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Alastair Horne

@pressfuturist.bsky.social

3.2K followers 1.4K following 5.1K posts

Lecturer in Publishing at the University of Stirling. Researcher of smartphone storytelling. Author of seven books for Amber on Paris, London, Scotland, cemeteries (twice), chess, & dragons. Erstwhile doer of other things. Baritone. Often mediocre. He/Him

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Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · Nov 15

Evening all! I’m a lecturer in publishing studies at the University of Stirling, as well as the author of a few books for Amber Books. I sort of built what passes for my career by being on Twitter, so I’m sorry to see it go, but needs must.

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Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 6h

“Does your chewing gum lose its sense of self on the bedpost overnight?”

Leona Scream @editor.scot · 6h

Can a duck feel ashamed?

by
Phillip Creosote

Post from the London Review of Books. There’s a black-and-white vintage pic of a white man playing a cello. Text says ‘Can cellos remember? Thomas Lacquer’.

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Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 6h

Obviously, San Marino lose most of their games already. But this is evidence of a flaw in UEFA’s qualification method, since a side can improve their chances of qualification by losing a match.

Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 6h

Romania’s victory over Austria in the World Cup qualifiers, keeping themselves in contention for a top two place in that group, has given San Marino an incentive to throw their final match against Romania. If Romania finish second, that frees up a Nations League play-off place for San Marino.

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Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 6h

(Not that San Marino need hep losing matches, but still.)

Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 6h

Have you noticed, incidentally, that Romania’s victory over Austria, keeping themselves in contention for a top two place in that group, has given San Marino an incentive to throw their final match against Romania? If Romania finish second, that frees up a Nations League play-off place for Marino.

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Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 7h

Followed up the carbs with almost a couple of hours’ sleep in an attempt to dodge this migraine… I entered this weekend with a shedload of work to catch up on; I leave it with almost as much work left to do thanks to a headache yesterday and a not-yet-migraine today.

Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 10h

Twelve years ago yesterday, I saw two people climb through the manhole cover in the top half of this picture and disappear into the catacombs in Paris.

Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 11h

Taking in carbs and resting, in the hope that this will help fend off the incoming migraine: I really can't afford to have a full-on one that will continue into tomorrow.

Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 12h

The ache in my legs, along with several other symptoms, suggests a migraine coming on.

Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 12h

Going to have to pop out for a walk and possibly some carbs.

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Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 12h

True. On the plus side, though, they’ve not mimicked the latest round of AFC qualifiers for 2026, where Saudi Arabia and Qatar have been given home advantage *and* a week off between fixtures while their opponents play at three-day intervals. I wonder what could have influenced *that* decision? ;-)

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Reposted by Alastair Horne

Rupert Gatti @rupertgatti.bsky.social · 13h

Excited to be going to my first Frankfurt Book Fair next week #fbm25
Will be hanging out at @thoth-metadata.bsky.social stand (Hall 4.0 / E67) & discussing digital sovereignty (wed, 1pm, International stage) and the evolution of #OABooks (thurs, 12noon, Innovation Stage)
Do make contact to meet up!

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Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 13h

Now trying to fend off a headache while making progress on the to-do list.

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Reposted by Alastair Horne

Tom Abba @tomabba.studio · 13h

Our forefathers tamed the brooks, and the streams, and the rivers. They harnessed the sea, and tethered the flow of life itself to their own ends.

But none of it was ever theirs.

The Devil’s Sound.

A limited series immersive audio presentation.

The journey begins soon.

A collage of a riverbank, doubled through transparent layers of photography

A collaged image showing a body falling into water, the reflection of the previous image.

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Reposted by Alastair Horne

Christopher Pittard @christopherpittard.bsky.social · 14h

WHSmith in Southsea has finally fallen. Are there any high street WHS left?

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Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 14h

It certainly isn’t! And in the current climate, things are only going to get worse. :-(

Reposted by Alastair Horne

The Alasdair Gray Archive @agrayarchive.bsky.social · 18h

🎓 PhD Researchers! Apply for a 3-month paid internship with @sgsah.bsky.social exploring the Alasdair Gray archive. Creative, flexible, self-directed. Deadline: 31 Oct 2025. Open to SGSAH PhDs. www.sgsah.ac.uk/e_t/i_ar/202...

The Alasdair Gray Archive

Archival Immersion: A Self-Directed Project at The Alasdair Gray Archive

www.sgsah.ac.uk

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Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 15h

After more than a day off due to trips to Glasgow and then a headache, it's back to work this afternoon: I'm running a session on academic writing tomorrow and media studies seminars on community media on Tuesday, not to mention the marking.

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Reposted by Alastair Horne

Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 2d

Fourteen years ago today, I was making friends at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Text from a screenshotted tweet: “To be fair to Frankfurt Hotel Maritim, it did only take them two attempts to find me a room without a surprised Chinese couple already in it.”

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Reposted by Alastair Horne

Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 1d

Fourteen years ago today, I introduced my Austro-Hungarian Empire theory of publishing to a surprisingly full room in Frankfurt.

A windowless conference room in a Frankfurt hotel, with all the seats taken and people standing at the back.

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Reposted by Alastair Horne

Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 1d

Russian-owned Reform spokesman said “All donations will be disclosed in the usual way: reluctantly, when uncovered by a journalist, and to a chorus of initial denials.”

Cat Neilan @catneilan.bsky.social · 1d

Exc: The Electoral Commission has been given early notice of the UK's first ever crypto donation

The has been "made, but not declared", to a party understood to be Reform

Reform spox said: "All donations above the reporting limit will be disclosed in the usual way"

share.google/VvtjBjEjEjRa...

Calls for transparency on political funding after first c...

Electoral Commission notified of financial contribution, which is rumoured to have been handed to Reform UK

share.google

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Reposted by Alastair Horne

Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 1d

I feel as though you have to choose in life between Edinburgh and Glasgow, and I have chosen Glasgow.

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Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 1d

*thinks back to Spain against Malta in 1983*

Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 1d

Meanwhile, in group I, Italy have at least 19 goals to make up on Norway over three games, assuming Norway beat Estonia next time out…

Alastair Horne @pressfuturist.bsky.social · 1d

There’s no enforcement. He just gets a letter telling him he’s been very naughty. There are zero consequences, sadly.