Aidan Ghyll
@aidanghyll.bsky.social
Writing fiction as Aidan Ghyll. YA, sci-fi, neo-mediaeval. Also musician, professor and doctor of horror.
Reposted by Aidan Ghyll
St Nicholas, shown here resurrecting three boys from a pickling tub, became known for genorosity and protecting children.
Such stories shaped Europe’s Sinterklaas, which evolved into Santa Claus and eventually, Father Christmas. 🎅
MS. Douce 51 fol. 069v
#MedievalMonday
Such stories shaped Europe’s Sinterklaas, which evolved into Santa Claus and eventually, Father Christmas. 🎅
MS. Douce 51 fol. 069v
#MedievalMonday
December 8, 2025 at 4:12 PM
St Nicholas, shown here resurrecting three boys from a pickling tub, became known for genorosity and protecting children.
Such stories shaped Europe’s Sinterklaas, which evolved into Santa Claus and eventually, Father Christmas. 🎅
MS. Douce 51 fol. 069v
#MedievalMonday
Such stories shaped Europe’s Sinterklaas, which evolved into Santa Claus and eventually, Father Christmas. 🎅
MS. Douce 51 fol. 069v
#MedievalMonday
Up to chapter 10 of the second novel in my quartet. A strange song has appeared, which I wasn’t expecting, and it’s on everyone’s lips. 🎶 The novel writes itself …
December 8, 2025 at 3:46 PM
Up to chapter 10 of the second novel in my quartet. A strange song has appeared, which I wasn’t expecting, and it’s on everyone’s lips. 🎶 The novel writes itself …
Huzza!
It's a wrap for #BathChildrensNovelAward 2025!
Thank you to all entrants. We can't wait to read your work and discover this year's longlist.
Longlist news emails will go out 18 December. Good luck everyone!
Thank you to all entrants. We can't wait to read your work and discover this year's longlist.
Longlist news emails will go out 18 December. Good luck everyone!
December 1, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Huzza!
Nice graphic from the @bathnovelaward.co.uk showing words appearing in titles of novels submitted. I see a word from my title! Judging starts tomorrow….
November 30, 2025 at 10:09 AM
Nice graphic from the @bathnovelaward.co.uk showing words appearing in titles of novels submitted. I see a word from my title! Judging starts tomorrow….
Into chapter 6, and the protagonist from the first novel has appeared to join forces! Flood, drought, mysterious cracks in the earth, and a crew of vagabonds. It’s very exciting!
November 29, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Into chapter 6, and the protagonist from the first novel has appeared to join forces! Flood, drought, mysterious cracks in the earth, and a crew of vagabonds. It’s very exciting!
Amazing how, when you’ve created the imaginary world, the novel writes itself. As Stephen King says - “Buckle up for the ride!”
November 6, 2025 at 9:00 PM
Amazing how, when you’ve created the imaginary world, the novel writes itself. As Stephen King says - “Buckle up for the ride!”
I love writing in my loft, surrounded by books and art materials … but then upload online, and download for evening browsing and revision on phone. Then email to myself for next morning … It’s a virtuous cycle!
November 6, 2025 at 11:07 AM
I love writing in my loft, surrounded by books and art materials … but then upload online, and download for evening browsing and revision on phone. Then email to myself for next morning … It’s a virtuous cycle!
Reposted by Aidan Ghyll
Our new set of rants, coming up on the next album! Here’s a live version from our last gig.
youtu.be/4UoChU-XUfw?...
youtu.be/4UoChU-XUfw?...
CAMUS RANT SET
YouTube video by CAMUS MUSIC
youtu.be
October 24, 2025 at 1:20 PM
Our new set of rants, coming up on the next album! Here’s a live version from our last gig.
youtu.be/4UoChU-XUfw?...
youtu.be/4UoChU-XUfw?...
Reposted by Aidan Ghyll
"It is a time to engage with literature written by scholars of colour–voices that are too often marginalised in mainstream academic discourse. It is also a time to challenge the dominant narratives that shape our curricula, our research frameworks, and our institutional cultures" uclioe.info/bhm2025
October 10, 2025 at 9:50 AM
"It is a time to engage with literature written by scholars of colour–voices that are too often marginalised in mainstream academic discourse. It is also a time to challenge the dominant narratives that shape our curricula, our research frameworks, and our institutional cultures" uclioe.info/bhm2025
Reposted by Aidan Ghyll
The national curriculum should respond to the climate and nature crisis, emphasises a new policy proposal by UCL academics from @ucl-cccse.bsky.social
www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2025/...
www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2025/...
September 19, 2025 at 3:32 PM
The national curriculum should respond to the climate and nature crisis, emphasises a new policy proposal by UCL academics from @ucl-cccse.bsky.social
www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2025/...
www.ucl.ac.uk/ioe/news/2025/...
Excited to complete first chapter of second book in the series. All the hard world-building in the first book is paying off!
September 10, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Excited to complete first chapter of second book in the series. All the hard world-building in the first book is paying off!
Draft blurb for my novel, The Phantom Flame: In the mighty city of Cant, high above the drowned fenlands of a broken Albion, servant girl Chas Berryman inherits an ancient stone of power. She and her friends are swept into a world of spies, rebels and junk-pirates. And the mysterious Grey Heron.
August 26, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Draft blurb for my novel, The Phantom Flame: In the mighty city of Cant, high above the drowned fenlands of a broken Albion, servant girl Chas Berryman inherits an ancient stone of power. She and her friends are swept into a world of spies, rebels and junk-pirates. And the mysterious Grey Heron.
First felt like a writer at age 11, when I won this prize at school for a description of a coral reef in Malaysia where I lived then. The choice of book indicates also an abiding interest in horror, later to be my PhD subject!
August 20, 2025 at 12:07 PM
First felt like a writer at age 11, when I won this prize at school for a description of a coral reef in Malaysia where I lived then. The choice of book indicates also an abiding interest in horror, later to be my PhD subject!
Animal Farm at 80 - exposé not so much of communism as of tyrannical populism - never more relevant. theconversation.com/animal-farm-...
Animal Farm at 80: why the animals really matter in Orwell’s parable about communism
Orwell wrote his short, shocking novel at a time when it was considered scientifically inadmissible for animals to be granted thoughts or even feelings.
theconversation.com
August 17, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Animal Farm at 80 - exposé not so much of communism as of tyrannical populism - never more relevant. theconversation.com/animal-farm-...
I’ve drawn maps in my novel. Big fan of literary maps - Ransome, Tolkien, Stevenson, Lewis. Fascinating project @lancasteruni.bsky.social on Chronotopic Cartographies. Here are my maps of the future (2154) city of Cant.
August 15, 2025 at 9:09 AM
I’ve drawn maps in my novel. Big fan of literary maps - Ransome, Tolkien, Stevenson, Lewis. Fascinating project @lancasteruni.bsky.social on Chronotopic Cartographies. Here are my maps of the future (2154) city of Cant.
I’m drawing the characters in my novel. I’m not intending it to be illustrated, apart from cover art. It’s more like casting them for a film adaptation. Thinking of authors who draw … Mervyn Peake’s haunting sketches; Lewis Carroll’s unfunny drawings of Alice; St-Exupery’s naive watercolours…
August 14, 2025 at 10:11 AM
I’m drawing the characters in my novel. I’m not intending it to be illustrated, apart from cover art. It’s more like casting them for a film adaptation. Thinking of authors who draw … Mervyn Peake’s haunting sketches; Lewis Carroll’s unfunny drawings of Alice; St-Exupery’s naive watercolours…
It’s very weird to have taught literature my whole life and now be writing it. Can’t find the right metaphor … anyway, maybe I’m getting used to it.
August 13, 2025 at 4:00 PM
It’s very weird to have taught literature my whole life and now be writing it. Can’t find the right metaphor … anyway, maybe I’m getting used to it.
Reposted by Aidan Ghyll
Join us next year 31st July - 7 August 2026.
A limited number of season tickets are now on sale (online only) at 2025 Super Early bird rates. This is the lowest these tickets will be. sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk/tickets/
A limited number of season tickets are now on sale (online only) at 2025 Super Early bird rates. This is the lowest these tickets will be. sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk/tickets/
August 12, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Join us next year 31st July - 7 August 2026.
A limited number of season tickets are now on sale (online only) at 2025 Super Early bird rates. This is the lowest these tickets will be. sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk/tickets/
A limited number of season tickets are now on sale (online only) at 2025 Super Early bird rates. This is the lowest these tickets will be. sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk/tickets/
I reckon an academic book is 80% writing, 20% editing. I’m coming to realise that a novel is the complete inverse.
August 11, 2025 at 2:24 PM
I reckon an academic book is 80% writing, 20% editing. I’m coming to realise that a novel is the complete inverse.
Enjoying the (admittedly interminable) process of self-editing my novel. Completely different from academic books I’ve written. Continuities, false notes, tone and texture. Unpicking and restitching bits in a tapestry. “Polissez-le sans cesse et le répolissez” - Boileau nailed it.
August 10, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Enjoying the (admittedly interminable) process of self-editing my novel. Completely different from academic books I’ve written. Continuities, false notes, tone and texture. Unpicking and restitching bits in a tapestry. “Polissez-le sans cesse et le répolissez” - Boileau nailed it.
Fascinating discovery of letter by the young ST Coleridge. We sometimes forget that the greatest writers were prone to self-doubt.
August 9, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Fascinating discovery of letter by the young ST Coleridge. We sometimes forget that the greatest writers were prone to self-doubt.
Reposted by Aidan Ghyll
This week we caught up with the wonderful @jackieoates.bsky.social to explore her fascinating new show she’s bringing to Sidmouth this summer and hear about some of her favourite Sidmouth moments…
Read the full piece here: sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk/q-a-with-jac...
Read the full piece here: sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk/q-a-with-jac...
July 23, 2025 at 2:11 PM
This week we caught up with the wonderful @jackieoates.bsky.social to explore her fascinating new show she’s bringing to Sidmouth this summer and hear about some of her favourite Sidmouth moments…
Read the full piece here: sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk/q-a-with-jac...
Read the full piece here: sidmouthfolkfestival.co.uk/q-a-with-jac...
Reposted by Aidan Ghyll
Looking forward to our five events @sidmouthfolkfest.bsky.social - three Northumbrian workshops, a concert and a talk on children’s folklore! Come and unleash your inner Northumbrian!
July 23, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Looking forward to our five events @sidmouthfolkfest.bsky.social - three Northumbrian workshops, a concert and a talk on children’s folklore! Come and unleash your inner Northumbrian!
There’s a novel or two in this, for sure.
These images are taken from a 14th Century codex in Middle English & Latin.
The first illumination shows a man, 'Harry the Hayward', and his dog, 'Talbat'. Although the talbot is a dog breed, there are other medieval examples of this being used as a dog name – notably in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
The first illumination shows a man, 'Harry the Hayward', and his dog, 'Talbat'. Although the talbot is a dog breed, there are other medieval examples of this being used as a dog name – notably in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
July 21, 2025 at 12:26 PM
There’s a novel or two in this, for sure.
Reposted by Aidan Ghyll
The new Granny’s Attic album Could Blows The Wind is out now!
www.grannysattic.org.uk/product/cold...
www.grannysattic.org.uk/product/cold...
Cold Blows The Wind / Granny's Attic - Granny's Attic
Cold Blows The Wind, released 16th May 2025 on Grimdon Records Also available as a download on Bandcamp
www.grannysattic.org.uk
May 17, 2025 at 2:07 PM
The new Granny’s Attic album Could Blows The Wind is out now!
www.grannysattic.org.uk/product/cold...
www.grannysattic.org.uk/product/cold...