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Ioan Marc Jones

@ioanmarcjones.bsky.social
2.1K followers 1.5K following 31 posts

Writer in The Guardian, BBC, The Times, The FT, The Independent, Spectator, McSweeney's, New England Review, etc. He/Him. Commissions: ioanmarcjones@proton.me

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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I wrote about how booze lost its cool on Substack:
ioanmarcjones.substack.com
Big booze lost its cool
How Big Alcohol made a coordinated effort to manufacture cool - and
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
ioanmarcjones.substack.com
ioanmarcjones.substack.com
Ioan Marc Jones | Substack
Writer in The Guardian, BBC, The Times, The FT, The Independent, Spectator, McSweeney's, New England Review, etc. He/Him. Click to read Ioan Marc Jones, a Substack publication. Launched 19 minutes ago...
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
ioanmarcjones.substack.com
ioanmarcjones.substack.com
Ioan Marc Jones | Substack
Writer in The Guardian, BBC, The Times, The FT, The Independent, Spectator, McSweeney's, New England Review, etc. He/Him. Click to read Ioan Marc Jones, a Substack publication. Launched 19 minutes ago...
001
Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I wrote about how booze lost its cool on Substack:
ioanmarcjones.substack.com
Big booze lost its cool
How Big Alcohol made a coordinated effort to manufacture cool - and
001
Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 30/08/2026
Q: Can you run away? A. I am a world-class athlete. I can turn and sprint so fast that my old high school friend will never catch me. B. I tore a ligament last week mowing the lawn. I can hobble, but it will cause permanent damage. C. I have gout.
buff.ly
Can You Avoid an Old High School Friend at the Bus Stop? A Decision Tree
Are there other people at the bus stop? Can you pretend to know them? A. Yes, there’s a small crowd, including a friendly-looking woman with a pug. She’s wea...
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
I wrote for @theguardian.com about my attempts to get into running… www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
theguardian.com
Nipple tape, pickle juice and dinosaurs: how I learned to love running, the unorthodox way
The usual advice was getting me nowhere. If I really wanted to embrace running, I’d need to go off-piste. It was a journey that took me to some very strange places …
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 19/08/2026
Woah.
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 12/08/2026
Nipple tape, pickle juice and dinosaurs: how I learned to love running, the unorthodox way
theguardian.com
Nipple tape, pickle juice and dinosaurs: how I learned to love running, the unorthodox way
The usual advice was getting me nowhere. If I really wanted to embrace running, I’d need to go off-piste. It was a journey that took me to some very strange places …
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
I wrote for @theguardian.com about my attempts to get into running… www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
theguardian.com
Nipple tape, pickle juice and dinosaurs: how I learned to love running, the unorthodox way
The usual advice was getting me nowhere. If I really wanted to embrace running, I’d need to go off-piste. It was a journey that took me to some very strange places …
293
Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Here's a picture from the day I wrote the article, which I'm sharing for the sole reason that I like the picture... www.bbc.co.uk/travel/artic...
Ioan Marc Jones standing next to a hanging basket in front of the Dylan Thomas blue plaques at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Swansea.
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
The New Yorker @newyorker.com · 09/08/2026
As Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan’s newly elected Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, put it, “People really effing hate data centers.” www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
newyorker.com
A.I. Is Now a Major Election Issue
As Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan’s newly elected Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate, put it, “People really effing hate data centers.”
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
Writers' Guild of Great Britain @writersguildgb.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
We're joining @creatorsrights.bsky.social in calling on Government to protect creators from the existential threat of GenAI Help get the petition to 10,000 signatures - sign the petition 🔽 petition.parliament.uk/petitions/76...
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
I wrote for the BBC about staying in Dylan Thomas's house: www.bbc.co.uk/travel/artic...
bbc.co.uk
Sleeping in Dylan Thomas' house in Wales
Part time portal, part museum, the legendary poet's childhood home offers travellers an all-access stay in Swansea – and a surreal experience.
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
I wrote for the BBC about staying in Dylan Thomas's house: www.bbc.co.uk/travel/artic...
bbc.co.uk
Sleeping in Dylan Thomas' house in Wales
Part time portal, part museum, the legendary poet's childhood home offers travellers an all-access stay in Swansea – and a surreal experience.
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 16/07/2026
A voyage of discovery: an idiot’s guide to reading The Odyssey
theguardian.com
A voyage of discovery: an idiot’s guide to reading The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of the ancient Greek epic has sparked a new appetite for an old classic. Here are the translations, podcasts and audiobooks that make the Homeric world more approachable
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
The Lit Path @thelitpath.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
@ioanmarcjones.bsky.social speaks to @jackaldane.bsky.social on what it feels like to discover your political voice through character in a novel. Ep#2🔗 www.youtube.com/watch?si=TkU...
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
I wrote about reading The Odyssey in @theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...
theguardian.com
A voyage of discovery: an idiot’s guide to reading The Odyssey
Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of the ancient Greek epic has sparked a new appetite for an old classic. Here are the translations, podcasts and audiobooks that make the Homeric world more approac...
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
The Lit Path @thelitpath.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
New episode with @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social and @jackaldane.bsky.social out now. 🔗 t.co/y4wcWrZfCQ 🔗 t.co/XmDyzU70au
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Nigel Farage, public-school-educated ex-banker, failed to declare substantial gifts from his friend George Cottrell, whose dad went to public school with Prince Andrew and whose mum once dated the literal King of England, and they both blame the establishment. They are the establishment.
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
The Lit Path @thelitpath.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
@ioanmarcjones.bsky.social and @jackaldane.bsky.social discuss men, reading and fiction on Ep #2 of The Lit Path, out later this week.
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
A dream commission. I wrote a feature for @theguardian.com on how to read classic novels, with a pic of my whippet Dizzy included for good measure. www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...
theguardian.com
I devoured classic novels as a teenager. In a world of distractions, can I relearn how to read them?
In less than a decade, surrounded by screens, I lost my ability to read some of the best books ever written. But, inspired by the Guardian’s 100 best novels list, I was determined to get it back
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
The Lit Path @thelitpath.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
🚨OUT SOON! Following Ep.1 with the brilliant @johnyorkestory.bsky.social, @jackaldane.bsky.social sits down with the writer @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social to discuss Anne Carson's 1998 verse novel 📚Autobiography of Red📚, a work based on a fragmentary poem by the ancient Greek poet Stesichorus.
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
At least Starmer will leave office standing up for what he believes in: nothing.
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
I wrote about the new Dave Eggers novel, Contrapposto, for Harvard Review: www.harvardreview.org/book-review/...
harvardreview.org
Contrapposto - Harvard Review
Fiction often pokes fun at reality. Dave Eggers is a master of that form. A Hologram for the King laughs at the tedium of international capitalism, updating Beckett for the age of corporate nomads. Th...
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 02/06/2026
I devoured classic novels as a teenager. In a world of distractions, can I relearn how to read them?
theguardian.com
I devoured classic novels as a teenager. In a world of distractions, can I relearn how to read them?
In less than a decade, surrounded by screens, I lost my ability to read some of the best books ever written. But, inspired by the Guardian’s 100 best novels list, I was determined to get it back
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Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
Dirk Maggs @dirkmaggs.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
If, like me, you have despaired of getting to grips with great books in a world of digital distractions, there’s a terrific piece in today’s Guardian by @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social which may be of help. www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...
theguardian.com
I devoured classic novels as a teenager. In a world of distractions, can I relearn how to read them?
In less than a decade, surrounded by screens, I lost my ability to read some of the best books ever written. But, inspired by the Guardian’s 100 best novels list, I was determined to get it back
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
A dream commission. I wrote a feature for @theguardian.com on how to read classic novels, with a pic of my whippet Dizzy included for good measure. www.theguardian.com/books/2026/j...
theguardian.com
I devoured classic novels as a teenager. In a world of distractions, can I relearn how to read them?
In less than a decade, surrounded by screens, I lost my ability to read some of the best books ever written. But, inspired by the Guardian’s 100 best novels list, I was determined to get it back
3338
Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
I wrote a comic piece for @mcsweeneys.net about one of my greatest fears...Can You Avoid an Old High School Friend at the Bus Stop? A Decision Tree www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/can...
mcsweeneys.net
Can You Avoid an Old High School Friend at the Bus Stop? A Decision Tree
Are there other people at the bus stop? Can you pretend to know them? A. Yes, there’s a small crowd, including a friendly-looking woman with a pug. She’s wea...
141
Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 29/05/2026
Q: Are there any places to hide around the bus stop? A. Yes, it has a covered shelter and advertising panels. B. There is a thin tree, the size of a pole. I could, in theory, stand behind it. C. There is nowhere to hide.
buff.ly
Can You Avoid an Old High School Friend at the Bus Stop? A Decision Tree
Are there other people at the bus stop? Can you pretend to know them? A. Yes, there’s a small crowd, including a friendly-looking woman with a pug. She’s wea...
1261
Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 28/05/2026
Q: Can you run away? A. I am a world-class athlete. I can turn and sprint so fast that my old high school friend will never catch me. B. I tore a ligament last week mowing the lawn. I can hobble, but it will cause permanent damage. C. I have gout.
buff.ly
Can You Avoid an Old High School Friend at the Bus Stop? A Decision Tree
Are there other people at the bus stop? Can you pretend to know them? A. Yes, there’s a small crowd, including a friendly-looking woman with a pug. She’s wea...
0377
Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 26/05/2026
Are there other people at the bus stop? Can you pretend to know them? A. Yes, there’s a small crowd, including a friendly-looking woman with a pug, and I have doggy treats in my coat pocket. B. There is a drunk man yielding a kitchen knife. C. I am alone.
buff.ly
Can You Avoid an Old High School Friend at the Bus Stop? A Decision Tree
Are there other people at the bus stop? Can you pretend to know them? A. Yes, there’s a small crowd, including a friendly-looking woman with a pug. She’s wea...
2416
Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
I wrote a comic piece for @mcsweeneys.net about one of my greatest fears...Can You Avoid an Old High School Friend at the Bus Stop? A Decision Tree www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/can...
mcsweeneys.net
Can You Avoid an Old High School Friend at the Bus Stop? A Decision Tree
Are there other people at the bus stop? Can you pretend to know them? A. Yes, there’s a small crowd, including a friendly-looking woman with a pug. She’s wea...
141
Reposted by Ioan Marc Jones
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 18/05/2026
The 100 best novels of all time: the full list is now in, as voted for by authors, critics and academics worldwide. How many have you read?
theguardian.com
The 100 best novels of all time
The top 100 novels of all time published in English, as voted for by authors, critics and academics worldwide. How many have you read?
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
I wrote about how to stop AI writing ruining fiction for @thespectator1828.bsky.social: spectator.com/article/book...
spectator.com
Book publishers must fight back against AI
Publishers could include clauses in contracts prohibiting the use of AI, with appropriate use defined in absolute terms.
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
I wrote about solo staycations for @theipaper.com: inews.co.uk/inews-lifest...
inews.co.uk
I took 15 solo UK trips in a year – now I love travelling alone
It's the perfect way to enjoy a staycation on your own terms
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
According to Farage and Goodwin, Islamists en masse voted for the LGBT+ friendly white woman who represents a party run by a gay Jewish man.
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Did employees not look up the company they work for? Were they under the impression Palantir were, like, the good guys?
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
'The Tories broke Britain,' say the Tories who broke Britain, trying to convince you to vote for Reform, a party full of the Tories who broke Britain.
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
Net migration in the UK fell by more than two-thirds to a post-pandemic low, but 67% of people thought it had increased. Four in five Reform voters thought immigration had grown. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Two-thirds of UK voters wrongly think immigration is rising, poll finds
Exclusive: Voters say they have little confidence that government can control borders despite sharp falls in net migration
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 02/01/2026
Wrote for The FT (@financialtimes.com) about quiet tech and the quest for quiet in our homes: giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
The quest for quiet in a dangerously noisy world
Start the year without a bang: as two in five of the UK population suffer from harmful levels of noise, the search for silence in the home has newfound zeal
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 30/11/2025
I wrote about the horrors and joys of getting a puppy for @thetimes.com (it has a happy ending): www.thetimes.com/article/the-...
thetimes.com
We bought a puppy and it ruined our lives
Dizzy left our home and relationship in tatters. Surely there would be more to dog ownership than this…
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 03/08/2025
I wrote about visiting England’s Cathedrals (sometimes with my whippet) for @thetimes.com: www.thetimes.com/uk/religion/...
thetimes.com
My tour of England’s glorious cathedrals produced a clear winner
Crypts, cloisters and stained glass that left him giddy: Ioan Marc Jones and his dog saw it all. What’s your favourite?
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
Old article I wrote on vegetarianism: www.independent.co.uk/life-style/f...
independent.co.uk
Veganuary: I can’t find any reason to return to meat
When Ioan Marc Jones took up the challenge of going vegan for the month of January, little did he realise that he was embarking on a journey of painful enlightenment
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
I wrote about AI and the future of fiction: www.thebookseller.com/comment/how-...
thebookseller.com
How will AI change the novel?
Generative AI is impersonal. Great writing is the opposite.
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
I wrote about learning to listen and learning to shut up for @theguardian.com: www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
theguardian.com
I was one of those men who couldn’t stop talking. Here’s how I learned to shut up and listen
After realising how much I interrupted other people, I decided I needed to make a drastic change. Here’s how starting to listen changed my relationships – and made me happier
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Ioan Marc Jones @ioanmarcjones.bsky.social · 27/04/2025
I wrote a long and fragmented personal essay a few years ago for @newenglandreview.bsky.social, which explores place, memory, and identity. Just re-sharing as I re-engage on social media: nereview.com/article/to-t...
nereview.com
To the falling London rain – New England Review
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