Cristín Leach
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cristinleach.bsky.social
Cristín Leach
@cristinleach.bsky.social
3.4K followers 1.6K following 960 posts
Irish Writer. Art Critic. Author, art/divorce memoir Negative Space; RHA From Ten Till Dusk. Fiction, non-fiction, journalism: RTÉ Culture, Irish Arts Review, Winter Papers. Hybrid texts, collaborations. 20yrs ✍🏻 Sunday Times. https://linktr.ee/cristinleach
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cristinleach.bsky.social
Cristín Leach @cristinleach.bsky.social · Oct 18
What a remarkable time I had as a 2025 Writer in Residence at Brendan House in Birr, County Offaly last week! My time coincided with the brilliant Sadhbh Moriarty. With thanks to Offaly Arts Office and to Rosalind Fanning, a host as utterly unique as her home. ✍🏻
Me looking at myself in a mirror My bed in the house. A bed enclosed in drapes and piled with cushions. The corridor to the writers’ rooms, which is full of things and has a painted ceiling that looks a bit like Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Me and Sadhbh smiling for a selfie by the fire in the drawing room with candles lighting.
Reposted by Cristín Leach
oisinmcgann.bsky.social
Take a minute.
justkeepskeeting.pro de’on @justkeepskeeting.pro · 17h
this is mesmerizing
November 25, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
stanchion.bsky.social
You'll read marvelous stories, then conversations between @lindzmcleod.bsky.social & her co-authors discussing how they collaborated to create something from whole cloth. There's never been a craft writing book like this!

STILL ON PRE-ORDER SALE!
NOW SHIPPING!

www.stanchionzine.com/product-page...
November 25, 2025 at 3:13 PM
cristinleach.bsky.social
Help 🙏 I’m moving into Ch2 of my PhD by PP, which focuses on the shift in practice embodied by my memoir Negative Space. If you know of any academic writing which references my work, I’d be very grateful to be pointed in its direction. @lilydunn.bsky.social @minxmarple.bsky.social please share? #phd
November 25, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
sagetyrtle.bsky.social
Eeee! I'm in this #Writing craft book along with AMAZING authors like The Handmaid's Tale screenwriter Lynn Renee Maxcy, Sunday Times bestseller Thomas D. Lee, and Nebula/WFA finalist Eugenia Triantafyllou, order here!
stanchion.bsky.social Stanchion @stanchion.bsky.social · 1d
An Honour & A Privilege arrives from the printer today! So I'll start shipping domestic pre-orders and Book Club copies tomorrow morning, ahead of next Tuesday's pub date. Get your order in now to save $2 and get a free bookmark!

www.stanchionzine.com/product-page...

@lindzmcleod.bsky.social
November 24, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
lindzmcleod.bsky.social
If you're a writer, I'd go so far as to say it's essential reading to develop your craft, to dig deep into your characters and their emotions (as well as your own), and to go eyeball-close with your line edits!
cristinleach.bsky.social Cristín Leach @cristinleach.bsky.social · 4d
“I would have KILLED for a book like this at university!” Lynn Renee Maxcy

Order now from @stanchion.bsky.social

www.stanchionzine.com/product-page...
Cover of the book. Mostly rusty orange ish with text only: AN HONOUR & A PRIVILEGE A CRAFT OF WRITING COLLABORATION with Lindz McLeod Contents page: TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Lindz McLeod Foreword Dr. Graham Robert Scott Say Their Names with Sara Hills The Son Ablaze, the Sun Buried with E.A. Petricone The Darkness System for Young Birds with Sage Tyrtle Fishfinger with Thomas D. Lee The Hunter's Blind with Cristín Leach Time Flies Like a Banana with Eugenia Triantafyllou By Which Flesh Is Crost with Jonathan Duckworth A Body Unclouded with Lynn Maxcy Trees in Voice with Pegah Ouji Content First with Melissa Ren Devil Take the Hindmost with Z. K. Abraham Back of book with description and endorsements: A CRAFT WRITING BOOK UNLIKE ANY OTHER In collaboration with eleven writers, including The Handmaid's Tale screenwriter Lynn Renee Maxcy, Sunday Times bestseller Thomas D! Lee, and Nebula/WFA finalist Eugenia Triantafyllou. award-winning author Lindz McLeod delivers original works of fiction and accompanying pieces of non-fiction, demystifying the craft techniques used in each story, as well as discussing the many facets of collaborative work. "Equal parts engaging and instructive, An Honour & A Privilege presents a theory and practice of collaborative fictión writing that will inspire deeper craft and community in your own work. A must read for any writer interested in the creative process." - Michael Wheaton, publisher of Autofocus Books The best way to think of An Honour & A Privilege may be to regard it as a genre all its own, one which depends significantly on its many interconnections, one which marks both an occasion and an invitation, one which offers us both a testimony as to what can be done together and a guide on how to do it." - Dr. Graham Robert Scott STANCHION / BOOKS StanchionZine.com
November 21, 2025 at 12:42 PM
cristinleach.bsky.social
One of the best collaboration projects I’ve been involved in is now a BRILLIANT BOOK. For anyone interested in the craft of #writing, what we learn from #collaboration, or who just wants to read some damn good #shortstories! I’m 1 of 11 writers. Order now for 🎄 www.stanchionzine.com/product-page...
An Honour & A Privilege | Stanchion
In collaboration with eleven writers, including The Handmaid's Tale screenwriter Lynn Renee Maxcy, Sunday Times bestseller Thomas D. Lee, and Nebula/WFA finalist Eugenia Triantafyllou, award-winning a...
www.stanchionzine.com
November 21, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
cristinleach.bsky.social
This is out on 2 December. Pre-orders are open now @stanchion.bsky.social
lindzmcleod.bsky.social Lindz McLeod - THE UNLIKELY PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET is out now! @lindzmcleod.bsky.social · Jul 21
Day Two of dropping the first line of a story featured in An Honour and a Privilege, my collaborative anthology coming in December:

"An old lover once told me it was better to squeeze the toothpaste directly into my mouth. "

From 'A Hunter's Blind (2025)', this story follows an elderly & blind
November 16, 2025 at 1:30 PM
cristinleach.bsky.social
This is out on 2 December. Pre-orders are open now @stanchion.bsky.social
lindzmcleod.bsky.social Lindz McLeod - THE UNLIKELY PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET is out now! @lindzmcleod.bsky.social · Jul 21
Day Two of dropping the first line of a story featured in An Honour and a Privilege, my collaborative anthology coming in December:

"An old lover once told me it was better to squeeze the toothpaste directly into my mouth. "

From 'A Hunter's Blind (2025)', this story follows an elderly & blind
November 16, 2025 at 1:30 PM
cristinleach.bsky.social
Online now with all the winning stories here: atthebay.org/sparkling-pr...
November 16, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
cristinleach.bsky.social
🙋‍♀️ I’m one of the eleven other (fantastic! talented! good-looking!) writers

😆😄

pre-orders open now 👏 @lindzmcleod.bsky.social
lindzmcleod.bsky.social Lindz McLeod - THE UNLIKELY PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET is out now! @lindzmcleod.bsky.social · 20d
I spent over a year of my life writing this collaborative craft book with eleven other (fantastic! talented! good-looking!) writers.

"Sometimes a story emerges fully formed in your mind, and sometimes it’s an onion, requiring several ‘peels’ to get to the real, eye-watering heart of the matter."
The cover of the book is a vintage, slightly foxy red, with white font beside a large black and white ampersand.
November 6, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
lindzmcleod.bsky.social
With a little twist! Each of the eleven stories were collaboratively written by myself and one other writer, and then we wrote a non-fiction accompany piece to explain how/why we used the techniques we did, and how many drafts we did, and what worked (and what got cut, and why)
November 5, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
lindzmcleod.bsky.social
Also, the pre-order is on sale atm! Get it while it's hot!
An Honour & A Privilege | Stanchion
In collaboration with eleven writers, including The Handmaid's Tale screenwriter Lynn Renee Maxcy, Sunday Times bestseller Thomas D. Lee, and Nebula/WFA finalist Eugenia Triantafyllou, award-winning a...
www.stanchionzine.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:13 PM
cristinleach.bsky.social
🙋‍♀️ I’m one of the eleven other (fantastic! talented! good-looking!) writers

😆😄

pre-orders open now 👏 @lindzmcleod.bsky.social
lindzmcleod.bsky.social Lindz McLeod - THE UNLIKELY PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET is out now! @lindzmcleod.bsky.social · 20d
I spent over a year of my life writing this collaborative craft book with eleven other (fantastic! talented! good-looking!) writers.

"Sometimes a story emerges fully formed in your mind, and sometimes it’s an onion, requiring several ‘peels’ to get to the real, eye-watering heart of the matter."
The cover of the book is a vintage, slightly foxy red, with white font beside a large black and white ampersand.
November 6, 2025 at 1:45 AM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
cristinleach.bsky.social
This was a really wonderful installation to be part of in 2021. There’s a Perú update coming. If you contributed to 'if trees were lone women what would they sound like' in its Scottish iteration & haven’t seen an email from Clare, check your spam or get in touch if she’s accidentally missed you. 🔊
archieislander.bsky.social Clare Archibald @archieislander.bsky.social · 28d
A picture of me alone in the dark at night crossing the Rio Seco (dry river) where I currently live in Perú. If you contributed to my 2021 sound installation for Sanctuary Lab in Galloway Forest then please check your email/spam. I would appreciate you sharing this post in case I've missed people.
My shadow walking across a dry river bed in the dark
October 29, 2025 at 10:48 AM
cristinleach.bsky.social
This was a really wonderful installation to be part of in 2021. There’s a Perú update coming. If you contributed to 'if trees were lone women what would they sound like' in its Scottish iteration & haven’t seen an email from Clare, check your spam or get in touch if she’s accidentally missed you. 🔊
archieislander.bsky.social Clare Archibald @archieislander.bsky.social · 28d
A picture of me alone in the dark at night crossing the Rio Seco (dry river) where I currently live in Perú. If you contributed to my 2021 sound installation for Sanctuary Lab in Galloway Forest then please check your email/spam. I would appreciate you sharing this post in case I've missed people.
My shadow walking across a dry river bed in the dark
October 29, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
archieislander.bsky.social
A picture of me alone in the dark at night crossing the Rio Seco (dry river) where I currently live in Perú. If you contributed to my 2021 sound installation for Sanctuary Lab in Galloway Forest then please check your email/spam. I would appreciate you sharing this post in case I've missed people.
My shadow walking across a dry river bed in the dark
October 28, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
mclees-fiona.bsky.social
Candy-pink brushstrokes, in Piles of French Novels, Van Gogh, 1887
A close up of wide thick brushstrokes of pink oil paint streaked with white, on a buff/ neutral background. The corner of a paperback with a yellow cover extends into the upper edge of the image The full painting, piles of mostly yellow novels on a pinkish table
October 24, 2025 at 7:04 AM
cristinleach.bsky.social
Thanks so much to competition judge & brilliant Irish author Roisín O’Donnell (read her debut novel Nesting if you have not yet), for these gorgeous words about my short story, This Time Baby. Very proud of this one. Can’t wait to see it in print in @the4facedliar.bsky.social soon. Congrats to all🥈💚
Text on a green background, which reads: Short Story Competition Runner-Up This Time Baby by Cristín Leach I loved this story, which takes brave risks with form to make a familiar story feel utterly new. The voice is original and powerful, sweeping the reader along. This story is immersive and breathlessly emotional, and keeps the reader guessing right until the end. Confident, compelling and beautifully written. Judge Roisín O 'Donnell Text on dark green background which reads: Short Story Competition First The First Electrical Measurement of Starlight by Aoife Esmonde Runner-Up This Time Baby by Cristín Leach Highly Commended The Shandon Clock Tower Strikes a New Hour by Lorna Mulvany Puce by Christine Maguire Middle Floor by Ben Tufnell Court by Emer O'Hara
October 20, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
ravenbooks.bsky.social
Seeing as it's #IrishBookWeek, I've put together a Starter Pack of bricks 'n' mortar bookshops. Terrified I've forgotten someone obvious so please let me know of additions
go.bsky.app/G4kmxVq
October 18, 2025 at 5:50 PM
cristinleach.bsky.social
Bring back arranging the internet alphabetically so Art comes first. 1994 was the year I got an email address and had only one person to email. Used to sit on the floor of the lab in UCC queuing while reading a book until a computer was available. Had command instructions handwritten in a notebook.
retrocomps.bsky.social Retro Computers @retrocomps.bsky.social · Oct 18
With so much cruft on the Internet these days, wouldn't it be nice to get a little guidance?
Yahoo - A Guide to WWW. What's new? What's cool? What's popular? Stats. A Random Link. Top, Up, Search, Mail, Add, Help. Art (466) NEW, Business (6426) NEW, Computers (2609) NEW, Economy (743) NEW, Education (1487) NEW, Environment and Nature (193) NEW, Events (53) NEW, Government (1031) NEW, Health (367) NEW, Humanities (163) NEW, Law (163) NEW, News (185), Politics (148) NEW, Reference (474) NEW, Regional Information (2606) NEW, Science (2634) NEW, Social Science (93) NEW, Society and Culture (648) NEW. 23836 entries in Yahoo (Yahoo, Up, Search, Mail, Add, Help). yahoo@akebono.stanford.edu Copyright 1994 David Filo and Jerry Yang
October 19, 2025 at 10:33 PM
cristinleach.bsky.social
✨ Highly Commended for On The Couch in the 2025 Katherine Mansfield Sparkling Prose Competition ✨

Congrats to all 👏

I was in Birr in the middle of my residency when the Zoom awards were held. 7pm in Aotearoa New Zealand is 7am in Ireland. Worth getting up for 😄 ☕️ www.youtube.com/watch?v=DW3w...
Invitation to the zoom Photo of my laptop screen during the Zoom, glowing in a dark room. Me staring at laptop screen by lamplight during the Zoom Text of caption for the prize announcement from Instagram. Reads: flashfrontiernz + And the winners of the 2025 Katherine Mansfield Sparkling Prose competition are.... First - The Nawken by Lorraine Carmody Second - A Cigarette at Taurua Stream by Anna Scaife @annajeang Third - Janus-faced Survival Mode by Sharni Wilson @sharniwilsonova Highly Commended - Father figures by Jemma Richardson, One Week to Live by Michael Botur @michaelboturwriter, On the Couch by Cristín Leach @cristinleach , The Drowning by Jessica Le Bas @jessicalebasnz & Untethered by Tania Norfolk @tanianorfolk • The prizes were announced last night in an awards presentation with judges Lynn Jenner and Gina Cole, and in conversation with Fiona Farrell and Michelle Elvy, with readings from the top three place winners. 00 Watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=DW3wcJEMm5g / see Flash Frontier YT link in bio The winners lists have been published today, with judges' notes: https://atthebay.org/sparkling-prose-katherine-mansfield-story-competition/ see link in bio. + Coming soon - shortlisted, highly commended and winning stories #shortstory #writing #katherinemansfield
October 18, 2025 at 8:34 PM
cristinleach.bsky.social
What a remarkable time I had as a 2025 Writer in Residence at Brendan House in Birr, County Offaly last week! My time coincided with the brilliant Sadhbh Moriarty. With thanks to Offaly Arts Office and to Rosalind Fanning, a host as utterly unique as her home. ✍🏻
Me looking at myself in a mirror My bed in the house. A bed enclosed in drapes and piled with cushions. The corridor to the writers’ rooms, which is full of things and has a painted ceiling that looks a bit like Van Gogh’s Starry Night. Me and Sadhbh smiling for a selfie by the fire in the drawing room with candles lighting.
October 18, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
philipb-h.bsky.social
Global Warning: Ep 2 Against the tide.
How do we adapt to what is coming?

The nice people at Al Jazeera have made this series free to watch. I hope you all share it widely.
#Climate #ClimateCrisis #PublicServiceBroadcasting

📺 👉 www.aljazeera.com/video/featur...
October 18, 2025 at 8:27 AM
cristinleach.bsky.social
Second place! Thanks to judge Roisín O’Donnell and congrats to everyone. The stories will all be published in Issue 4 of The Four Faced Liar.
Text graphic with competition results: Short Story Competition First The First Electrical Measurement of Starlight by Aoife Esmonde Runner-Up This Time Baby by Cristín Leach Highly Commended The Shandon Clock Tower Strikes a New Hour by Lorna Mulvany Puce by Christine Maguire Middle Floor by Ben Tufnell Court by Emer O'Hara
October 12, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Reposted by Cristín Leach
samblakebooks.bsky.social
Brilliant!!
hetanshah.bsky.social Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · Oct 12
This is such a clever idea on taking kids to museums/galleries
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Nadia from London has an idea that sounds such fun you'll be booking a day out asap. "I've always loved museums," she says, "but they can be overwhelming for children. For decades now, I've done something called 'playing postcards' We do the museum backwards, visiting the gift shop first. Each child gets to choose three postcards. Then they take it in turns to find that particular artwork in the museum and give us a little information about the piece from the details on the postcard, or from any gallery plaque. At the end of this treasure-hunt-style activity, we vote for our favourite in the cafe."
October 12, 2025 at 2:33 PM