Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 17hHave a go on this previously unpublished story that was shortlisted for the V.S. Pritchett prize a couple of years back and almost became the title of a collection. Warning: contains scenes of male nudity. Please enjoy "Middle-Aged Sex Object"... owen872603.substack.com/p/middle-age... 171
Reposted by Owen BoothDavid Hayden @seventydys.bsky.social · 19h‘Clouds of Albion’ a short story @stingingfly.bsky.social stingingfly.org/2023/11/15/n... 073
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 23hWordpress keeps getting worse but Substack is full of nazis but I haven’t got time to do my own website but all the literary magazines have closed down but traditional publishing - well, who knows what’s going on with traditional publishing anymore - but 171
Reposted by Owen BoothSimon Spanton @simonguy.bsky.social · 01/10/2026"I do not know what I expected. Perhaps to find a doddering and frail praying mantis, whispering about the station, blown by seawinds, a chalk-white ghost who would husk at me with voices of grass and reeds blown in the night." Ray Bradbury, Emperor of The October Country. 1316
Reposted by Owen BoothRichard Smyth @rsmythfreelance.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Before very long you people are going to be wondering what the hell to buy your dad or your aunty or your weird cousin for Christmas. And when that day comes - and believe me it will - you will wish you had ordered a custom crossword from me. 63927
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 29/09/2026But… but… why not do those important things in *this* parliament, while you have a huge majority? 021
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Art installation, terrorist incident or public convenience? It’s so hard to tell these days! 1162
Reposted by Owen BoothJohn Bull @garius.bsky.social · 29/09/2026A cash-strapped rural police force struggles to deal with Red Diesel gangs. Until its chief inspector realises can get the Met Police to deal with the problem... ...if he pretends they're Iranian. A new six part comedy starring Toby Jones. 641236367
Reposted by Owen BoothTony White @tonywhite.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Literature Live — next episode of my monthly radio books programme is Monday 12 October 2026, 8:00–9:00pm. My guests this month are @lukekennard.bsky.social and @judecook.bsky.social — readings and chat with the emphasis on writers reading from their fiction. @resonancefm.bsky.social — don’t miss! 01713
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Name a film with a woman director: Love Lies Bleeding - Rose Glass. Absolute banger. Sweaty, violent, low-down-and-dirty neo-noir/ love story/ surreal black comedy. Truly brilliant. 190
Reposted by Owen BoothDefend Our Juries @defendourjuries.bsky.social · 27/09/2026BREAKING: 94 year old Jewish human rights barrister, Margaret Owen arrested under the Terrorism Act outside Andy Burnham’s Labour Party conference. UK taxpayers are funding these arrests while masked men terrorise the streets in coastal towns. Lift The Ban on Palestine Action. 18872073002
Reposted by Owen BoothRichard Burgon MP @richardburgon.bsky.social · 27/09/202690 years ago today, 30,000 people gathered on Holbeck Moor in Leeds to stop British fascist leader Oswald Mosley and his Blackshirts holding a rally. My grandad was there to help stop the fascists. I was so proud to speak at the unveiling of the plaque commemorating that historic day. 412634
Reposted by Owen BoothDavid Ho @davidho.bsky.social · 27/09/2026The techbros don't want you to see this trailer. Pass it on. 3249562742
Reposted by Owen BoothMaria Farrell @mariafarrell.eurosky.social · 27/09/2026Horrible to see that - in some sense - today's financial survival options for such a singular writer are either 1) accept $175k from a prize that requires you to destroy your fragile health with promotional requirements, or 2) accept $175k with no strings from a rightwing Koch-funded thinktank :-0 1142
Reposted by Owen BoothPatrick Barkham @patrickbarkham.bsky.social · 25/09/2026I've written Joe Harkness's obituary for the Guardian. I hope it pays good tribute to a wonderful man who was brave, honest and made the world a better place. www.theguardian.com/environment/...theguardian.comJoe Harkness obituaryWriter, teacher and naturalist who explored the effects of the natural world on neurodivergency 1421263
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 25/09/2026EVERYTHING ON THIS LIST IS WRONG EXCEPT FOR THE STUFF THAT ISN’T 110
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Everyone knows that novels are terrible and short stories are great - so If you haven’t contributed to this fantastic project yet, do it! (I’m minded to include novellas in the short story category, not least coz I just wrote one) 230
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Absolutely magnificent. Walbrook delivers not one but two of the greatest monologues in film history. 020
Reposted by Owen Boothhookland.bsky.social @hookland.bsky.social · 24/09/2026From tonight's Hookland talk on Re-enchantment as Resistance at @treadwells-books.bsky.social. 'Folklore is often the wild frontier of belief, the place where wonder may still live. Here be Woodwoses, here be Harrowhounds, the ghosts which whisper wisdom.' #FolkloreThursday 1417160
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 24/09/2026This is predictably wonderful. And bonus points to @willwiles.bsky.social for the Chris Achilleos shout out 232
Reposted by Owen BoothJude Rogers @juderogers.bsky.social · 23/09/2026...so read my long love-letter to this show, in which I explore all its complications and unanswered questions, here. juderogers.substack.com/p/the-unansw...juderogers.substack.comThe unanswered questions of 70 UpThe death of Nick, goodbye to Neil, and the power of watching fourteen real lives in time-lapse – the return of my Mid-Week Culture Culture Blast 510428
Reposted by Owen BoothRichard Smyth @rsmythfreelance.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Hello, here is your occasional reminder that a whole load of my essays, reviews, short stories and other things can be found HERE, on my web-site, thank you for your attention to this matter. richarddsmyth.comricharddsmyth.comRichard SmythWriter for hire. Reviews, essays, features. 11411
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Equinox? Shitquinox more like. Took me two days to come up with that. And now it’s too late. Plus, “Fuckquinox” would have worked better. I hate everything. 260
Reposted by Owen BoothMatt Jakubowski (he/him) @mattjakubowski.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Some days it feels like the people who once told us TV was going to rot our brains are now the people who have to use Siri to find their own fucking socks. 041
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 22/09/2026ALSO penguin has just republished Oakley Hall’s magnificent “Warlock” which is a great excuse for you to read it if you haven’t (or read it again if you have) www.penguin.co.uk/books/480655...penguin.co.ukWarlockThe taste and smell of Warlock was not merely that of its dust, but the taste of apprehension, the smell of fear and anger like a dangerous animal snarling and stinking in its cage . . . In the dust-... 010
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 22/09/2026What do you mean I’m only supposed to read one book at a time? How would I get through them all??? 1110
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 22/09/2026This may actually be all you need to know about any writer… 030
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Apropos of nowt really, here are a few of the random things that I’ve accidentally had random things published in 072
Reposted by Owen BoothSal Cap0ne @salimotxo.bsky.social · 22/09/2026All the Cusk chat making me think I should give her another go. I read the first one BITD and thought she came across like someone you were at university with who was a right piece of work and then my friend said 'I was at university with her and she was a right piece of work' so that was that. 3353
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Really sad to hear that Joe Harkness has died. One of us. Here’s an interview with him from last year. He did more good in the world than he realised. www.theguardian.com/environment/...theguardian.com‘Intrinsically connected’: how human neurodiversity could help save natureBiodiversity is linked to people’s diversity, and nature lends itself to people who are different, says author Joe Harkness 2101
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Short deleted chapter from current project, posted for your entertainment owen-booth.com/2026/09/21/y... 082
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 20/09/2026New Mary Gaitskill story! granta.com/intercession/granta.comIntercession‘She really did not know what to think about any of this. And still she had to walk through it. A lot of it.’ Fiction by Mary Gaitskill. 112
Reposted by Owen BoothHenry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 19/09/2026as.ft.com/r/f257abde-7... Morning all 1239969
Reposted by Owen BoothLuke Turner @luketurner.bsky.social · 18/09/2026This is insane. "My productivity as a journalist nosedives" well no shit if you're stalking YOUR OWN SON on the internet?! There's a certain breed of Times/Telegraph/Mail middle class journalist who all need therapy (rather than the coping mechanism of terfing or 'My School Run Lesbian Romp' etc) 1171
Reposted by Owen Boothhookland.bsky.social @hookland.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Always nice to be interviewed. 617537
Reposted by Owen Boothcultauthor.bsky.social @cultauthor.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Hookland will never establish diplomatic relations with Piddington. 622833
Reposted by Owen BoothMark Hebden @unionlib.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Scotland: We want to leave the UK BBC: Huh? Wales: We want to leave the UK BBC: What? Northern Ireland: We want to leave the UK BBC: Lolz Some shithole in Oxfordshire: We want to leave the UK because racism BBC: REPORT THE HELL OUT OF THIS #Piddington 7233431002
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 15/09/2026I was to some extent involved in this! You should probably go see it! irhttps://lyrictheatre.co.uk/whats-on/darren-jacksons-weddinglyrictheatre.co.ukDarren Jackson’s Wedding – The Immersive Comedy Where You’re on the…After the award-winning success of Granny Jackson’s Dead, the Jackson family return with Darren Jackson’s Wedding—a chaotic, immersive theatre experience. 031
Reposted by Owen BoothRichard V. Hirst @richardvhirst.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Pretty much every day I think about the time when Amazon sent William Shatner into space for a laugh and he came back sounding like Nick Cave's newsletter. 0196
Owen Booth @owenbooth.bsky.social · 09/09/2026This was what the good old days were actually like and it was great 030