iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 26/12/2025

Letter from James Hogg to John Murray, 26 Dec 1814: Dear Murray What the deuce have you made of my excellent poem that you are never publishing it while I am starving for want of money and cannot even afford a Christmas goose to my friends?… —in DEAR MR MURRAY #C18 #C19 #romanticism #BookHistory

What the deuce have you made of my excellent poem that you are never publishing it while I am starving for want of money and cannot even afford a Christmas goose to my friends? I think I may say of you as the countryman said to his friend who asked him when his wife had her accouchement 'Troth, man' said he 'she's aye gaun aboot yet and I think she'll be gaun to keep this ane till hirsel a thegither'. However I daresay that like the said wife you have your reasons for it but of all things a bookseller's reasons suit worst with a poets board - I should be glad to know if you got safely across the Tweed and what number of the little family group you lost by the way betwixt Edin. and London and how everything in the literary world is going on with you since that time - Why do you never write to me? Have you ever seen Moore or talked to him about our projected reporting? What in the world is become of that unlucky perverse callan Lord Byron? I have not heard from him these two months and more. I have really been afraid for some time past that he was dead or perhaps even married and was truly very concerned about the lad - But I was informed the other day by a gentleman of the utmost respectability that he was very busy writing godly psalms to be sung in congregations and families and when I heard that I said, 'If that be the case there's no man sure of his life' - I do not know where to find him else I would write him a scolding letter - I have nothing in the world to say to you only be sure to let me hear from you and tell me how you are like to come on with the copies of the Queen's Wake which I sent you. It has been a losing business and you must get me as much for it as you can afford ("afford" is scored out in the text). I hope you will soon find occasion for sending me an offer for a fifth edition. I am interrupted so farewell for the present.
God bless you
James Hogg

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Old Weird Scotland @weirdscotland.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

In his first hundred years of business in Scotland, Santa Claus delivered to children on Hogmanay (31st Dec), not Christmas Eve. By the 1960s, he had fully synchronised his visits and Scotland ran on the same timetable as the US and England. #OldWeirdScotland

a newspaper article with the headline: Kirsteen talks to northeast women. Time for Santa to make up his mind?

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Sam Missingham @samatlounge.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

They’re really pushing this narrative about the new CEO. If you want to believe women at HC have suddenly done the right thing, sure. But - Walliams’ editor/publisher was a woman, new head of kids dept & head of Corp Comms both women and new CEO all knew about this for 10+ years and did nothing.

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Terrible Maps @terriblemapshq.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Does Coca-Cola make your country’s favourite drink?

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Robert @clatchardcraig.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

British public employees still imagine that Britain is a wealthy country and, ergo, they deserve to paid comensurately. In reality, Britain is a country of middling wealth which gets poorer with every passing year. This is one of Britain's (and Scotland's) most urgent problems.

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Suzy A @suzyaspleybooks.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Pink sunset mist over Scotland’s sheep last night. @stormhour.com

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 09/08/2025

Deep dive into the Unbound disaster

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Louise Fairbairn @scarletrix.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

Now there's a headstone full of life's adventures...

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Douglas Skelton @dougskelton.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

Two weeks to go before we cast off the bowlines! The 5th #JonasFlynt #adventure #thriller sets sail on August 21 in #hardback & #ebooks @canelobooks.bsky.social @belllomaxmoreton.bsky.social

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Liam McIlvanney @liammcilvanney.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

That’s a wrap on The Good Father book tour. I may go for a wee lie down. Thanks to everyone who came along…💙📚

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Mark Leggatt @markleggattbskysoc.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

I'm going to the kitchen, would anyone like a cup of tea?

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Liam McIlvanney @liammcilvanney.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

The Scottish ballads are one of the wellsprings of Tartan Noir. They loom large in my own new novel, The Good Father. I wrote about them for Shots Magazine…💙📚

shotsmag.co.uk

The Steel and Bite of the Ballads by LIAM McILVANNEY

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 06/06/2025

New #WriterBeware blog post: Publisher bankruptcies are terrible for authors. The recent implosion of Unbound (now Boundless Publishing) is especially awful, w/ over 200 authors owed thousands; but the less high-profile failure of Albert Whitman is pretty bad too writerbeware.blog/2025/06/06/b...

writerbeware.blog

Bankruptcies of Unbound and Albert Whitman & Co Put Authors Between a Rock and a Hard Place - Writer Beware

A Hellacious Mess: Unbound Established in 2011, UK-based crowdfunded publisher Unbound styled itself the Kickstarter for books and was widely heralded as the next big idea in publishing. Heady words l...

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Cymera Festival @cymerafestival.co.uk · 22/04/2025

📢 Tickets are NOW LIVE for #Cymera2025 events—such as panels, workshops, agent one-to-ones, live performances and more 📢 There are a variety of in-person and digital events to choose from, plus livestream tickets for our in-person panels: www.cymerafestival.co.uk/cymera25-eve...

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Claire Wilson @byclairewilson.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

Crying Thank you. Thank you. Thank you 🤩

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Kenny Stewart @kennystew.art · 06/06/2025

If you are a Westminster-based analyst who has paid no heed to Scotland since 2014, please, I beseech you, there is no need to change that pattern today.

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Sam Missingham @samatlounge.bsky.social · 04/06/2025

As someone who has been tracking, writing about, nerding out about publishing news for over 15 years, I can't think of a worse scandal especially in terms of the money owed to authors. And, if the theft from staff pensions proves to be true, then fuck me, this is truly a massive scandal.

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Cymera Festival @cymerafestival.co.uk · 02/06/2025

Don't forget—the #Cymera25 Charity Auction is still live! 🤩 Bids will close on Fri 6 Jun at 11am BST. All funds raised will go toward supporting Cymera: www.32auctions.com/organization...

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Laura Jones-Rivera @laurafjones.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Freelance work is slow at the mo, so a reminder that I'm available for all sorts of typesetting, ebook creation and general publishing/production assistance for those self-publishing & general publishers. Services: www.lauraflojo.com via Reedsy (though I prefer direct!): reedsy.com/jones-laura 🙏

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Russel D McLean/R.D. McLean @russeldmclean.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

And now #thefridaygirl has cracked the top 100 overall! Can we keep it going? Come on, folks! Let's go! #booksky #scottishcrime @bwpublishing.bsky.social #kindledailydeal

Screenshot of Amazon sales ranking for THE FRIDAY GIRL showing no1 in Dcottosh Crime and Werewolves and Shifters Suspense, no2 in hard boiled mystery and #79 in Kindle Store

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Mark Leggatt @markleggattbskysoc.bsky.social · 21/05/2025

THE COLONY, by Daniel Pollock. Five stars, and will be one of my books of the year. The story of the Darien Scheme, superbly told in a thrilling ride through a part of Scotland's shadowy, shameful history. Five stars, a cracking read. www.amazon.co.uk/Colony-Danie...

amazon.co.uk

The Colony : Pollock, Daniel: Amazon.co.uk: Books

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Mark Leggatt @markleggattbskysoc.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

According to that great British newspaper @theguardian.com nothing has happened in Scotland for five days. Nothing.

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Robert @clatchardcraig.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

Nice to see Muriel taking an interest in fire safety.

Muriel Gray, the BBC apparatchik, morbid unionist and double firesetter of the Glasgow School of Art posts "Water levels incredibly low in the Highlands right now. Nobody even THINK of having a campfire."

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Ian Duhig @ianduhig.bsky.social · 11/05/2025

Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical "Rerum Novarum" (On Capital and Labour)

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Mark Leggatt @markleggattbskysoc.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

The marketing money spent by the Big 5 on sponsoring panels at literary festivals to showcase their authors, a vital earner for those festivals, will diminish due to said budget being diverted to influencer campaigns, pop-ups, blog tours and social media events. Discuss.

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Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 06/05/2025

Hit wis da swans, dat’s whit it wis. Dat’s whit set da day apairt… —Maxine Rose Munro, “A fine day” published in NEW SHETLANDER #295, 2021 #Scots #poem #Shetland #Shetlandic Listen to Maxine read the poem here, via @byleaveswelive.bsky.social soundcloud.com/scottishpoet...

A fine day
Maxine Rose Munro

Hit wis da swans, dat’s whit it wis.
Dat’s whit set da day apairt.

Twa cygnets, happit in emsket,
a midder, a faider. A peerie geo

aa ta wirsels, whaar waves yockit
sands saftly, maas cried oot abun,

an da sun drappit waarmest hugs
apö wir shooders, glinkin atween

white cloods o oo. Bit da swans,
no buddered be dat, skoited at wis tochtfully,

saw a faider, a midder, twa bairns,
an lat wis in. As wir bairns played

da cygnets circled, curious, comin closs,
closser, skeetin awaa, owre shy efter aa,

ta hoid anunder midder’s wing. Wir bairns
wis much da sam, unsure o da uncan.

Lookin up fae wipin sand fae a peerie
een’s face, I lockit een wi midder swan

an richt den I kent shö wis seein hersel.
An richt den I kent I saw mesel tö.

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Suzy A @suzyaspleybooks.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Am absolutely chuffed to bits that this lovely book store has made my debut novel #CrowMoon its book of the month for May. @orendabooks.bsky.social #booksky

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Neil Broadfoot @nlbro.bsky.social · 02/05/2025

And then, somehow, there were ten. The hardest book I’ve ever had to write. Started it as a son, ended it as an orphan. Hope you all enjoy it… amzn.eu/d/f3Y6Ta6

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Leamington Books @leamington.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

#IndiePressDay Supporting independent publishing is so important, and is a cause that we care about deeply. Help us to celebrate indie press day by posting your favourite releases!📚Here are just a few of ours…

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Liam McIlvanney @liammcilvanney.bsky.social · 01/05/2025

Appear to have confirmed a book event at Auld Hag, the Scottish cafe in Islington, in July. The good people at Auld Hag are responsible for the things of utter gorgeousness below. I have never been more excited for a gig in my life. Watch this space…

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Mark Leggatt @markleggattbskysoc.bsky.social · 30/04/2025

@leamington.bsky.social Looking forward to this one. Outstanding reviews so far. www.amazon.co.uk/Emma-Ewan-Mo...

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Sam Missingham @samatlounge.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

Anyone listening to any new (or newish) writing, publishing or book-related podcasts that you'd recommend? I have a list here but I think some of them are a bit out-of-date now. #booksky #publishingsky #amwriting theempoweredauthor.com/lounge-blog/...

theempoweredauthor.com

The best podcasts about writing — The Empowered Author

Discover these fantastic podcasts for writing inspiration and find out how to pitch yourself .

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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 26/04/2025

The final honor guard for Pope Francis included migrants, prisoners, transgender people, the homeless and others selected by the Vicariate of Rome as a symbol of the late pope’s mission of inclusion and outreach. Read more from the funeral: wapo.st/3YdDGqM

“That they should be the ones to welcome Pope Francis’s coffin in the basilica is because these people are those who represented the focus of his mission,” said Father Giulio Albanese, head of missionary cooperation and communications for the Vicariate of Rome. “They are those who live on the peripheries, geographical and existential peripheries.”

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Irish Literary Times @irishlittimes.bsky.social · 20/04/2025

“I am still alive then. That may come in useful.” ― Samuel Beckett, Molloy

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WeRateDogs @weratedogs.com · 26/04/2025

This is Sweeper. His human couldn't be with him on his 10th adoptaversary. They planned ahead and got their friends to take him out to lunch, who were more than happy to make sure Sweeper still felt celebrated. 14/10 #SeniorPupSaturday

a senior black pup sits on a plastic chair at an outdoor table at a restaurant with navy gingham tablecloths. he’s looking very excitedly at a plate with a cheeseburger and fries, as if he knows this is all for him.

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The Edinburgh Bookshop @edinburghbookshop.bsky.social · 26/04/2025

It's #IndieBookshopDay for our chums in the US today, please show your local bookshop a lot of love (and cookies, they like cookies too). #books #livres #bookshops #librairies #IndieBookstoreDay

animated gif from the film Funny Face with Audrey Hepburn clinging to a bookshop ladders as it rolls quickly along its rails

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Victoria Strauss @victoriastrauss.com · 23/04/2025

Fake literary agency alert: Pitch Ready Literary Agency prliterary.com It's slicker than usual but scam-sign is there: no sales/client list, web domain less than 2 weeks old, stock & AI images of "agents" & testimonials, "team directory" w/ names mostly stolen from Writers House

prliterary.com

Pitch Ready Literary Agency – Stories That Sell. Talent That’s Pitch Ready.

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Olga Wojtas @olgawojtas.bsky.social · 10/04/2025

Publication Day for Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Uncharted Island - thank you, @saraband-books.bsky.social and Snag Tights!

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Olga Wojtas @olgawojtas.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

Edinburgh folk, do come along if you're free!

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The Edinburgh Bookshop @edinburghbookshop.bsky.social · 04/04/2025

More April events goodness coming this way: good chum of the bookshop, @olgawojtas.bsky.social will be here on 16th of April with Miss Blaine's Prefect & the Uncharted Island www.edinburghbookshop.com/events-1/olg... #books #livres #Edinburgh #Edimbourg

Poster advertising the upcoming book launch for Olga Wojtas's Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Uncharted Island, at the Edinburgh Bookshop

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