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Kate Barker

@katebarker.bsky.social
1.8K followers 1.3K following 219 posts

Literary agent. Always looking for something interesting. www.katebarker.net.

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Reposted by Kate Barker
Karsten Konrad 🇪🇺 @zabong69.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
The Werner Herzog test will be that an LMM can come up with something like this while staying in character. Preferably with a German accent.
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
I thought I watched a lot of TV but if we use Duncan’s definition of watching - meaning a season - I’ve only seen 35.
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
People, stop using AI to write your book proposals. It produces a horrible samey voice that masks your personality and individuality. Even if it fools me it won't fool all the publishing people who may end up reading it...
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Nicolas Hénin @nicolashenin.net · 17/09/2026
Nice campaign by the Norwegian Consumer Council about the declining lifespan of products. Enjoy!
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Katie Martin @katie0martin.ft.com · 21/09/2026
Paper of record
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Torsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
So much of the right these days have a massive patriotism problem. This guy: - is a tax exile (left long before this govt) - hates his own country while complaining he doesn’t get big enough subsidies from it - laments the manufacturing hit from a Brexit he supported www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Billionaire Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he has lost confidence in UK
Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe tells the BBC he thinks the country is "on the slide" and calls for more investment in the North Sea.
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Scott Pack @meandmybigmouth.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Okay, seeing as he's in the news at the moment, let me share with you a short thread about the time I went round Earl Spencer's house for dinner. (GIF not remotely accurate but rather fun.)
static.klipy.com
Andrew Scott in The Pursuit of Love
Alt: Andrew Scott in The Pursuit of Love. He's in shorts and a shirt, wavering in the breeze. He's taking off sunglasses, and he's standing on the lawn in front of a massive stately home.
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Jim Waterson @jim.londoncentric.media · 12/09/2026
I’ve been OBSESSED with the Shard apartments for at least a decade. Priced at up to £50m. Visible across London. Empty since 2012. Unsellable. No pictures online. Now London Centric has found out what’s happened to them - and the first pic of the interior. www.londoncentric.media/p/the-shard-...
londoncentric.media
‘Airbnb for sheikhs’: The first look inside the Shard’s £50m apartments that won’t sell
Ten “cursed” apartments have sat empty since 2012 • The Qatari state can’t find buyers • The local council has approved plans to turn them into short-term lets at up to £18,000 per week
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Annalisa Nicholson @apuddleofmuddle.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
It's just weird isn't it when the British Museum is running a sold-out exhibition, when The Odyssey reports $1billion at the box office, when the V&A has just opened the most innovative and accessible museum model in Europe....and this is what our minister for research comes out with.
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Ed Davey @eddavey.libdems.org.uk · 04/09/2026
Three senior Reform figures were involved in those Channel 4 revelations we saw last night. Two have been kicked out. The third is Nigel Farage. Farage should be suspended while this matter is investigated. He has very serious questions to answer.
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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 04/09/2026
A thread full of good questions for Nigel Farage
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Robert Smith @bondhack.ft.com · 03/09/2026
The full Verbatim video also on YouTube here. youtu.be/RugPik-G1Jw?...
youtu.be
My Year Undercover in Reform UK
YouTube video by Verbatim Investigations
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Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
At what point does a British by-election get awarded to the silver medalist, à la Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis? Asking for a friend of a friend, i.e. me. #Clacton
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Daniel Moser @dmoser.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Pollution levels in London after 10 years of advancing sustainable transport.
Map showing Lower Pollution levels in London after 10 years of advancing sustainable transport.
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spooky halloween txt @metaltxt.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Well, what I always say, "I just want everybody to be treated good." I try not to get into the politics of everything. I try to get into the human element of it. I have some of everybody in my own immediate family and in my circle of employees. I've got transgender people. I've got gays. I've got lesbians. I've got drunks. I've got drug addicts — all within my own family. I know and love them all, and I do not judge.

And I just see how broken-hearted they get over certain things and I know how real they are. I know how important this is to them. That's who they are. They cannot help that any more than I can help being Dolly Parton, you know, the way people know me. If there's something to be judged, that is God's business. But we are all God's children and how we are is who we are.
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Gina Rippon @ginarippon.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Thank you, Kate!☺️. What a wasted opportunity🤦🏻. Not to mention the ethical issues and the overall irresponsibility 😡
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
@ginarippon.bsky.social talking great good sense on the recent #ADHD documentary: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
There is nothing scientific about The Great ADHD Myth? ‘documentary’ | Gina Rippon
Channel 4’s programme wastes a chance to ask important questions about how ADHD is diagnosed and treated, instead indulging in unscientific methods and conspiracy theories, says author Gina Rippon
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The Author, Séamas O'Reilly @seamas.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Not to be some wild-eyed innocent, but I think it should be slightly bigger news that The Lancet have crunched the numbers and found that Musk's USAID cuts will kill 14 million people. And that's just by 2030. That's 9,600 people a day, every day, until the next world cup rolls around.
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Jason Sinclair @jsinclair.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
"If you have retreated to physical books because the internet is too full of AI slop, bad news - now they’re shredding the books to feed their AI slop machines."
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London & Southeast🔅 @thesnowdreamer.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Today experienced the 24th day of year hitting 30C in London. For perspective in whole of 1980s we had 21 days.
static.klipy.com
The Office: Woman Holding 'HOT' Sign
ALT: The Office: Woman Holding 'HOT' Sign
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Very happy to see May We Feed The King on here - it’s excellent.
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is as awesome as everyone says, truly extraordinary. But be warned: I went to an 8pm showing and couldn’t sleep till gone 2am. Takes a while to wind down!
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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
I genuinely cannot understand how the Labour government has now had two, genuinely cultured prime ministers who both looked at Lisa Nandy’s record there and went “I’m pleased with this. I want this to continue.”
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Robert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 20/07/2026
Back into the Cabinet after two years in a silent monastery in Tibet.
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Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Had fun chatting to Ed about the economics of artillery shells. news.sky.com/story/howitz...
news.sky.com
Howitzer: A medieval cannon helping us prepare for modern war
<a href='https://podfollow.com/stuff-matters'>👉Listen to Stuff Matters on your podcast app👈</a>
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
WhatsApp drives me nuts but my husband, son and daughter watched the football from hospital, the Galapagos and Suffolk respectively whilst sharing the feels so it has its moments. (I had a great night’s sleep…)
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Jonathan Coe @jonathancoe.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
This is hilarious. I can't believe I have no memory of it whatsoever. Transitioning to decimalisation was very easy but this song makes it seem hellishly complicated. It must have baffled a lot of people.
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ContempraInn 🌹 @contemprainn.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
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Tyron @tyron.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
hell yeah britmonkey.com/2020s-politi...
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Someone should make Thomas Heatherwick sit on one of his buses all day in a heatwave. Who needs windows, eh.
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Leo Hickman @leohickman.carbonbrief.org · 24/06/2026
++BREAKING++ Leading climate scientists in the UK have written to senior editors in broadcast media - and OFCOM and IPSO: "To express our concern about recent media coverage of extreme weather, climate change and net-zero and to urge you…to inform public audiences of the scientific links"
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Authors querying books: I'm often surprised by the word count of submissions. I just looked at a book for adults which is 23k words long. That's...too short. 200k words is usually too long. You can determine the word count of published books by taking an average of 3 pages then X by number of pages.
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 24/06/2026
There were those who doubted us, but a new independent report shows major reductions in air pollution in our city are linked to an estimated 40% fewer annual premature deaths.
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Yes. Also, my daughter taught herself maybe 20% of her physics GCSE curriculum from YouTube (her school is excellent but they ran out of time...).
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👻 Jack Djinn Wail 🧞 @jacktindale.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Is your child up at 9pm arguing about tram networks with the entire staff of the FT and some tedious Americans who are not familiar with the concept of a joke? This report make shock you.
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James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
The most disgusting behaviour I’ve ever witnessed in public spaces was directed at Sadiq Khan by ‘anti-Ulez’ protesters, who of course received way more coverage, much of it friendly, than the scheme’s incredible success ever will.
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Of course, Dan Jarvis wrote an award-winning memoir about his time in the army... uk.bookshop.org/p/books/long...
uk.bookshop.org
Long Way Home: Love, life, death, and everything in between
Love, life, death, and everything in between
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Anil Dash @anildash.com · 10/06/2026
This is the key part; make your employer verify in writing that you (or your team) are expected, as part of the duties of your job, to be exposed to child sexual abuse material. They *of course* then have to provide a method of reporting it, and resources for supporting those exposed to it.
Can you verify that our team is required to be on the service even though there is child abuse imagery on the site? I know that Musk’s account is shown to everyone on Twitter, so I’m concerned we’ll see whatever content he shares or retweets. Should I forward any of the child abuse material that I encounter in the course of carrying out the duties of my role to HR or legal, or both? And what is our reporting process for reporting this kind of material to the authorities, as I haven’t been trained in any procedures around these kinds of sensitive materials?
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Anil Dash @anildash.com · 10/06/2026
If you need a script for getting your company off Twitter, I WROTE YOU ONE. Multiple people have used it, successfully, to explain the legal liability your company incurs by forcing employees to be on a platform with child sexual abuse material. I will help you use it. anildash.com/2026/02/23/t...
anildash.com
Taking action against AI harms - Anil Dash
A blog about making culture. Since 1999.
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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 09/06/2026
When you can pay 150mn euros for a player, but not 150 euros for a translator
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Chief Digital Officer for London @ldncdo.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Help shape the Mayor's AI and Jobs Taskforce to understand the impact of AI on Londoners’ jobs, and how we can support: what's AI actually doing to your work, your sector, your city? Take our @mayoroflondon.bsky.social survey; join the online discussion; RT! www.london.gov.uk/talk-london/...
london.gov.uk
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Michael Spicer @michaelspicer.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Nigel Farage Listens to the News
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Fantastic! So pleased that you enjoyed Blood & Treasure. @duncanweldon.bsky.social
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Happy paperback publication day to @duncanweldon.bsky.social In the words of Martin Wolf, Blood & Treasure is ‘a brilliant book’.
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John Crace @mrjohncrace.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Nicola’s only crime was to love too much. And to not notice the Jaguar on the drive | John Crace
Rather than being one of the shrewdest operators in British politics for a decade, it turns out Sturgeon was just too trusting
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
This is… unexpected.
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Kate Barker @katebarker.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Authors! Reminder to register your books for #PLR by 30 June: www.bl.uk/services/plr
bl.uk
Public Lending Right (PLR) - authors, illustrators - British Library
Published authors, illustrators, editors, translators or audiobook narrators could could receive up to £6,600 per year from public library loans.
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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
Perhaps the Labour Party could take 5 minutes out of its busy infighting schedule and let this be news for a bit
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Duncan Weldon @duncanweldon.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
They order ballot papers by drawing lots in Australia. Yet more evidence for: Australia has the best electoral system.
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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Impressive (observer.co.uk/news/nationa...)
Graph showing Farage's income and Stack BTC investments.
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