Jodi McAlister
@jodimca.bsky.social
Romance author, romance scholar. Senior Lecturer in Writing, Literature & Culture at Deakin (Naarm/Melbourne). My newest rom-com, An Academic Affair, is out now.
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Jodi McAlister
@jodimca.bsky.social
· Oct 22
Okay USA, I know you have plenty of other things going on at the moment, but my new book An Academic Affair will be released in your country in only a few weeks (11 November!!), and if you wanted to pre-order it, I would simply love that.
www.simonandschuster.com/books/An-Aca...
www.simonandschuster.com/books/An-Aca...
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
Recommended!
If you're in the UK - the e-book edition of An Academic Affair* is currently only £0.99! The promo only lasts until January 28, so jump on it now if you're keen.
*they're academic rivals, and there's only one job... unless they get married
www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/An-Aca...
*they're academic rivals, and there's only one job... unless they get married
www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/An-Aca...
January 20, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Recommended!
If you're in the UK - the e-book edition of An Academic Affair* is currently only £0.99! The promo only lasts until January 28, so jump on it now if you're keen.
*they're academic rivals, and there's only one job... unless they get married
www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/An-Aca...
*they're academic rivals, and there's only one job... unless they get married
www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/An-Aca...
January 19, 2026 at 9:15 PM
If you're in the UK - the e-book edition of An Academic Affair* is currently only £0.99! The promo only lasts until January 28, so jump on it now if you're keen.
*they're academic rivals, and there's only one job... unless they get married
www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/An-Aca...
*they're academic rivals, and there's only one job... unless they get married
www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/An-Aca...
Loved seeing Australian queer sports romances highlighted in this Heated Rivalry piece by my colleague @kaseysymons.bsky.social !
Heated Rivalry and sports romance genre can teach lessons about queer inclusion
Heated Rivalry has become a massive global hit, but can the steamy ice hockey romance, and other queer love stories, help create more inclusive spaces in the real sporting world?
www.abc.net.au
January 16, 2026 at 2:39 AM
Loved seeing Australian queer sports romances highlighted in this Heated Rivalry piece by my colleague @kaseysymons.bsky.social !
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
Has anyone else had this variant of the AI slop author scam in their inbox (nominally from a commissioning editor at a major publisher, which I assume is the set-up to some kind of pay-to-play scam)? I hadn't seen it before I got one myself, and curious to know if it's on people's radar.
Well, this is a new (to me, anyway) and particularly nasty variant on the AI slop author scam. The name given is a real commissioning editor at PRH UK, although I feel quite confident her real email address is not at aol dot com.
January 12, 2026 at 11:28 PM
Has anyone else had this variant of the AI slop author scam in their inbox (nominally from a commissioning editor at a major publisher, which I assume is the set-up to some kind of pay-to-play scam)? I hadn't seen it before I got one myself, and curious to know if it's on people's radar.
This is a great overview of the absolute governance disaster that led to the AWW debacle - further proof that artists need to be in the leadership positions for arts events.
‘Masterclass in poor governance’: what was the board’s role in the end of Adelaide Writers Week?
Just-resigned Adelaide Writers Week director Louise Adler calls the cancellation of the event ‘no surprise’. What went wrong?
theconversation.com
January 13, 2026 at 10:30 PM
This is a great overview of the absolute governance disaster that led to the AWW debacle - further proof that artists need to be in the leadership positions for arts events.
I (36F) hit rock bottom when my husband announced that he had a secret second family. I'm starting to put myself back together, and the nice boy who runs the wine bar (28M) has offered to help in a very, ahem, particular way. We could never really *be* anything, but... AITA if I take him up on it?
I meant to post this in December but alas, time got away from me:
Romance authors, if you have a 2026 release coming out (or it just came out), promo it in the form of an AITA post. And please, if you can, drop a buy link or a GR link. Let’s topple some TBR piles.
Romance authors, if you have a 2026 release coming out (or it just came out), promo it in the form of an AITA post. And please, if you can, drop a buy link or a GR link. Let’s topple some TBR piles.
January 13, 2026 at 9:28 PM
I (36F) hit rock bottom when my husband announced that he had a secret second family. I'm starting to put myself back together, and the nice boy who runs the wine bar (28M) has offered to help in a very, ahem, particular way. We could never really *be* anything, but... AITA if I take him up on it?
No secret that Rachel Reid's publisher has wildly underestimated demand in all markets, not just Australia, but the very Australian detail that demand for her books has outstripped demand even for the Arnott's Cookbook made me laugh out loud.
Heated Rivalry books sell out amid Australian fans’ infatuation with gay ice hockey TV show
Wild success of television series drives huge demand for Game Changers books, with Australian booksellers reporting significant customer orders
www.theguardian.com
January 13, 2026 at 8:57 PM
No secret that Rachel Reid's publisher has wildly underestimated demand in all markets, not just Australia, but the very Australian detail that demand for her books has outstripped demand even for the Arnott's Cookbook made me laugh out loud.
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
New Australian literary scandal just dropped while I'm still recovering from the previous Australian literary scandal, wait I can't keep up.
January 13, 2026 at 11:53 AM
New Australian literary scandal just dropped while I'm still recovering from the previous Australian literary scandal, wait I can't keep up.
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
A failure of principle led to a failure of courage that led to a failure of governance and has now brought us to a failure of accountability.
Writers - and readers - deserve so much better than this.
Malinauskas should answer for the destruction of Writers Week.
Writers - and readers - deserve so much better than this.
Malinauskas should answer for the destruction of Writers Week.
January 13, 2026 at 5:10 AM
A failure of principle led to a failure of courage that led to a failure of governance and has now brought us to a failure of accountability.
Writers - and readers - deserve so much better than this.
Malinauskas should answer for the destruction of Writers Week.
Writers - and readers - deserve so much better than this.
Malinauskas should answer for the destruction of Writers Week.
Creative writing post-doc! I can't even remember the last time I saw one of these advertised, so if it sounds like you, jump on it.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Creative Writing - Cairns, QLD, Australia - Townsville, QLD, Australia - Other, QLD, Australia
College of Arts, Society and Education | James Cook University
Fixed term to December 2029
Part-time (20%), increasing to 60% by 2027
Located at either the Cairns Nguma-bada campus or Townsville Beb...
careers.jcu.edu.au
January 13, 2026 at 7:07 AM
Creative writing post-doc! I can't even remember the last time I saw one of these advertised, so if it sounds like you, jump on it.
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
with the crumbling of the welfare state and all public and cultural institutions, there's still one way to make a living as a writer or an artist: suing politicians for defo
January 13, 2026 at 5:59 AM
with the crumbling of the welfare state and all public and cultural institutions, there's still one way to make a living as a writer or an artist: suing politicians for defo
Not going to repost those comments from the SA premier about the AWW debacle because they're breathtakingly monstrous, but my goodness has the man never heard of defamation in his entire fucking life??? who's letting him say shit like that in public???
January 13, 2026 at 6:16 AM
Not going to repost those comments from the SA premier about the AWW debacle because they're breathtakingly monstrous, but my goodness has the man never heard of defamation in his entire fucking life??? who's letting him say shit like that in public???
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
The Adelaide Festival board PR release paraphrased:
We don't understand
-writers
-books
-festivals
-the arts
-audience
-what our job is
-how to resist interference
-the gravity of our mistake
-how to apologise.
So we've obliterated Writers' Week & left the whole Adelaide Festival boardless, byeeee.
We don't understand
-writers
-books
-festivals
-the arts
-audience
-what our job is
-how to resist interference
-the gravity of our mistake
-how to apologise.
So we've obliterated Writers' Week & left the whole Adelaide Festival boardless, byeeee.
January 13, 2026 at 4:44 AM
The Adelaide Festival board PR release paraphrased:
We don't understand
-writers
-books
-festivals
-the arts
-audience
-what our job is
-how to resist interference
-the gravity of our mistake
-how to apologise.
So we've obliterated Writers' Week & left the whole Adelaide Festival boardless, byeeee.
We don't understand
-writers
-books
-festivals
-the arts
-audience
-what our job is
-how to resist interference
-the gravity of our mistake
-how to apologise.
So we've obliterated Writers' Week & left the whole Adelaide Festival boardless, byeeee.
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
A whole bunch of artists and cultural workers have lost work because of the implosion of Adelaide Writers week — writers, producers, stage crew, front of house. None of this was their fault. Something for the Labor premier to think about
January 13, 2026 at 5:48 AM
A whole bunch of artists and cultural workers have lost work because of the implosion of Adelaide Writers week — writers, producers, stage crew, front of house. None of this was their fault. Something for the Labor premier to think about
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
The 2026 Adelaide Writers' Week has officially been cancelled. Well done to the Board of the Festival and the Premier of South Australia for this devastating outcome.
January 13, 2026 at 3:49 AM
The 2026 Adelaide Writers' Week has officially been cancelled. Well done to the Board of the Festival and the Premier of South Australia for this devastating outcome.
Both the outcome and the mealy-mouthed apology to this sorry affair are, alas, completely unsurprising.
Adelaide Writers' Week cancelled after week of escalating controversy
The remaining members of the Adelaide Festival board will step down and this year's Writers' Week event has been cancelled, after days of furore regarding the decision to cancel a scheduled appearance...
www.abc.net.au
January 13, 2026 at 4:38 AM
Both the outcome and the mealy-mouthed apology to this sorry affair are, alas, completely unsurprising.
Has anyone else had this variant of the AI slop author scam in their inbox (nominally from a commissioning editor at a major publisher, which I assume is the set-up to some kind of pay-to-play scam)? I hadn't seen it before I got one myself, and curious to know if it's on people's radar.
Well, this is a new (to me, anyway) and particularly nasty variant on the AI slop author scam. The name given is a real commissioning editor at PRH UK, although I feel quite confident her real email address is not at aol dot com.
January 12, 2026 at 11:28 PM
Has anyone else had this variant of the AI slop author scam in their inbox (nominally from a commissioning editor at a major publisher, which I assume is the set-up to some kind of pay-to-play scam)? I hadn't seen it before I got one myself, and curious to know if it's on people's radar.
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
Apparently we have to destroy the arts to save them. Though as we all know by now after more than a decade of hostile arts policy, what "we" want is a culture with no memory, no freedom and no conscience, endless reruns of a starveling so-called western canon, background noise for the suits
January 12, 2026 at 10:42 PM
Apparently we have to destroy the arts to save them. Though as we all know by now after more than a decade of hostile arts policy, what "we" want is a culture with no memory, no freedom and no conscience, endless reruns of a starveling so-called western canon, background noise for the suits
What a blistering piece from Louise Adler - and what a loss her resignation is.
I cannot be party to silencing writers, which is why I am resigning as director of Adelaide Writers’ Week | Louise Adler
Cancelling the Australian Palestinian author Randa Abdel-Fattah weakens freedom of speech and is the harbinger of a less free nation
www.theguardian.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:53 PM
What a blistering piece from Louise Adler - and what a loss her resignation is.
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
PSA: @readingsbooks.bsky.social is offering a 10% discount for recent books of authors who have chosen to withdraw from the 2026 Adelaide Writers' Week:
www.readings.com.au/collections/...
www.readings.com.au/collections/...
January 12, 2026 at 10:01 AM
PSA: @readingsbooks.bsky.social is offering a 10% discount for recent books of authors who have chosen to withdraw from the 2026 Adelaide Writers' Week:
www.readings.com.au/collections/...
www.readings.com.au/collections/...
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
would really love if some people commenting on aww would ask local journos and arts workers for details because i am honestly seeing so much disinformation. womad does not sit under the af board. the full program for aww was not released. amanda vanstone is not on the board. etc.
January 9, 2026 at 9:42 AM
would really love if some people commenting on aww would ask local journos and arts workers for details because i am honestly seeing so much disinformation. womad does not sit under the af board. the full program for aww was not released. amanda vanstone is not on the board. etc.
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
The ARC’s processes are back to being farcical, @jasonclaremp.bsky.social
You advocated for a streamlined, efficient, faster ARC, but all that progress has been undone.
How can they claim to fund “innovation” with more than a year between initial proposal & outcomes? It should be 6 months, not 16!
You advocated for a streamlined, efficient, faster ARC, but all that progress has been undone.
How can they claim to fund “innovation” with more than a year between initial proposal & outcomes? It should be 6 months, not 16!
⁉️The ARC has delayed outcomes of ALL grants 1–4 months & increased scheduled outcome windows from 2 weeks to 3 months!
This reverses 4 years of progress in providing greater certainty & ability to plan for researchers, their families & unis.
Their excuse? Security checks under new ARC legislation👇
This reverses 4 years of progress in providing greater certainty & ability to plan for researchers, their families & unis.
Their excuse? Security checks under new ARC legislation👇
January 12, 2026 at 1:34 AM
The ARC’s processes are back to being farcical, @jasonclaremp.bsky.social
You advocated for a streamlined, efficient, faster ARC, but all that progress has been undone.
How can they claim to fund “innovation” with more than a year between initial proposal & outcomes? It should be 6 months, not 16!
You advocated for a streamlined, efficient, faster ARC, but all that progress has been undone.
How can they claim to fund “innovation” with more than a year between initial proposal & outcomes? It should be 6 months, not 16!
Reposted by Jodi McAlister
⁉️The ARC has delayed outcomes of ALL grants 1–4 months & increased scheduled outcome windows from 2 weeks to 3 months!
This reverses 4 years of progress in providing greater certainty & ability to plan for researchers, their families & unis.
Their excuse? Security checks under new ARC legislation👇
This reverses 4 years of progress in providing greater certainty & ability to plan for researchers, their families & unis.
Their excuse? Security checks under new ARC legislation👇
January 12, 2026 at 1:17 AM
⁉️The ARC has delayed outcomes of ALL grants 1–4 months & increased scheduled outcome windows from 2 weeks to 3 months!
This reverses 4 years of progress in providing greater certainty & ability to plan for researchers, their families & unis.
Their excuse? Security checks under new ARC legislation👇
This reverses 4 years of progress in providing greater certainty & ability to plan for researchers, their families & unis.
Their excuse? Security checks under new ARC legislation👇
Well, this is a new (to me, anyway) and particularly nasty variant on the AI slop author scam. The name given is a real commissioning editor at PRH UK, although I feel quite confident her real email address is not at aol dot com.
January 12, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Well, this is a new (to me, anyway) and particularly nasty variant on the AI slop author scam. The name given is a real commissioning editor at PRH UK, although I feel quite confident her real email address is not at aol dot com.