iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Academic life is becoming very overwhelming right now so it's nice to be able to log in here and post poetry so like maybe three people might see it. Feels like livejournal used to.

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404 Ink @404ink.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

We've raised enough for at least another £1,000 bursary for publishing projects and £500 for an internship! Can you help get us to £2,000 over this month to get more cash to the small presses that need it? Share & donate: www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/404-bursary

crowdfunder.co.uk

404 Ink bursaries to support indie publishing!

404 Ink is raising funds to support independent publishers, creatives and projects as their last project ahead of their 2026 closure.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Louis L’amour writes about these exact books in his brilliant biography Education of a Wandering Man.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

I am once again rereading Dostoevsky in order to lift my literary spirits.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

I’m reading this right now and it’s genuinely brilliant. Highly recommend to all.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

I'm still kinda baffled that I'm even doing a masters honestly, but the fact I'm currently writing an essay on Tom Bombadill, The Tarot, and spirituality in philosophical practice would have blown my mind at any point in my timeline up to now.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Love how a five minute chat in the bookstore with another likeminded punk can completely 180 my mood for the day.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Genuinely laughed out loud. Perfect.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Officially on Easter break now so starting my essay on tarot, spirituality, and critical theory in earnest this morning. If anyone has any theorists or writers they like in this vein, any links would be gratefully accepted.

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404 Ink @404ink.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

📢 WE NEED YOUR HELP! We have opened applications for the 404 Ink bursary to support small presses in the UK, but that is only one part of the plan. We are also crowdfunding to raise additional bursaries to give away. www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/404-bursary

Illustration of 404 Ink's books on two shelves with text "support the future of small press publishing"

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Found an old address book from my zine network days and it feels like a relic of a world that no longer exists but also a potent signifier of trust within a sub-culture. Like, no-one likely still lives at those addresses but they were once something so personal, offered in the name of community.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Giving this place another go because I’m deep in the MA dissertation planning and seemingly there are basically no books on my topic, only awesome people writing outside the industry/mainstream and I need to find more comrades.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

Those cameras weigh an absolute tonne too.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

Unexpected moments in my research of human rights in global literature: watching the music video for Billy Joel’s We Didn’t Start The Fire.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

This is a niche poem that hits me so hard right now.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 30/11/2025

Are there any queer and/or neurodivergent literary academics here who might be up for chatting with me about working within/without the academy, and academic writing in general?

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 29/11/2025

published a short short story on my newsletter today open.substack.com/pub/alexthor...

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404 Ink @404ink.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

You know the deal by now. One last time... www.404ink.com/shop

Black Friday, no sale, 0% off, everything full price, we have bills to pay

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 28/11/2025

I’m returning to the ancient ways which formed me and treating substack like livejournal from now on. No branding plan or audience building engagement, just posting work I’ve done and retreating back into the void.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

Spent all summer hibernating from the internet, spending days out in the world on the beach and reading books and working and writing, and now I need to hibernate from the outside so I am slowly returning to the online world.

A sunset photo of a pebble beach and a distant horizon over which the sun has just sunk.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

The way I’ve tricked myself into seeing my masters dissertation as a sort of novel and I’m now no longer scared of it.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Gotta try and chisel a little time out of my packed masters reading life so I can dive into these thanks to @jimenagorraez.bsky.social and @dauntbookspub.bsky.social besties. They know me so well.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Oh holy holy joy! Favourite living author is back again!!

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Just noticed we’re studying Broken Jaw by Minoli Salgado and published by @the87press.bsky.social this term. Hyping up the indie presses in academia!!

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

Realising one seminar into a new module that im gonna write my essay on Nona Fernandez and regretting lending out all the @dauntbookspub.bsky.social books I had way back cos I have no idea where those are now. 🫠

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Now that is a great looking shortlist. Even if my fave was left off.

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Ryan Vamps @ryanvance.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

I mean I'm just putting it out there, 800k people joining the Greens in the next week would be very, very funny.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 13/05/2025

Falling more and more in love with Frank O’Hara from reading the biography ‘City Poet’ right now. Every revelation illuminates to me why I connected so much to his work. Someone needs to get this book back in print.

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Jim Musil Painter @jimmusilpainter.bsky.social · 29/04/2025

My painting TOWERING STORM

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 28/04/2025

Really hitting my poetry writing vibe of late.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

Omg at last!! Let’s gooooo!

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 23/04/2025

saw this last night and was genuinely blown away. movie of the year contender for sure. absolutely stunning.

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Wild Hunt Books @wildhuntbooks.bsky.social · 16/04/2025

Pretty sickened by UK's Supreme Court 🤮 So I'm opening my submission inbox to unagented trans authors in the UK until the END OF APRIL. I'm not currently open to general subs BUT if you're a trans author writing folk horror, weird, experimental, mystery, literary/upmkt fiction, take a look below 👇

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

Hell yeah! I read the Kawakami recently and honestly it's her best yet.

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Jimena Gorráez @jimenagorraez.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

🎉Happy publication day to ON THE CLOCK🕙by Claire Baglin, tr. Jordan Stump. Exploring themes of reliance on machinery, zero-hour jobs, hierarchy within work and unsung female labour, On the Clock has universal and timely resonance. 'Astonishing.' 5 ⭐Daily Telegraph 'Impressive.' Financial Times

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Where are the poets in this place? Make yourself known!

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Mind @mind.org.uk · 17/03/2025

Where's the evidence that mental health is being "overdiagnosed"?

Dear UK government,

Let's be clear: our mental health is getting worse, and cutting benefits won’t help.

You claim mental health is being “overdiagnosed”, but where’s the evidence?

The reality is that our environment affects our wellbeing - pandemics, the cost of living crisis, political unrest and ongoing concerns around climate change are all taking their toll.

But when people seek help, they face months, or even years, of waiting.

Rhetoric like this is dangerous. It reinforces stigma and stops people getting support.

If you’re serious about change, listen to those affected. We can turn this crisis around - but only if the government works with us, not against us.

We look forward to hearing from you,

Mind

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

Looking for some new or under appreciated poetry collections to revamp the section at work. Pls send recommendations if you have them.

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

tuesday mornings in the laundromat

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404 Ink @404ink.bsky.social · 12/03/2025

😮 this is a surprise! Our 2nd year running! #nibbies #britishbookawards @thebookseller.com

Graphic showing 404 Ink as small press of the Year winner for Scotland

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Northodox Press 📖 @northodoxpress.bsky.social · 11/03/2025

🚨PREORDER ANNOUNCEMENT🚨 We are beyond excited to reveal the cover and launch preorders for the blistering new Jack Byrne novel, Burning Down The House. A powerful novel, tackling racism, climate change, religious fanaticism and police corruption www.northodox.co.uk/product-page...

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Manchester University Press @manchesterup.bsky.social · 10/03/2025

COVER REVEAL 🎊 We are delighted to share the cover for our edition of Before Gender by @elierlick.bsky.social, publishing this June. Discover the trailblazing lives of thirty trans people who will radically change everything you've been told about transgender history. Pre-order your copy today!

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 07/03/2025

a new music piece in which I talk about emo soul band tiny yawn and the experimental artist collective byul .org alexthornber.substack.com/p/februarys-...

alexthornber.substack.com

february's music exploration

another music write up

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Alex Thornber @nucosi.bsky.social · 05/03/2025

Life goal of seeing TEEN SUICIDE live: accomplished. What a fucking great show! @kittywavvy.bsky.social @rickyeatacid.bsky.social

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