Alyn Sparkes

Revealed: UK’s multibillion AI drive is built on ‘phantom investments’ Exclusive: Rented datacentres and ‘supercomputer’ site that’s still a scaffolding yard raise questions for Starmer’s push to ‘mainline AI into veins of economy’ * From press release … to scrap metal site: the Essex supercomputer that’s still a scaffolding yard A multibillion-pound drive to “mainline AI into the veins” of the British economy is riddled with “phantom investments” and shaky accounting, a Guardian investigation has found. Since 2024, successive Conservative and Labour governments have proclaimed massive deals to build new datacentres, create thousands of jobs and construct a supercomputer. Continue reading...

Revealed: UK’s multibillion AI drive is built on ‘phantom investments’

It's taken three years, but it's great to see this finally out in the world.
@simonalison.bsky.social @amysparkes.bsky.social you're the only people I can find on here!

Poster for the film "Booted" The main image is of a rough grassy area. A single brown walking boot with red laces on the end of a black-trousered leg is captured in the action of stepping to the right, going out of frame. On the left from top to bottom are: The production company branding for Sword and Fiddle Productions - a white circle with a blue fiddle, upon which a sword makes the strings and neck, with the company name in dark grey to one side. The film title - "BOOTED" Text - A film by Amy & Alyn Sparkes Text - Starring Simon Alison & Olivia Edwards with music by Sound of the Sirens

Had a bit of fun this morning making a wide poster for our short film. It's released on Sunday afternoon on vimeo.com/swordandfiddle if anyone's interested. 1/3

#Film #FilmMaking #ShortFilm #Devon #Walking

I regularly see people wondering how it's possible that there are so many musicians and writers and film makers and artists from a tiny nation like Iceland.

And the answer is really simple: State funding for art education and artists. I literally get a salary from the government to write books.

Purple square background with text: Picture Book category 2025 winners. 1st Big Bike by Alex Lumsden. 2nd the Friend Borrowing Service by Zahrah Riaz. 3rd Garden Magic by Catherine Friess. The Story Godmother logo is in the bottom left corner and the Writing Magazine logo is on the right hand side.

So excited to reveal the three winners of the Writing Magazine Children's Book Prize: Picture Book category.

Many congratulations to Alex Lumsden, Zahrah Riaz and Catherine Friess! Your stories were fantastic!

@writersonline.bsky.social
#WritingCompetition
#picturebooks
#BookSky

Lovely review of @amysparkes.bsky.social book from a magazine that actually knows its stuff when it comes to historical writing!

Only just realised FadeIn has a Linux install package (or 3). That's saved me some hassle since I had to wipe a Win10 laptop and stick a Linux distro on it.

Photo by Pierre Lavie. Yes this is me. And I threw my Leica. It landed on the bass plate with hardly a scratch. Another Photographer grabbed it along with my phone and I was able to track him later. I was held face down tear gas deployed right in front of me and pepper sprayed directly into the eye.

A purple square background. At the bottom is the Story Godmother Logo (an open book with sparkles and the words 'the Story godmother' above it) and Writing Magazine in the right hand corner. Title : Chapter Book category 2025 longlist. A Buzz of Bees. Deeny Dinos: T-Wrecks. Derek and the Pancake Pandemonium. Fearless Flo and the Quest for the Missing Underpants. Jasper Crimson, Vampire Detective. Maisie Monkey. Min the Magical Vet. Pond Life: Call in the Newt. Spike Hart and The Lost Souls in School Scares. Uncle Ulric's Home for Unusual Animals.

I'm delighted to announce the Writing Magazine Children's Book Prize 2025 longlist: Chapter Books. Many congratulations to everyone on the list! And thank you to everyone who entered.

Shortlist announced early next week.
More here: www.storygodmother.co.uk/index.php/op...

#KidLit

Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Bookshelfie Awards! Happy holidays everyone!

If you value your right for free expression i would advise everyone to also have a Mastodon account, as a backup or using them both (as i do). Much more flexible, full control, more difficult to block (you can change instances) etcetera

Surely it's now everyone's civic duty to use a VPN whether or not they feel they need it for their own protection.

I'm glad you're OK with me posting about it. I certainly didn't deliberately ask for an advanced copy - just ordered it from @penandswordbooks.bsky.social

A tablet e-reader open and showing the cover of Oath of the Wolf by Elisabeth Wheatley next to a hardback edition of Little Kingdoms by Alex Harvey. Both are on top of a brown cardboard envelope and a purple bedspread with autumnal nature inspired images printed.

#bookpost day. In the middle of reading Elisabeth Wheatley's Oath of the Wolf, and I get Little Kingdoms by @alexharvv.bsky.social drop through the letter box! Not sure if I'm going to try to parallel read, but I'm wondering if I'll find evidence of Cenric's lineage in there somewhere!

A picture of blue sky, stippled with particles of white cloud

A picture of a rather battered grey concrete and gravel patch of ground.

Sometimes it's just a matter of perspective...
Find out what we've been looking at on, ooh, say, Friday 7th of November over on Youtube?

#TheLongestJohns #FolkMusic #Shanty #HAUPBSFS

Adhd Awareness Month Fiction. By ADHD authors, most with 1+ significant ADHD character(s) 22 Books. Ends Oct 15th! Covers: The Lady and the List, Elizabeth Briars Side Tracked, S.K. Kelly The Harmony of Falling Snow, Andora Brokaw Bestiary Beas The Players Act 1, Amy Sparks The Weight of Her Gaze, RJ Martin He of the Trees, Rob Macwolf Song of the Wolf, T.C. Smith Tales of Yamato, Odessa Silver The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle, Steve Hugh Westenra Manipulator's War, Elise Carlson A Demon to Save Me, H.S. Kallinger Heart of Stone, Johannes T. Evans Lantern, Burgundy Athena Pendragon Wizard's Debt, Niranjan Blood, D.C. Hart Ancient as the Stars, Maya Darjani A Dark Hole Darly, Drew Melbourne Translucent, Wayward Spark War of the Space Dargons, L'Poni Baldwin Ants Waking, R.J. Huneke Rage in a Cage, Joachim Heijndermans

3.5 more days for this bundle!
My Manipulator's War (epic & portal fantasy) has multiple main & secondary characters with ADHD (some also being autistic 😉).
Its fast pace and my love of complex worlds and plot twists & turns are all indebted to my ADHD.
🌈📚🪐📚💙 itch.io/b/3300/adhd-...

front cover of This is Not a Cult by Joey Batey.

SIGNED BOOK NEWS!

You can pre-order a SIGNED copy of "It's Not a Cult" by Joey Batey.

The whole premise of the book is wild!

Folk horror ftw!

Check it out HERE.

biggreenbookshop.com/signed-copie...

ADHD Awareness Month Fiction Bundle. oct 1st-15th. 22 books mostly by ADHD authors. most with 1+ significant ADHD characters. Available exclusively at itch.io $25 - over $90 value. A QR code is in the top corner to take readers to the correct page.

ADHD Awareness Month Fiction: 22 items for $25.00
itch.io/b/3300/adhd-...

Proud to have THE PLAYERS: ACT 1 included in this fabulous bundle - available // 1st & 15th October. A big thank you to @eliseswritings.bsky.social for organising.

#neurodiversity
#adhd
#historicalfiction

A graphic for the ADHD awareness month bundle, featuring 22 books on an orange background. Text reads: ADHD awareness month fiction by mostly ADHD authors. Most with 1+ significant ADHD character(s)

Get ready for the ADHD Awareness Month bundle! 22 awesome books by ADHD authors and/or featuring ADHD characters! Check it out:

itch.io/b/3300/adhd-...

#BookSky 🩵📚 📢📚 📦📚

The book cover of THE PLAYERS ACT 1: ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE by Amy Sparkes, and a box saying: 99p/cents ebook. In recognition of ADHD Awareness Month, THE PLAYERS ACT 1 ebook will be offered at a discounted price of 99p/c between October 1st & October 17th.

A green square background and the front cover of THE PLAYERS ACT 1 by Amy Sparkes. Arrows point to various features of the book: found family; grey villains; strong females; marginalised characters; vengeance; uplifting.

🎭🎲🥁🎻💀⚔
In recognition of #ADHDAwareness Month, "The Players Act 1" eBook is only 99p/99c (1st-17th Oct). Neurodiversity is nothing new & #histfict can reflect this♥️ Why not take a look?

Amazon mybook.to/ThePlayersAct1
Kobo www.kobo.com/ebook/the-pl...
Cover: Sarah Christie
#BookSky
#neurodiversity

Adhd Awareness Month Fiction. By mostly ADHD authors, most with 1+ significant ADHD character(s) 22 Book. Oct 1st-15th Covers: The Lady and the List, Elizabeth Briars Side Tracked, S.K. Kelly The Harmony of Falling Snow, Andora Brokaw Bestiary Beas The Players Act 1, Amy Sparks The Weight of Her Gaze, RJ Martin He of the Trees, Rob Macwolf Song of the Wolf, T.C. Smith Tales of Yamato, Odessa Silver The Erstwhile Tyler Kyle, Steve Hugh Westenra Manipulator's War, Elise Carlson A Demon to Save Me, H.S. Kallinger Heart of Stone, Johannes T. Evans Lantern, Burgundy Athena Pendragon Wizard's Debt, Niranjan Blood, D.C. Hart Ancient as the Stars, Maya Darjani A Dark Hole Darly, Drew Melbourne Translucent, Wayward Spark War of the Space Dargons, L'Poni Baldwin Ants Waking, R.J. Huneke Rage in a Cage, Joachim Heijndermans

Tis ADHD Awareness Month! Hi fellow Chatty Cathys, Restless Rebels & Day-dreaming Daves!

I'd like you to be aware of: the AuDHD, ADHD & Autism Feed: bit.ly/4nSIA6C

My Writers &Authors Discord inclu. an ND channel😉

Bsky Lists I can + you to
-ND People
-ND/♿ Authors

And of👇 itch.io/b/3300/adhd-...

I try to persuade people to look up 10 things about something they are expert on, and find out how many responses are perfectly accurate. It's never been more than five so far. Somehow they still don't get it.

StoryGodmother Newsletter #34 - Getting It Done... Hello and happy October to you! Hope you are enjoying the autumn. October is ADHD Awareness Month, so I’m hyper-focusing on that for this newsletter, as it’s...

Here's the link to the actual newsletter referred to:
buttondown.com/storygodmoth...

One of the golfers is in both pairs. Perhaps the husband swings both ways.

Little Kingdoms Before England, Wales, and Scotland were created, before Alfred the Great and the Great Viking Army, before even a raid on Lindisfarne, the kingdoms that…

www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Little-Kingd...

LITTLE KINGDOMS: AN A-Z OF EARLY MEDIEVAL BRITAIN, my next book, releases on the 30th of November 2025

As of today it is now available for preorder, at a discounted early price of £20 (RRP £25)

Why should you pick up this book...? 🧵

A t-shirt design for a Hammer and the Anvil shirt. It shows a blacksmith working at an anvil in front of a roaring fire, next to a curled-up dog sleeping at his side. Above him hangs a lantern with a crow leaning over, watching his work. The whole thing is rendered in a crosshatched style.

An image showing the previous design on four different colours of t-shirt: cream, yellow, orange, and white/grey

A closer-up image of the graphic on one shirt, the cream-coloured one.

Well look at this! 2 new shirts in one week. Oh Longest Johns, you do spoil us. Hammer and the Anvil shirt designed by the great @vvitchofthevvoods available here: shop.thelongestjohns.com
Got a favourite TLJ song? Let us know and maybe there could be a splendid bit of clothing for that one too...