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Rukiya Shanthi

@rukiyashanthi.bsky.social
160 followers 66 following 81 posts

... is writing. #kidlit writer all about forgotten histories. Currently focused on ancient Indian Ocean adventures!

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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
This happened to me recently and by the time I went to buy it, I was already so invested that the high price (it was an academic text) didn't put me off, which it normally would have!
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
I finished reading a YA novel that might end up being #1 read of 2026 for me!
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Way past time for #kidlit publishing to address this!! 🤨
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Very sad to see this new Inclusive Books for Children report 🥹 🚨 ⚠️ 8% drop in Black main characters = 2.1% of books for kid population of 8.5% 14.3% drop in South Asian characters = 1.4% books for population of 12.4% 50% drop in MENA characters = 0.1% books for population of 2.2%
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
👏🏽 🙌🏽
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Done it both ways but only with nonfiction - gives another perspective for me. I pick up new tidbits I wouldn't have absorbed with just one version!
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I finally completed a chapter I've been struggling with for a few weeks!!
static.klipy.com
Yes Awesome
ALT: Yes Awesome
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Jonathan Emmett @jonathanemmett.com · 26/09/2026
Some good news: "the number of independent book shops in the UK and Ireland is now at its highest level since 2012". www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... #KidLitUK #BookSky
bbc.co.uk
Why bookshops are booming in the TikTok age
Proprietors explain why more independent bookshops are springing up in our towns and cities.
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c0nc0rdance @c0nc0rdance.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
One way we can reconstruct ancient trade networks is via the presence of foreign coinage. This map shows locations of recovered coins of /purported/ Roman lineage. In 2013, on the island of Okinawa, 4th-century AD Roman bronze coins were excavated from the ruins of Katsuren Castle.
A crude relief/ecology map of Eurasia and Northern Africa, showing the location of Roman coinage (purported, many of these were amateur finds never confirmed), and the concentrations are in Europe, the Nile and India, with some coins in China, Vietnam and Japan.
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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
'The enormous scale of Britain’s centuries-long trafficking of enslaved African people, supported by parliament and the monarchy, has been laid bare by new research.' Expect kickback, and continued confusion among commentators between the slave trade and slavery, & their abolitions. #Skystorians
theguardian.com
Monarchs, MPs and merchants: the register laying bare Britain’s slave-trading past
Exclusive: New research identifies thousands who profited from trafficking enslaved Africans and traces some financial links to institutions still operating today
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
yes, this is on my #tbr list too
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
ooh so happy you're enjoying it!! 😊 i'm on 2nd read now. there's so much I didn't absorb 1st time round
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Well deserved 👏🏽 🔥 🙌🏽 Congrats to whole @empirepoduk.bsky.social team!!
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Mine is that I'm happily (maybe too much) researching how to pull off a heist for my work in progress! And learning so many irrelevant random facts - hurrah to rabbit holes!! 🙌🏽 😜
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Rob Bignell, Editor/Author @inventingreality.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
#publishing #literature #womensfiction #WordCountGoals #authorsky
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Ancient History Magazine @ancienthistmag.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Ancient trade in the Indian Ocean: Jeremy Simmons shares insights on how India and Rome interacted through commerce. Tune in to the latest podcast episode. bit.ly/3SWncDV
Ancient History Podcast - Indian Ocean Trade
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
This weekend is @qpbookfest.bsky.social Come and join us! Buy tickets here 🔗 queensparkbookfestival.co.uk
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rain-singer.bsky.social @rain-singer.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
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worldkidlit.bsky.social @worldkidlit.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
As we approach 10 years of #WorldKidLitMonth this September, we're fundraising to keep the #WorldKidLit ship sailing into the next decade, and for two projects aimed at promoting international reading among young people. Please donate & share widely! Thank you! worldkidlit.org/2026/07/21/w...
worldkidlit.org
World Kid Lit: 10th Anniversary Fundraiser
It’s the 10th year of World Kid Lit: an international reading project with a global impact! As we approach World Kid Lit Month this September – our 10th anniversary – we are fundr…
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Translators Aloud @translatorsaloud.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Just a reminder, even as we celebrate #WITmonth, that September is #WorldKidLitMonth! #Translators, send us your readings from translated children's and YA books, poetry, or plays and we'll be delighted to feature you. Full guidelines available on our website: translatorsaloud.com/submissions/
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Ooh I like that! Taking it and running with it into the weekend 😊
static.klipy.com
Kite Flying: Person Running with a Kite
ALT: Kite Flying: Person Running with a Kite
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Marianne Doherty @mariannedoherty.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
This week’s #KidsBooksFriday is inspired by the great Dolly Parton. So whether it’s books about kindness, generosity, gratitude, inclusivity, positivity, hope, self-belief, or something else, let’s share books that embody Dolly’s spirit and legacy. #KidLitUK #UKKidLit #KidLit #BeMoreDolly
Image of Dolly Parton holding children’s books with her quote “You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children”. Featuring the logo of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a charity that gives out millions of books to kids who need them across the world. Book cover for You Choose by Nick Sherratt and Pippa GoodhartBook cover for Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez and Gabriella EpsteinBook cover for Safiyyah’s War by Hiba Noor Khan.
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
I finished writing act 1 of novel!! (trying to ignore the comments in each chapter demanding edits and rewrites 😂 at least until next week)
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
I finished a Faber academy comedy writing course yesterday! Like being in a tv writers room for a week with smart funny ladies 😊😂
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
I finished a Faber academy comedy writing course yesterday! Like being in a tv writers room for a week with smart funny ladies 😊😂
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The Bookseller @thebookseller.com · 07/08/2026
ICYMI: In an initiative launched by Michael Rosen, Great Western Railway has installed mini libraries at 10 stations after research found that one in five parents noticed a decline in their children’s reading ability over the summer holidays.👇
ebx.sh
Michael Rosen launches GWR station mini libraries
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Alex Churchill @alexchurchill.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Yup. Tis I.
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Louie Stowell @louiestowell.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
Ok, it's time for Finally Read The Longread Tabs I Have Open Sunday! This one's a LONG one...the edcuation select committee report on reading for pleasure. publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5902/cm...
publications.parliament.uk
Reading for Pleasure
Report of the Education Committee
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BookTrust @booktrust.org.uk · 25/07/2026
It's #SouthAsianHeritageMonth, so we're sharing these fantastic books that celebrate South Asian families and culture – and everyone can enjoy reading them together ✨ bit.ly/4oBkM8n
Picture books with South Asian characters
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We Need Diverse Books @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
WNDB is proud to support Hachette Children's Group’s Raising Readers campaign 📖💛 #ReadingIsGolden This campaign aims to raise awareness that reading for fun is the single biggest predictor of a child’s future success. 🌟 JoinRaisingReaders.com
Light blue graphic titled “Reading is Golden”. Subtitle: “Reading with a child for 10 minutes a day can change their life.” Beneath the text is Hachette Book Group’s logo for “Raising Readers” followed by text that says, “Find more resources on our website: www.JoinRaisingReaders.com”. At the bottom of the graphic is the logo and information for Hachette Book Group.
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
I think so haha and a world not so dissimilar to today - international trade with new technologies and the mixing of peoples, languages and cultures! Just realised I'll have to wait a bit longer to get my hands on your book here in UK...hope I can preorder soon
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Ooh! 😊 As a children's writer of historical adventure stories set in ancient / medieval Indian Ocean history this sounds right up my alley/sea! 👏🏽
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
My writing was highly commended at the inaugural @megaphonewriters.bsky.social conference ✍️ So that made me smile 😊
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BookTrust @booktrust.org.uk · 17/07/2026
The Education Committee's reading for pleasure report is out! After contributing to the inquiry alongside #ReadingRights ambassador @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social we welcome the early years focus & the National Reading Guarantee idea to make reading a right for every child. @helenhayes.bsky.social
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
My writing was highly commended at the inaugural @megaphonewriters.bsky.social conference ✍️ So that made me smile 😊
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Rae Radford @raeradford.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Amen. #BookSky
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Oh cool - the book goes wider than my research so I'm learning loads. Yes, agree - kids need to know how connected we've been for millennia!
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School Reading List @schoolreadinglist.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
🛍️🏬📚🔖 Our guide to independent and specialist children's bookshops in the UK and Ireland, including over 150 vibrant and exciting bookstores to visit. 🔖📚🏬🛍️ schoolreadinglist.co.uk/resources/ch... #kidlit #amreading #booktwitter
schoolreadinglist.co.uk
Children's Bookshops
Children's bookshops - browse our list of independent bookshops and specialist children's bookshops in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Not surprised, it's so good! she covers ancient to medieval history and threads the connections of our shared histories for much longer and wider! I also learned the nordics were well connected to Asia too - hadn't known that before.
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Recommend @josephinequinn.bsky.social 's How the World Made the West - she covers the Ancient Greeks with mentions of Homer's works, the gods (Greek and Roman), the spread of ideas that came with international trading and how 19th century racist/colonial project used these to suit their narrative.
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Septimus Brown @septimusbrown.com · 08/07/2026
My current reality 😭
My story idea: epic warrior
My first draft: star wars kid meme
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BookTrust @booktrust.org.uk · 07/07/2026
🥳 We are delighted to announce that the brand new Waterstones #ChildrensLaureate 2026-2028 is the marvellous @lawrencepatrice.bsky.social We're so excited that Patrice is taking on the role and love that she will be focusing on how stories can help to build communities. #NationalYearOfReading2026
Patrice Lawrence Waterstones Children's Laureate 2026-28
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Children's Bookshelf @pwkidsbookshelf.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Patrice Lawrence has been named the new Waterstones children’s laureate | The Guardian buff.ly/yGlFHDA
theguardian.com
Patrice Lawrence chosen as new children’s laureate
Writer of YA novels Orangeboy and Needle takes over from Frank Cottrell-Boyce and plans to highlight how reading can foster connection in fragmented times
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
This so amazing 🤩 Can't wait to see the impact Patrice will make for kids across the country! Congrats @lawrencepatrice.bsky.social 🥳 🎉
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Today's random book research: height of a goat 🐐 Pretty sure I've peaked as a writer for the day 🤣🤦🏾‍♀️
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Michael J. Taylor @drmichaeljtaylor.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Fashy Tech Bros: Back in Roman times, men were men. Just conquering the world with the boys, no time for woke feminist soi boi bullshit. Actual Roman who fought Hannibal: I'd like to share my recipe for poppyseed cheeseballs with you (Cato Agr. 79)
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Just to give a flavour of what I'm working on... ✍️ 📖 🏝️🏃🏾‍♀️🦁🌱🤴🏽 #kidlit #middlegrade Opening audio clip copyright and credit belongs to Sony Pictures (2000) and is taken from the Gus Van Sant movie Finding Forrester starring Sean Connery and Rob Brown.
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
I've seen the same. And the root of a lot of these is a history education slanted to imperialism and colonialism
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Yes I agree there's been some progress at school level and in libraries. But it shouldn't fall upon individuals and associations alone. There's room for improvement, especially in terms of understanding today's world - the British Empire is a major cause of many global conflicts
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Rukiya Shanthi @rukiyashanthi.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
Yes, you're right. I meant even today. That's the sad part. There's no longer a British Empire and supposedly no colonialism so why the blind eye to it?
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