always in our hearts, Joanie! www.business-live.co.uk/retail-consu... Please share your ethical, quirky alternatives with responsible fabrics and pockets! I'll start with Sugarhill Brighton: tinyurl.com/5bkzcxve

business-live.co.uk

Joanie Clothing announces closure after nine years

Vintage fashion retailer has been hit by Brexit, Covid and international tariffs

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Alom Shaha @alomshaha.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Children have INSET day, so half-term has started early for them. For any parents and carers in the same boat, here’s my regular reminder of this thread videos of easy-to-make TOYS which all work on some sort of science / engineering principle

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Pretty sure this Public Information Film is the reason my generation is wary of clowns. On Saturday, I had to explain to two younger friends that we were made to sit in school watching videos of children suffering all sorts of horrific accidents to scare us careful! player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/wa...

player.bfi.org.uk

Watch The Balloon - BFI Player

A creepy clown brings balloons and death in this dreamlike road safety film, along with some not-so-subtle product placement

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Thought Bubble Festival @thoughtbubbleuk.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

This year marks the 20th Edition of Thought Bubble: The Yorkshire Comic Art Festival! With a week long festival from 9-15 November 2026, taking place across Yorkshire. And our GIANT Comic Convention will be on 14 & 15 November 2025 at Harrogate Convention Centre.

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

Wonderful news! We paid for this vaccine and after seeing some of wee one’s friends suffer nasty complications from Chickenpox, we were glad we went for it! There’s no reason for kids to suffer the virus, and run the risk of shingles later, when a vaccine exists! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Chickenpox vaccines for children on NHS starts across UK

For the first time, children will be offered vaccination on the NHS against the common infection which, in rare cases, can be very serious.

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

Raiders of the Lost Ark has always said ‘Christmas’ to me as my Granddad put it on every year. ITV obviously agree! What are your non-Christmassy Christmas movies?

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

@asianastroboy.bsky.social is in Norway for a few days. Autocorrect changed my ‘gute nacht’ text to ‘gluten bitch’ which is henceforth my default way to say goodnight.

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

This week I'm visiting three Teesside schools with National Literacy Trust to talk about writing with a Halloween twist. Popped this in for teachers as old as me and just learnt that carving turnips wasn't just a poor 80s kid thing, it's an old Celt tradition to ward off evil spirits at Samhain!

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Gideon Cresswell @gideoncresswell.com · 23/10/2025

I’m running a short survey on how players experience horror games 👻 — what makes them tense, memorable, and terrifying 👀 I’d really appreciate your input fellow horror fans🩸(Pls share!) 👉 bit.ly/horror-survey #IndieDev #GameDev #Horror #HorrorGames #PlayerFeedback #IndieGame #IndieGameDeveloper

Image for a “Horror Game Survey” with a dark forest and an old abandoned house in the background. Red blood splatters decorate the image. A large QR code is centred with a red tag reading “Scan Me!” beside it. Below the QR code is the text: “https://bit.ly/horror-survey”. At the bottom, white text reads: “Take part in an indie horror game survey for your chance to win a £10 Amazon voucher.” On the lower right, an Amazon.co.uk gift card graphic with a yellow ribbon reads: “Win a £10 Amazon voucher!”

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 04/08/2025

Some summer born children are ready for school, but delaying our August born daughter’s reception start was the best thing we ever did.It took lots of research to get it approved, but all her teachers believe we did the right thing. Happy to chat to anyone considering it!https://tinyurl.com/ysv69msj

tinyurl.com

Parents of summer-born children face ‘unfair’ postcode lottery in school admissions

Some families who do not want their child to start primary school almost a year younger than some of their classmates

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 15/07/2025

Whaaaat? I checked the WeTransfer terms for myself and this really is in there.

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Launch day for Rani Reports on the Tropical Island Treasure by @asianastroboy.bsky.social and me! Endless thanks to our brilliant illustrator Navya Raju, editor Katie Jennings at @rocktheboatnews.bsky.social and agent @hslanews.bsky.social It is a very special book, dedicated to a very special woman

A smiling woman holding a copy of the book 'Rani Reports on the Tropical Island Treasure'. It has a blue cover featuring an illustrated photo of a long haired south asian girl wearing shorts and tshirt as she digs in front of a pyramid flanked with palm trees. There is also a small picure of a dodo bird.

Book dedication page, reading 'For Nani - Deotee Fowdar.

A book page featuring an illustration of a Holi celebration in a mauritian palm tree-lined street. People are smiling and throwing coloured powder over each other, though the illustration is black and white. the text on the page reads '"Happy Holi!" I called out as Vee and I threw purple and yellow powder over Mum and Dad, while Nani enthusiastically covered Brent in red as he fumbled with his own bag of coloured powder.
"This way," said Vee, darting after Kish as Mum and Dad sent sprays of orange and blue our way.'

A bookpage featuring Mauritian sega dancers holding their wide floral skirts as they dance and spin. Rani is dancing next to Nani who is tapping a large round, flat drum - a ravanne. Both are smiling and wearing long floral skirts. the text reads
'began to spin, skirts whirling at waist height as they whooped and swirled. I felt my feet tapping and watched Nani as she sang, her fingers flying over the ravanne. She caught my eye and winked.
In the final part of the performance, the musicians played more modern Creole songs, and the dancers invited people onto the dance floor. I'm usually too shy, but my feet led the way for me. Nani had suggested I wear a long skirt and I swirled it around as the dancers showed us how to move our feet and hips in time to the music.'

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John Self @john-self.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

Classic tweet from a more innocent time

Photo of Prince Harry wearing camo fatigues and a high-vis vest over the top. Tweet reads “Do you want to be seen or not mate”

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Finally getting around to Yellowface by @rfkuang.bsky.social on audiobook. It is gooood. Enjoying the discomfort of being in the head of a petulant, self absorbed protagonist, who feels personally attacked by diversity. A particularly engaging read if you're an author or publisher! bit.ly/4k5fcb3

goodreads.com

Yellowface

Authors Juniper Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to…

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Awesome 80’s themed co-op game now half price! And no, I am not at all biased!

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

The great north author tour is underway! Come meet us across the north east and Yorkshire! Times in pic and alt text! Lisette Auton Jack Jackman Siobhan McDermott James Harris Annaliese Avery Gabrielle Kent /Shewhorak Marie Basting Mike Edwards Alex Foulkes Jason Rohan Bethany Walker Tom Vaughan

The Bound, Whitley Bay
9:30 - 10:15
DRAKE the Bookshop, Stockton-on-Tees
11:20 - 12:05
ipon Bookshop
The Wonky Tree
Bookshop, Leyburn
13:10- 13:45
Little Ripon
Bookshop, Ripon
16:00 - 16:45
White Rose
Books, Thirsk
14:45- 15:30

Lisette Auton
Jack Jackman
Siobhan McDermott
James Harris
Annaliese Avery
Gabrielle Kent / Shewhorak
Marie Basting
Mike Edwards
Alex Foulkes
Jason Rohan
Bethany Walker
Tom Vaughan

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

I can hugely recommend drawing with Rob for all ages!

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Andy Khouri @andykhouri.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

This sounds like a bit but I’m being serious: kids using chat gpt for their homework are denying themselves the invaluable experience of learning how to bullshit their way through a problem. You drink some caffeine the night before and figure it the fuck out. That’s a skill. You need it in life.

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

So this sits above my writing desk – one of my favourite Paul Kidby pieces from Tiffany Aching's Guide to being a Witch, gifted by @terryandrob.bsky.social. After a year and a half of looking at it, I've only just realised that it's not a giclee, it's the bloody original art!

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

I love Norwegians and how massively popular Discworld is in Norway, but this, by @nerdforge.bsky.social ... this is another level! www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAdn...

youtube.com

I Built a 14,000 Page Rotating Book

YouTube video by Nerdforge

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

A procrastination of authors is touring Northern bookshops on Saturday 21st June, times below! Shops may have advance copies of Rani Reports on the Tropical Island Treasure, and I'm MORE than happy to sign copies of Tiffany Aching's Guide to Being a Witch and generally geek out over Discworld!

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Yup⤵️ Many earn far less and celebs skew stats. From what I'm hearing at the moment for middle grade, many folks are typically getting 3-6k advance, which is split into three payments which can span years, and from which agents are paid 15%. This is why there are so few full-time authors.

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

ADHD medication day one…. I am staying on task and finishing one thought before having another!

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 13/06/2025

I have a joke about Chronos, but I have to get the timing right

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

Today I'm delivering newswriting workshops for Stephenson Way Primary School in Newton Aycliffe Library. I was delighted to discover that the incredible Knife Angel is in town, right outside the library!

A towering angel with a body made of knife handles and wings crafted from blades.

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 05/06/2025

This is true. Those authors who get huge advances HAVE to sell well for the publisher to justify it and recoup costs, so massive amounts of marketing spend and effort go to those books. Books with less publisher confidence/subsequent spend obviously won’t do as well. It’s a self fulfilling prophecy.

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Excited to show off Navya Raju's cover of #3 in our junior journalist series, Rani Reports on the Tropical Island Treasure. Set on Mauritius and full of facts about pirates, cryptography, colonialism +geological & evolutionary wonders. Preorders gratefully received!🙏 www.amazon.co.uk/Rani-Reports...

Book cover for Rani Reports: On the Tropical Island Treasure by Gabrielle & Satish Shewhorak, illustrated by Navya Raju. The cover features a young girl, Rani, digging with a spade on a tropical island with palm trees, butterflies, and a photograph of a dodo bird. The background includes a stone pyramid, suggesting hidden treasure. The spine and back cover show torn-paper design elements. The blurb describes Rani's adventure in Mauritius uncovering pirate secrets with help from her Nani and cousin Kish. Praise quotes from authors and publications highlight the book as a fun, clue-filled, middle-grade adventure.

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The Truth Shall Make Ye Fret @makeyefretpod.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

It’s possible that, while discussing Gender on the Discworld (episode available on YouTube: youtu.be/OXJYfghjUDA?... ) as well as the usual places, we occasionally wondered off topic. Donate to the Good Law Project’s trans rights fundraiser here: goodlawproject.org/crowdfunder/...

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

The other teacher I thanked in the book was Mr Hughes. A wonderful, creative teacher I had in Junior 3. Last week I was speaking at Aycliffe library so visited my old school to donate my books. They posted a pic on fb and his daughter-in-law got in touch! I get to meet and thank him 40 years later!

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

In Rani Reports end pages we thanked teachers who inspired our writing. I'd always wanted to thank my 6th form teacher in person so posted on a fb group for old staff & students. Guys, he lived 30 seconds away for 20yrs and had just passed away. RIP Mr Early, the ripples you made are still spreading

media.tenor.com

a man in a suit stands in front of a chalkboard in a classroom

ALT: a man in a suit stands in front of a chalkboard in a classroom

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Shabana Mir @shabana.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

The DC shooter's neighbor was perfectly on message. Solidarity, sir.

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Rachael King @rachaelking70.bsky.social · 20/05/2025

This was just posted by @tbretc.bsky.social on another platform. The Chicago Sun-Times obviously gets ChatGPT to write a ‘summer reads’ feature almost entirely made up of real authors but completely fake books. What are we coming to?

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

Two Scousers working on the road as I walked back from dropping the girleen off at school. Scouser 1 "E' acts like an eagle that got bitten by a f***ing werewolf" I am no longer a writer. My imagination has been dealt a career ending injury.

media.tenor.com

a cartoon brain with a cell phone in it .

Alt: a cartoon of a brain with a battery on low charge

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 18/05/2025

Goth nature is my favourite nature.

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Ed Newton-Rex @ednewtonrex.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Fantastic ending to Baroness Kidron's speech in the House of Lords yesterday, which led to the government's defeat on AI & copyright. Speaking the UK's creators: "Their property, their labour, is worthy of your protection - because apart from anything else, it is not ours to give away."

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Louie Stowell @louiestowell.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

I'm giving a talk in a few months to some children's publishing and bookselling bods. If you could say one thing to a capitive audience of publishers and booksellers, what would YOU say? #KidLitUK (Dm me if it's something you'd rather not say out loud...)

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Oh Labour, I don't even know what you are anymore. Certainly not a friend to the creative industries.

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Gabrielle Kent @gabriellekent.bsky.social · 05/05/2025

The Child picked the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer as our bank holiday family movie. Amilyn’s death gets me every time 😂

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