Brannavan Gnanalingam
@brannavan.bsky.social
Novelist and occasional reviewer
Disgrasian alert
After Suella Braverman's defection, 12.5% of Reform UK MPs have been photographed stepping on a guide dog
January 26, 2026 at 7:36 PM
Disgrasian alert
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
I’m doing an AMA on Reddit (r/bookclub Kurangaituku) on Tuesday 27 Jan 10am NZ time (26 Jan 9pm GMT, 4pm EST) So if you have some questions about Kurangaituku, or what my current favourite cheese is head on over there.
Here’s me mugshot with the info.
Here’s me mugshot with the info.
January 24, 2026 at 12:03 AM
I’m doing an AMA on Reddit (r/bookclub Kurangaituku) on Tuesday 27 Jan 10am NZ time (26 Jan 9pm GMT, 4pm EST) So if you have some questions about Kurangaituku, or what my current favourite cheese is head on over there.
Here’s me mugshot with the info.
Here’s me mugshot with the info.
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
The tragic loss of lives in NZ flooding events this week are climate change deaths. Media and govt are avoiding the topic.
Leaders and commentators must acknowledge the emerging reality of ordinary summer rainstorms carrying volumes of water akin to tropical cyclones of previous decades.
Leaders and commentators must acknowledge the emerging reality of ordinary summer rainstorms carrying volumes of water akin to tropical cyclones of previous decades.
January 21, 2026 at 10:54 PM
The tragic loss of lives in NZ flooding events this week are climate change deaths. Media and govt are avoiding the topic.
Leaders and commentators must acknowledge the emerging reality of ordinary summer rainstorms carrying volumes of water akin to tropical cyclones of previous decades.
Leaders and commentators must acknowledge the emerging reality of ordinary summer rainstorms carrying volumes of water akin to tropical cyclones of previous decades.
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
This phenomenon - this experience - is best articulated in @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social's Paradise Built in Hell.
When you are there, and you see an entire city of goddamn heroes around you, it is nothing short of a transcendent experience.
When you are there, and you see an entire city of goddamn heroes around you, it is nothing short of a transcendent experience.
But when I asked an organizer what they wanted to see out of press coverage, they told me they wanted people to see the beautiful things they are building here, and not just the worst stories of the worst of ICE's crimes.
What people are doing here is beautiful. It's a tragic beauty, but a real one
What people are doing here is beautiful. It's a tragic beauty, but a real one
January 22, 2026 at 6:18 AM
This phenomenon - this experience - is best articulated in @rebeccasolnit.bsky.social's Paradise Built in Hell.
When you are there, and you see an entire city of goddamn heroes around you, it is nothing short of a transcendent experience.
When you are there, and you see an entire city of goddamn heroes around you, it is nothing short of a transcendent experience.
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
We should stand by Iran's protesters as they fight a repressive theocracy.
We should also oppose yet another catastrophic Western intervention.
New column 👇
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
We should also oppose yet another catastrophic Western intervention.
New column 👇
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Iran’s protesters need our support – not another western-intervention disaster | Owen Jones
Previous meddling has damaged the region, and once again the the US and Israel don’t have Iranians’ best interests at heart, says Guardian columnist Owen Jones
www.theguardian.com
January 13, 2026 at 10:47 AM
We should stand by Iran's protesters as they fight a repressive theocracy.
We should also oppose yet another catastrophic Western intervention.
New column 👇
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
We should also oppose yet another catastrophic Western intervention.
New column 👇
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
take a second to really wrap your head around this.
January 13, 2026 at 10:38 PM
take a second to really wrap your head around this.
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
The thing that always gets me about this kind of stuff is like, are we seriously expecting Palestinians to remain either neutral or positive towards Israel despite it literally killing them, destroying their culture and making it unsafe to live on their own land, at risk of being forced out of...
Extraordinary insight from former Adelaide Writers’ Week director Jo Dyer — Malinauskas killed Adelaide Festival, he is solely to blame for this disaster, for the international embarrassment and for the major economic losses. All this to serve Apartheid Israel.
January 13, 2026 at 2:42 AM
The thing that always gets me about this kind of stuff is like, are we seriously expecting Palestinians to remain either neutral or positive towards Israel despite it literally killing them, destroying their culture and making it unsafe to live on their own land, at risk of being forced out of...
One of the greats, RIP
January 9, 2026 at 12:48 AM
One of the greats, RIP
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
Every Trait Disqualifying ICE Agent From Previous Jobs Ideal For Current One https://theonion.com/every-trait-disqualifying-ice-agent-from-previous-jobs-ideal-for-current-one/
January 7, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Every Trait Disqualifying ICE Agent From Previous Jobs Ideal For Current One https://theonion.com/every-trait-disqualifying-ice-agent-from-previous-jobs-ideal-for-current-one/
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
the administration wants to frame this (bizarrely) as law enforcement. but if law enforcement conducted a raid for a suspect and killed 40 people, including an unknown number of unarmed civilians, it would be treated as a clear disaster like Waco.
NYT:
At least 40 people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela, including military personnel and civilians.
At least 40 people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela, including military personnel and civilians.
January 3, 2026 at 11:32 PM
the administration wants to frame this (bizarrely) as law enforcement. but if law enforcement conducted a raid for a suspect and killed 40 people, including an unknown number of unarmed civilians, it would be treated as a clear disaster like Waco.
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
I want Aotearoa to at a minimum suspend 5-eyes and all other military connections to the US. Australia Canada and the Uk should do so too.
January 3, 2026 at 8:59 AM
I want Aotearoa to at a minimum suspend 5-eyes and all other military connections to the US. Australia Canada and the Uk should do so too.
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
We're going to need a bigger Hague.
January 3, 2026 at 9:51 AM
We're going to need a bigger Hague.
Can’t wait to see who’ll get to lift the FIFA Peace Prize in 2026
January 2, 2026 at 12:37 AM
Can’t wait to see who’ll get to lift the FIFA Peace Prize in 2026
Awesome list of a whole bunch of international books I haven’t heard of, but will need to track down, and thank you to Pip for including Kartik Popat as one of them
December 29, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Awesome list of a whole bunch of international books I haven’t heard of, but will need to track down, and thank you to Pip for including Kartik Popat as one of them
Acting in Home Alone 2 is obviously no barrier to political success
The "lost the rest of my barbershop quartet" guy thinks it's his politics that keep the roles away
December 29, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Acting in Home Alone 2 is obviously no barrier to political success
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
Your regular reminder that NZ's immigration system is cruel and irrational and as bad as anything you might have read about regarding less "enlightened" countries; the only difference being it is enacted through bureaucratic means rather than physical ones.
Nurse's autistic son could face deportation after Immigration NZ rejects visa
Nurse's autistic son could face deportation after Immigration NZ rejects visa
Immigration New Zealand rejected the visa application of Nelson aged care worker Nithin Mankeel's son after he was diagnosed with autism.
www.rnz.co.nz
December 23, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Your regular reminder that NZ's immigration system is cruel and irrational and as bad as anything you might have read about regarding less "enlightened" countries; the only difference being it is enacted through bureaucratic means rather than physical ones.
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
bari weiss saw this and decided that she had to hide it from the american public
Guards began beating him. Beat him until he bled. Knocked his face into the wall, broke all his teeth. No access to outdoors, no contact with relatives.
Now describing US knowledge of CECOT's torture practices, followed by footage of Trump praising those practices.
Now describing US knowledge of CECOT's torture practices, followed by footage of Trump praising those practices.
December 22, 2025 at 10:53 PM
bari weiss saw this and decided that she had to hide it from the american public
Lost opportunity of combining the Ministries for the Environment, Transport and Housing and calling it METH
New ministry to combine housing, transport and environment
New ministry to combine housing, transport and environment
Minister Chris Bishop said the new entity would bring together the functions of several ministries into one agency.
www.rnz.co.nz
December 15, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Lost opportunity of combining the Ministries for the Environment, Transport and Housing and calling it METH
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
What a horrifying weekend of news. Too much.
December 15, 2025 at 3:30 AM
What a horrifying weekend of news. Too much.
I have my top local book listed in here (Of Weapons and Words by the Al-Rifaq collective). Since I haven’t read anything else from outside NZ published in 2025 (I’ve been very specifically reading for a new project), then it’s my top book of the year!
An A to Z of The Spinoff’s best books of 2025
An A to Z of The Spinoff’s best books of 2025
The year's best reads, as chosen by our panel of experts....
thespinoff.co.nz
December 10, 2025 at 4:04 AM
I have my top local book listed in here (Of Weapons and Words by the Al-Rifaq collective). Since I haven’t read anything else from outside NZ published in 2025 (I’ve been very specifically reading for a new project), then it’s my top book of the year!
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
The term 'Summer Break' assumes way too much about the average New Zealander. The gapping cavernous hole that is the wealth gap in NZ, means only one group of people get a summer break in this broke ass fucking country. And it's not the people you think you're talking about.
Is the long summer break hurting our economy?
Is the long summer break hurting our economy?
A 'circle back in February' mentality may be contributing to New Zealand's stubbornly low productivity....
thespinoff.co.nz
December 7, 2025 at 8:29 PM
The term 'Summer Break' assumes way too much about the average New Zealander. The gapping cavernous hole that is the wealth gap in NZ, means only one group of people get a summer break in this broke ass fucking country. And it's not the people you think you're talking about.
Phenomenal stuff from the Windies
December 6, 2025 at 5:24 AM
Phenomenal stuff from the Windies
Reposted by Brannavan Gnanalingam
So excited to be featuring new poems by Helen Rickerby in the forthcoming December issue!
The selection comes from her next book, 'My Bourgeois Apocalypse'' (Auckland University Press, 2026).
The selection comes from her next book, 'My Bourgeois Apocalypse'' (Auckland University Press, 2026).
December 5, 2025 at 5:19 AM
So excited to be featuring new poems by Helen Rickerby in the forthcoming December issue!
The selection comes from her next book, 'My Bourgeois Apocalypse'' (Auckland University Press, 2026).
The selection comes from her next book, 'My Bourgeois Apocalypse'' (Auckland University Press, 2026).
