Sign in

Sarah Oakes

@sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social
466 followers 395 following 433 posts

A visually impaired writer and musician in love with krakens and science fiction. Pagan soul. Debut sci fi novel The Jewels of Inglorious Fortune on KIndle. youtube.com/@hitchinconcertband?si=…

PostsRepliesMedia
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 1m
Had a great time at todays brighton @writershq.bsky.social retreat, editing some of my fairytale collection. Was nice and quiet in brighton too, with less crowds to navigate. And thanks to the stranger in tesco who helped me find all the snacks for the train home.
000 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 08/10/2026
Today is world sight day and world octopus day, two major things in my life. Always been fascinated by the octopus and using it as a metaphor for my sight loss has helped me accept it and find the wonder within it. Still have challenges but doing alright. So celebrating today with a cup of coffee.
1120 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
My wind band has just made a little youtube channel of some of our concert recordings. If youre curious about what i get up to musically and want to support a local band, check it out! youtube.com/@hitchinconc...
youtube.com
Hitchin Concert Band
We are the Hitchin Concert Band. Founded in 1995, it was originally formed as a result of a number of adult amateur musicians who had met and played at one of the many courses at Benslow. Today we per...
022 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Had a brilliant time in Eastbourne this weekend, sitting by the sea and meditating on life, recharging the system, getting inspired to write more stories, and enjoying a concert.
040 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Headed back to this sacred space over the weekend to rest and recharge the batteries and find the peace of the ocean. So resharing this piece published by @lit-namjooning.bsky.social a couple years back, all about it, part of my novella in flash. literarynamjooning.wixsite.com/litnam/post/...
literarynamjooning.wixsite.com
On Eastbourne Beach by Sarah Oakes
On Eastbourne beach, I breathe in and out to the melody of the waves, as the salt lingers and the spray spits and the surf swishes and the stones crunch, as the symphony of the sea echoes around me,
020 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Havent been too well mentally lately, been struggling a bit so was great to take things slowly today, focusing on what i love and what i need, and how to survive winter with increasing night blindness.
230 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Oh this is beautiful i was hooked, brilliamt story.
010 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Really enjoying Maul Shadow Lord. Glad tney kept him being bad, hes one of the best villians. Fabulous music and story. And is the first star wars series in a while to have decent lighting instead of being shot in the dark.
000 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Brooksie C. Fontaine @brooksiesbooks.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
The drowned lovers found each other under the waves, and on bright nights, they dance along the #moonglade. We're so fragile in everything we do. But love is immortal, and shines like light on the water, bright as the stars. #vss365
054 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I try to stay positive. But last night i had one of my worst rehearsals. A piece of music was too small to read. And i got frustrated. Proper meltdown, just afraid i wouldnt be able to play anymore, that sight is getting worse. On the plus side, it made everyone flock to help and make things bigger.
020 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
I didnt know i could cry over a robot learning how to sing but there we are thanks @translunartl.bsky.social translunartravelerslounge.com/2026/08/15/t...
translunartravelerslounge.com
The Fall of the Automatous Abbey by Maria Haskins
Long after the final attack on the Automatous Abbey, long after the enemy, repugnant and resplendent in their flesh and blood, had fired their array of weapons at the undefended structure, long aft…
011 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Catching up on the latest @translunartl.bsky.social and this one is beautiful, really enjoyed it. translunartravelerslounge.com/2026/08/15/t...
translunartravelerslounge.com
The Pulse of Starlight by Sarah Grace Tuttle
I was walking my dog when I saw my wife for the first time, dancing on the grass in the park like it was an ancient meadow. There was no music—just the clink of her dangling moon earrings as she sp…
011 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Tammy Komoff @tammykomoff.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
True!
Image of T-Rex chasing kids: Let’s eat kids.
Image of T-Rex sitting at a table with the kids about to eat dinner: Let’s eat, kids.
Punctuation saves lives. I’m
45310 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Had fun getting back into the groove for a new wind band term, playing some jazz and improvising, messingwiith film tunes and wss happy to find a clarinet version of the spiderman theme.
140 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Had a brilliant time at the @writershq.bsky.social brighton retreat today, working on my fairytale collection, getting in the groove and proving my touch typing skils.
040 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Might be working on writing something time travel based. Early days, but its fun so far. Always wanted to do something time travel themed, was what got me into sci fi with Doctor Who way back in 2005. As always, has a mythology spin, and some krakens.
020 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Oh this is beautiful
010 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Really enjoyed our grand wind band tour to Suffolk, playing wonderful music with lovely people and having an incredible time.
A picture of three happy  clarinettists before a concert in a well lit churxh venue.
090 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Alison Fisk @alisonfisk.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
A little bear figurine carved from amber some 6,000 years ago! 🐻❤️ Named ‘Słupcio’ (‘little guy from Słupsk’) through a children’s naming competition! A hole through its torso suggests it was worn or suspended from a cord, perhaps as a hunting amulet. 📷 National Museum in Szczecin #Archaeology
Photo by G. Solecki/A. Piętak of a small figurine of a bear carved out of amber between 9600 and 4100 BC. The amber is a deep translucent orange. The display lighting makes the amber glow. The bear's head is carved to show ears, mouth, nostrils and eyes. A hole runs through the bear's belly, suggesting it was threaded onto a cord. Dimensions: Length 10.2 cm, Height 4.2cm

It was discovered in Słupsk during peat mining in 1887. According to the museum catalogue record "Shortly after its discovery, the figure underwent conservation work to restore its original appearance as it was covered with a layer of dull patina from the exposure to the minerals contained in the peat. Already at that time, at the end of the 19th century, it was assumed the restoration had gone too far. The figure was stripped entirely of patina, the anatomical features of the animal were emphasised, the eyes and nostrils were sharply drawn, and the amber was carefully polished".

In 2013, a competition was organised by the Education Department of the National Museum in Szczecin, for children to choose a name for the bear. The winning name was 'Słupcio’, an affectionate diminutive meaning ‘little guy from Słupsk’.
22877193 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Went to an awesome jazz concert last night and had so much fun. Really needed it, feel more rested than i have in weeks. Loved a trumpet and saxophone combination, with some stellar drums and an incredinle clarinettist. A great way to unwind and finish the summer.
000 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Abra Staffin-Wiebe @abracanabra.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
The station's success was due to its orchard, they all eventually agreed. You couldn't get #fruit for lightyears around, except there. Berries, sure. You could grow berries in hydroponics. But fruit took trees. Ships struggled to keep even dwarf lemon trees alive. #vss365 (fruit)
072 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Antiquity Journal @antiquity.ac.uk · 03/08/2026
Archaeologists have discovered 7000-year-old fishing traps in the inland mountains of southern Norway. Predating the introduction of farming, they indicate Mesolithic hunter-gatherers were already actively managing their environments. 🏺 #AntiquityThread 1/13 🧵
Above: 3D model of a wooden pole, broken and split in multiple places. Below: several partially excavated wooden poles, held upright by sediment.
18430 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I decided to try a better brand of clarinet reed recently and the sound is incredible, making me fall in love with it again. Thanks for publishing my musical musings @reachyourapex.bsky.social
141 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Lee Zanello @lima-zulu.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
- I don’t think humans respect our worldview, hooted the first owl. - I think it’s because we are always looking down on them, said the second. - So they think we have a bad altitude? - I guess we don’t peak their curiosity. - Our ideas are too lofty. - #Summit like that, yeah. #vss365
1175 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Oh this is brilliant
240 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
I dont write horror often. But when i do, I always have a blast. You can find my story Leviathan Lair in this anthology all about snakes, from Wicked Shadow Press, published today. www.lulu.com/shop/parth-s...
lulu.com
Flash of the Dead: Snakes
FLASH OF THE DEAD: SNAKES is a venomous collection of horror flash fiction that will leave you checking every shadow, every crevice and every whispered sound in the dark. Within these pages, serpents...
020 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Another fabulous @flashficfestuk.bsky.social. Really enjoyed a visualisation session, drawing a river and writing stories, and a workshop about collections. Feeling like I'm buzzing again, with ideas for things I'm working on. Was great to catch up with friends, and super accessibpe too.
0110 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Had a really fun time at tomights summer concert, despite the heat. Had a blast playing Star Trek, some jazz, Leroy Anderson, John Williams and even the Mozart. Did really well, proving to myself im an awesome musician and impressing people.
A picture of me holding my clarinet and smiling at the camera, in a purple top with Hitchin Concert Band on it.
060 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Great to hesr more of my musings singing out into the world! Have been thinking about this lately. Thanks to @reachyourapex.bsky.social for publishing it!
250 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Monique @starfish72.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
My voice shrinks. A bit. I often feel I #reveal too much. Walking. A place I've never been. I rehearse what to say. Something like hello. My heartbeat. Speeding up. Gulp. I don't know what the room expects. My hands. Useless. I falter in new spaces. #vss365
1165 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 04/07/2026
So today i managed to navigate the city i now call home by myself, and navigate a giant Tesco to find the items i needed. Did really well, proving that i can do things independently and didnt get overwhelmed. And thanks go to the lady who helped me find the strawberries!
050 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Accessibility in the News @a11ynews.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
'Amazing Spider-Man,' Other Comics Spotlight Disability Storylines www.disabilityscoop.com/2026/06/26/a... #a11y
disabilityscoop.com
'Amazing Spider-Man,' Other Comics Spotlight Disability Storylines
In a series of special issues that are about to drop, Marvel Comics is putting the focus on a half dozen heroes with various disabilities.
021 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Oh this is great, has a lovely lyrical sound to it.
010 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Neil Willcox, World-saving Witch Detective @neilwillcox.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Our lost land border with Belgium 😔
052 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Adam Roberts @adamroberts.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
I have forged the rings that were of power and which you were probably saving for good deeds forgive me: another ring was made so dark and so gold
2247 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Nina Willburger @drnwillburger.bsky.social · 27/06/2026
The Hove Amber Cup, crafted approximately 3,500 years ago from a singular piece of Baltic amber, was discovered in 1856 within a Bronze Age burial mound in Hove, Sussex. It's the best preserved of only two such Bronze Age vessels identified across Europe. 📷 me 🏺 #Archaeology
A small amber cup with a single handle displayed in a museum exhibit. The cup features  warm reddish-orange tones and fine horizontal grooves around the upper rim. Light shining through the amber highlights its natural patterns and rich glow.
12516130 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
My first time on the longlist for this one! Super happy to be here.
16503 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
Today on the solstice i have some strong coffee, and am rebooting my novella in flash after a refreshing trip to Scotland. Catching up on stories and brushing up on wind band pieces for the concerts. A creative day, feel the pagans would have done the same. Happy solstice!
070 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Grant Tanaka @granttanaka.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
reminder that family is not the most impt thing in the world, it’s the people who had no reason to be around you and who made the effort to get to know you and care for you, those are the ones who matter
527183 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Really hapoy to be part of the @natflashfictionday.bsky.social write in again! I had a moment walking along the River Ness on Sunday wondering we stress so much about sight. thewrite-in.blogspot.com/2026/06/drop...
thewrite-in.blogspot.com
'Dropped Weight' by Sarah Oakes
On the bank of the River Ness, I cast my sight into the water. It drops, like a stone, vision falling into the depths. I know now I don't ne...
050 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Scotland blowing my mind again! So much more accessible and people eo happy to help. Today I was at this tiny museum near Thurso and they had an audio guude. Theyd thought ahesd, and just put it in place. The woman at the desk said it was no trouble. Blew my mind. Loved it.
000 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Thrilled to be part of the latest issue by @syncopationlit.bsky.social, a journal who loves music as much as me. You can find my piece, Kraken Hearts in this singing set, a new take on the Little Mermaid. syncopationliteraryjournal.wordpress.com/flash-fictio...
syncopationliteraryjournal.wordpress.com
Flash Fiction
Andrew Buckner The Dream VisitorsDownload William Glewicz My Symphony of ColorDownload Sarah Oakes Kraken HeartsDownload S.M. Strand Clark is Dead: Cue Side OneDownload Renuka Raghavan When Mendels…
222 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Always love finding music wherever I go. Was a fabulous folk band in a pub in Inverness, had a great time.
A group of musicians sitting at a pop table outside, playing ukuleles, fiddlss, guitars, and singing.
050 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
I love this place. A quiet sensory space away from the busy world that gives me the tume i need to think. Mused about life and sight loss and the storues i wajt, qhile exploring this wild woodland.
The River Ness shining in the sun, with some giabt trwes lining the opposite bank.
030 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
So i may have accidently started a sequel to my sci fi novel on a train to Edinburgh yesterday. I was feeling the musical muse, an idea i couldnt stop thinking about. Not sure where it wull go, but i didnt last time either.
140 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Winter Ives @winterives.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
For the love of the seas on 🌊 World Oceans Day. 🌊 Listen— soft and low, calm and ethereal, the roar and whispers of the sea, music for the soul. #WorldOceansDay #OceanLove #Nature #Photography #PhotoSky 💙📷
Blue Calm Sea. 
Photograph by Winter Ives. 
©️2023. All rights reserved.
78415 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
This is true with stories too, something to think about. Any dialect piece is a nightmare with screen reading/reading modes as it reads every bit of punctuation.
031 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
I used to struggle with horror, with the tales of blood and gore. But Lovecraft showed me what i hadnt seen before. That horror could be slow, sensual, sweet, sonic. And with his words, horror became my tonic. #vss365
082 0
Sarah Oakes @sarahoakeskraken32.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Had fun this afternoon delving into horror writing, using my love of mythology to stir up something spooky. Even if it doesnt go anywhere, I still had a blast.
010 0
Reposted by Sarah Oakes
Thierry St-Laurent Dion @tstld.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Sketch of a tentacle Ink and acrylic on paper #art #nature #sciart #illustration
Sketch of a tentacle emerging from the water.
547177 0