iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Stephanie Bretherton @brethertonwords.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Did a stack that might resonate with a few but will probably just end up with a load of unsubscribe. Serves me bloody right… substack.com/@stephaniebr...

substack.com

Stephanie Bretherton (@stephaniebretherton)

Ooops. Might have just made my first ‘article’ post. Cue… the unsubscribes ;)

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

We cannot believe it has only been three years since we brought out our first book! And we have so many reasons to celebrate. #happybirthday #publishingjourney #books #thankyou

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

MORE Book News! 📢 📖 🎉 YESENI AND THE DAUGHTER OF PEACE We are so pleased to have performed a rescue mission for this amazing book! The second edition of Solange Burrell’s debut, this stunning historical fantasy is now back exactly where it should be… #yafantasy #BlackLit #AltHistory #TimeTravel

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Stephanie Bretherton @brethertonwords.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Proud and privileged to have had a hand in helping to bring this amazing book back to life… #booksky

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Stephanie Bretherton @brethertonwords.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Congrats to my hilarious friend @zenabarrie.bsky.social for being named a FINALIST in the CIBA Humour & Satire Awards! Her unique collection Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias out from @breakthroughbook.bsky.social is not to be missed… #booksky

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Stephanie Bretherton @brethertonwords.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

Happy World Book Day! Here’s to anyone reading or writing any kind of truly human-made book. Let’s turn up the dial on empathy, awareness, connection and let’s celebrate the quiet, simple pleasures. Let’s rediscover the humanity of sharing in inspiration, imagination and craft. #worldbookday

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Stephanie Bretherton @brethertonwords.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

And what an honour on #worldbookday to be appearing on this fascinating podcast that is discussing and archiving literature that does not shy away from addressing #Covid - do check out pandemic pages on Instagram, TikTok and Spotify!

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Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

I am in Southwark tonight at The White Hart, The Brunswick in Brighton on Friday and then with @amnestyfeminist.bsky.social in London on Saturday afternoon www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/neurospicy... www.brunswickpub.co.uk/event-detail... #comedy #poetry #diversity

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Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

This is the cover of my next poetry collection - it is out on 2nd April which also happens to be 3rd anniversary of my father’s death. A constant inspiration.

Poems about standing up and standing out
ROBIN INCE
Let the Quiet Ones Rise

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

Well this is just as it should be! We are tickled pink to see the uniquely brilliant Two Similar-Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias on the shortlist for Satire and Humour in the CIBAs! #humorousfiction #shortlistedbook #comedywriting @zenabarrie.bsky.social

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Chris Limb @catmachine.com · 27/10/2025

I suspect it's the same kind of privilege misconception that makes men think a group containing 17% women is 50-50 and one containing 33% women is mostly women.

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Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 27/10/2025

as a keen sceptic, I put in over 27 mins of research into erasure of white faces in ads - due to this scrutiny, I discovered that there are SOME black faces in adverts - not all, not most - in fact there were almost as many vampires - no further discussion necessary

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

We’re looking forward to this latest #authorinterview by @womenwritersnet.bsky.social with our very own @brethertonwords.bsky.social who will be discussing her writing journey and her award-winning novel The Fire In Their Eyes. Come and join in on Bluesky this Thursday at 6pm BST.

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Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

This is impressive - solidarity with those women who performed the citizens arrest www.citizensarrestnetwork.org/press/2025/1...

citizensarrestnetwork.org

BREAKING NEWS: Citizens arrest of Anglian Water CEO, Mark Thurston, made in London for Public Nuisance - CAN - Citizen’s Arrest Network

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

🎉🎉🎉 Huge congratulations to @brethertonwords.bsky.social for being recognised by the Chanticleer Global Thriller Awards and for winning the Medical Thriller category in the NYC Big Book Awards! Needless to say we are… thrilled! 🥳🍾 #NYCBigBookAward #GabbyBookAwards #AwardWinningPublisher #SmallPress

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Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

How A Publisher Almost Killed The Book I Waited My Whole Life To Write: a thread My novel Villager came out in 2022. It was published by Unbound, who had little marketing/sales power. But I was excited & proud, since I worked so f-ing hard on it. Here's an extract: www.tom-cox.com/the-village-...

our cat Charles with Villager, shortly after it was published

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

To mark the first #bookbirthday of The Portrait Girl by Nicole Swengley, the e-book is now at the very special price of 99p (on both Amazon and our own website) for a limited time! Why not help us celebrate and load your #Kindle with what the FT described as “a thoroughly engaging mystery”!

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Stephanie Bretherton @brethertonwords.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

This should be a lot of fun!

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

Book lovers in and around the Rugby area, do not miss the Rugby Literary Festival this weekend, but especially the spoken word evening hosted by Word Of Mouth this Friday. A range of fantastic performers will be on stage including our own @zenabarrie.bsky.social! #Books #LiteraryFestival

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Zena Barrie @zenabarrie.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

I went to Rochdale Comedy Festival on Tuesday to see @robinince.bsky.social and Dave Williams in the beautiful town hall. What an amazing place. They do tours and there is a very nice looking restaurant in there, deffo worth a ride on the tram.

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Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Talking about my book in West Kirby tomorrow - tickets here www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/wir...

ticketsource.co.uk

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Fresh off the back of being recommended by @robinince.bsky.social, today’s #BookQW is taken from the short story anthology Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias by @zenabarrie.bsky.social, and is a prime example of her ability to combine the absurd and the existential to masterful effect.

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Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

My brilliant friend @josielong.bsky.social is on tour - she is in Milton Keynes on Wednesday - her show is so funny and she has created so much that has changed comedy world for the better - tickets here stables.org/event/josie-...

stables.org

Josie Long: Now Is The Time of Monsters | The Stables

Josie Long: Now Is The Time of Monsters

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Congratulations to @robinince.bsky.social for his thoroughly deserved award. And thank you ever so much for once again recommending the hilarious Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias by @zenabarrie.bsky.social. We would love to see it in more independent bookshops.

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Stephanie Bretherton @brethertonwords.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Congrats to the marvellous Robin, richly deserved… and how generous to share the love! Couldn’t agree more about his rec for @zenabarrie.bsky.social ‘s hilarious Two Men With Similar Looking Umbilical Hernias! Yes, buy books, support authors, support bookshops!

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Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

Thank you so much to the Booksellers Association for awarding me Author of the Year for a second time - love you all - what remains of my career is about to go through a drastic change, so this means a lot - here is my acceptance speech @lucia-oc.bsky.social @zenabarrie.bsky.social

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Zena Barrie @zenabarrie.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Morning gang, Fancy buying my book? Help me raise some money for a damp proof course. www.breakthroughbookcollective.com/product/two-... @breakthroughbook.bsky.social

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Zena Barrie @zenabarrie.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Morning gang, Fancy buying my book? Help me raise some money for a damp proof course. www.breakthroughbookcollective.com/product/two-... @breakthroughbook.bsky.social

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Marie Phillips @mariephillips.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

The Observer takes on the collapse of Unbound - some truly shocking allegations, almost all of which I have seen compelling evidence of as a member of the Unbound author WhatsApp group and through my own experience of being published by them observer.co.uk/news/busines...

observer.co.uk

Death of a publishing dream: how the Unbound revolution b...

The literary disrupters enjoyed great success with their crowdfunding model, signing authors that other publishers overlooked. And then the money ran out…

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Lulu Allison @luluallison.bsky.social · 26/07/2025

Ha ha! (There are several pages of this)

Illustrated book page from Two Similar etc etc: TO SIMILAR LOOKING MEN WITH UMBILICAL HERNAS 7
Was Monty Python named after Monti Donne?
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Was Monti Donne ever in Spandau Ballet?
Does Monti Donne know Simon Le Bon?
Are Monti Donne and Simon Le Bon related?
Does Simon Le Bon wank in Monti Donne's potting shed?
Do Monti Donne and Simon Le Bon wank in Monti Donne's potting shed?
Does Simon Le Bon have his own potting shed?
Does Yasmin Le Bon know that Simon Le Bon and Monti Donne wank in Monti Donne's potting shed?
Did Monti Donne write a letter to Jon Bon Jovi asking if they might be related, what with their names rhyming and all?
Does Monti Donne have an umbilical hernia?
Once I've worked out the entire back story to this fictional character, I might write a steamy romance about him.

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Valeria Vescina @valeriavescina.bsky.social · 03/07/2025

I've just reviewed @brethertonwords.bsky.social's "The Fire in Their Eyes" (Breakthrough Books), a novel of gripping storytelling, literary substance, and lasting insight. Read about it here: valeriavescina.com/2025/07/03/s... #reading #NewBooks #womenwriters

valeriavescina.com

Stephanie Bretherton’s “The Fire in Their Eyes”

Re-blogged from Goodreads The Fire in Their Eyes by Stephanie Bretherton (Breakthrough Books, 2025) My rating: 5 of 5 stars”The Fire In Their Eyes” is a breath of fresh air: a thriller …

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Lulu Allison @luluallison.bsky.social · 25/07/2025

Currently reading and very much enjoying Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias by @zenabarrie.bsky.social -surreal and funny, with great illustrations by Claire Robinson. @breakthroughbook.bsky.social

Cover -Two similar looking men with umbilical hernias
Written by
ZENA BARRIE with illustrations by
CLAIRE ROBINSON

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 14/07/2025

For a limited period on the Breakthrough web shop, you get a free Bone Lines e-book with any purchase of The Fire In Their Eyes and a free The Boy Who Stole Time e-book with any purchase of The Dream-Pedlars’ Parade. (*for this offer paperbacks can be sent only in the UK)

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Sue Clark @sueclarkauthor.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

A cleverly plotted satire.' I'll take that. My comedy #ANovelSolution has this stonking new review. Get your mitts on this 'wickedly funny' and 'darkly compelling' novel at only £1.44 for the holiday season. #funnyfiction #Bookstagram artyntellybooks.weebly.com/a-novel-solu...

artyntellybooks.weebly.com

A Novel solution by Sue Clark

Sue Clark’s A Novel Solution is a cleverly plotted satire that skewers the literary world with biting humor and a touch of menace. Set in the eccentric corridors of British publishing, this novel...

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 01/07/2025

“More from Zena please.” Another wonderful review for @zenabarrie.bsky.social’s Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias from the lovely people at Bookmunch. Look below for all the places you can get your hands on this soon-to-be-cult book! bookmunch.wordpress.com/2025/06/29/m...

bookmunch.wordpress.com

“I devoured this book, surprising myself with how much fun I found it given I am rarely amused by writing claiming to be funny. More from Zena please” – Jackie Law reviews “…

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Zena Barrie @zenabarrie.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

I'm one of the Unbound authors who hasn't recieved a penny for my book that came out in 2021 and never will. I did manage to buy up my stock before they went into administration so if anyone wants to buy a copy of my novel, my cupboards are full of them. Send me a message. X

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Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Another lovely reader reaction uk.bookshop.org/p/books/norm...

Mel
3,462 reviews • 208 follo...
Follow
June 17, 2025
Robin's book is a deeply compassionate look at figuring out that you have ADHD late in life, and learning to be kinder to yourself because of that. It is filled with examples from lots of other people. It talks about anger and regret about late diagnosis but mostly it is filled with positive helpful things that people realise. It talked a lot about connections with ND people and how we build communities and found acceptance within communities. loved the two pages on goth, turned the page and then next was Dungeons and Dragons! It really felt like a book written, by my people, for my people. On finishing it l immediately gave my copy away to my sister who I think is likely also to have ADHD.
Definitely one l'd highly recommend.
21st-century-non-fiction adhd autism
...more

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Stephanie Bretherton @brethertonwords.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Quite right, too…

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Stephanie Bretherton @brethertonwords.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

Hugely thankful for this very kind review, for The Fire In Their Eyes, especially the blush worthy comparisons to Atwood and le Guin. #booksky

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Today is #BookQuoteWednesday and the word of the day is CLIMB. Presenting Two Similar Looking Men With Umbilical Hernias by @zenabarrie.bsky.social. Illustration by Claire Robinson. #BookQW

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Zena Barrie @zenabarrie.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

This new book from @mirandakeeling.com is a thing of absolute beauty. Very much looking forward to reading it.

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Breakthrough Books @breakthroughbook.bsky.social · 17/06/2025

Our children’s author Antonia Blackmore has been visiting schools with her beautiful book, Figgles & Flo. The children of one Devon primary school loved its likeable characters and wondered what adventures they might get up to next… #childrensbooks #kidsbooks #charity #CharityBook

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