Jonathan Gibbs
@jonathangibbs.bsky.social
Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing at City St George's, Uni of London. I curate the short story project apersonalanthology.com. Novels are Randall or The Painted Grape, and The Large Door. Poetry is Spring Journal. https://linktr.ee/jonathangibbs
Pinned
2025 Reading 1: Fifty Sounds by Polly Barton. A fascinating use of format for a memoir/linguistic commentary: Barton picks fifty onomatopoeic or more broadly 'mimetic' Japanese phrases and explores their meaning to her, using the form to narrate her experience of working in Japan as a teacher.
Star Wars Shreddies sticker backdrops ranked.
November 24, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Star Wars Shreddies sticker backdrops ranked.
And thus I learned about the video game series based on Tarkovsky’s Stalker and its source novel.
And no, I’ve checked, it’s *not* the video game based on Stalker that you were hoping for.
And no, I’ve checked, it’s *not* the video game based on Stalker that you were hoping for.
November 22, 2025 at 10:33 PM
And thus I learned about the video game series based on Tarkovsky’s Stalker and its source novel.
And no, I’ve checked, it’s *not* the video game based on Stalker that you were hoping for.
And no, I’ve checked, it’s *not* the video game based on Stalker that you were hoping for.
Five adults (two parents, three kids) live in our house. We are very slowly watching The Sopranos, an episode a night when we’re all in together, which is rare. I tried to imagine a spreadsheet with a different show for each combination of people (min. 2) to watch. My head began to hurt.
November 22, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Five adults (two parents, three kids) live in our house. We are very slowly watching The Sopranos, an episode a night when we’re all in together, which is rare. I tried to imagine a spreadsheet with a different show for each combination of people (min. 2) to watch. My head began to hurt.
Reposted by Jonathan Gibbs
Today at 10.30am in BBC Radio 4. I do hope you can listen.
A little advance notice: we have a lovely episode of the Kitchen Cabinet coming up tomorrow, marking this week’s world children’s day. We’re at the Academy of St Nicholas in Liverpool and all our questions come young people in Yr 7 and up. 10.30am on BBC Radio 4
November 22, 2025 at 8:57 AM
Today at 10.30am in BBC Radio 4. I do hope you can listen.
There's still time to sign up for @shedworking.bsky.social's Personal Anthology - a dozen favourite short stories, picked and introduced.
Hitting inboxes 2pm!
Details below...
Hitting inboxes 2pm!
Details below...
It's Wednesday evening, and so nearly the weekend – and A Personal Anthology. This week's guest editor, picking and introducing a dozen favourite short stories, is Alex Johnson a.k.a. @shedworking.bsky.social.
Sign up to get it your inboxes this Friday!
apersonalanthology.substack.com/about
Sign up to get it your inboxes this Friday!
apersonalanthology.substack.com/about
About - A Personal Anthology
A weekly guest-editor picks and introduces a personal anthology of twelve favourite short stories. Click to read A Personal Anthology, by Jonathan Gibbs, a Substack publication with thousands of subsc...
apersonalanthology.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 1:10 PM
There's still time to sign up for @shedworking.bsky.social's Personal Anthology - a dozen favourite short stories, picked and introduced.
Hitting inboxes 2pm!
Details below...
Hitting inboxes 2pm!
Details below...
Reposted by Jonathan Gibbs
The Necks have been dominating my car stereo for weeks now, the 3 CDs of this sprawling album in constant rotation. Disquiet might end up one of my very favorites of their vast catalog before the year ends
November 20, 2025 at 8:07 PM
The Necks have been dominating my car stereo for weeks now, the 3 CDs of this sprawling album in constant rotation. Disquiet might end up one of my very favorites of their vast catalog before the year ends
I really enjoyed night’s @kirkdalebooks.bsky.social Book Group discussion of The Haunting of Hill House. And here’s the next meeting’s reading, ready to go. (See how they hook you in??)
November 20, 2025 at 12:39 PM
I really enjoyed night’s @kirkdalebooks.bsky.social Book Group discussion of The Haunting of Hill House. And here’s the next meeting’s reading, ready to go. (See how they hook you in??)
It's Wednesday evening, and so nearly the weekend – and A Personal Anthology. This week's guest editor, picking and introducing a dozen favourite short stories, is Alex Johnson a.k.a. @shedworking.bsky.social.
Sign up to get it your inboxes this Friday!
apersonalanthology.substack.com/about
Sign up to get it your inboxes this Friday!
apersonalanthology.substack.com/about
About - A Personal Anthology
A weekly guest-editor picks and introduces a personal anthology of twelve favourite short stories. Click to read A Personal Anthology, by Jonathan Gibbs, a Substack publication with thousands of subsc...
apersonalanthology.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:04 PM
It's Wednesday evening, and so nearly the weekend – and A Personal Anthology. This week's guest editor, picking and introducing a dozen favourite short stories, is Alex Johnson a.k.a. @shedworking.bsky.social.
Sign up to get it your inboxes this Friday!
apersonalanthology.substack.com/about
Sign up to get it your inboxes this Friday!
apersonalanthology.substack.com/about
Reposted by Jonathan Gibbs
I'm baffled by Radio 3's continued insistence that its listenership need instructions on how to use the smart speaker that they (apparently) own
November 19, 2025 at 10:59 AM
I'm baffled by Radio 3's continued insistence that its listenership need instructions on how to use the smart speaker that they (apparently) own
Is that a completed first draft? Yes, I believe it is. Time to start turning it into something readable.
November 18, 2025 at 8:35 PM
Is that a completed first draft? Yes, I believe it is. Time to start turning it into something readable.
Have to say, that statue of Bridget Jones is pretty lifelike.
Tuesday’s @theguardian.com front page: Starmer faces Labour revolt over hardline asylum plans www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
November 17, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Have to say, that statue of Bridget Jones is pretty lifelike.
I've updated the apersonalanthology.com website with @iancritchley.bsky.social's selection – his pick of and introduction to a dozen favourite short stories.
Check them out here, along with nearly 3,500 other short story recommendations!
Check them out here, along with nearly 3,500 other short story recommendations!
A Personal Anthology
Writers, critics and others dream-edit a personal anthology of their favourite short stories
apersonalanthology.com
November 16, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I've updated the apersonalanthology.com website with @iancritchley.bsky.social's selection – his pick of and introduction to a dozen favourite short stories.
Check them out here, along with nearly 3,500 other short story recommendations!
Check them out here, along with nearly 3,500 other short story recommendations!
Reposted by Jonathan Gibbs
The guy from that band you like made a solo album. It was described as 'autumnal' and all the reviews were four stars out of five.
November 15, 2025 at 1:49 PM
The guy from that band you like made a solo album. It was described as 'autumnal' and all the reviews were four stars out of five.
Reposted by Jonathan Gibbs
Tears flowing in Storm Claudia-tossed Manchester, not for @iancritchley.bsky.social’s choosing Colette de Curzon’s @nightjarpress.bsky.social story in his Personal Anthology hosted by @jonathangibbs.bsky.social, nor for his kind words about me & The Cast, but for *his* story about his twin brother.
November 14, 2025 at 2:18 PM
Tears flowing in Storm Claudia-tossed Manchester, not for @iancritchley.bsky.social’s choosing Colette de Curzon’s @nightjarpress.bsky.social story in his Personal Anthology hosted by @jonathangibbs.bsky.social, nor for his kind words about me & The Cast, but for *his* story about his twin brother.
Reposted by Jonathan Gibbs
My dad always used to say, when one door closes another one opens. He really was a terrible carpenter.
November 13, 2025 at 8:23 PM
My dad always used to say, when one door closes another one opens. He really was a terrible carpenter.
Congratulations to @wednesdayerskin.bsky.social for her novel The Benefactors being named Waterstones Irish Book of the Year!
Here's what I wrote about it when I read it. (Part of a long reading thread, so it might be a bit clunky to follow!)
bsky.app/profile/jona...
Here's what I wrote about it when I read it. (Part of a long reading thread, so it might be a bit clunky to follow!)
bsky.app/profile/jona...
2025 Reading 44: The Benefactors by Wendy Erskine. I had saved this for a holiday read and although it's not what you'd call a 'beach read' it did absolutely benefit from a lack of distractions. It's a terrific multi-voice novel that darts, spreads and circles and occasionally, brilliantly, coheres.
November 13, 2025 at 5:43 PM
Congratulations to @wednesdayerskin.bsky.social for her novel The Benefactors being named Waterstones Irish Book of the Year!
Here's what I wrote about it when I read it. (Part of a long reading thread, so it might be a bit clunky to follow!)
bsky.app/profile/jona...
Here's what I wrote about it when I read it. (Part of a long reading thread, so it might be a bit clunky to follow!)
bsky.app/profile/jona...
Reposted by Jonathan Gibbs
The Benefactors is Waterstones Irish Book of the Year. I could not be more pleased.
November 13, 2025 at 5:23 PM
The Benefactors is Waterstones Irish Book of the Year. I could not be more pleased.
I can never remember, is it 'disorient' or 'disorientate' or 'disorientatate' or 'disorientatatate' or 'disorientatatatate' or 'disorientatatatatate' or
November 13, 2025 at 4:59 PM
I can never remember, is it 'disorient' or 'disorientate' or 'disorientatate' or 'disorientatatate' or 'disorientatatatate' or 'disorientatatatatate' or
My favourite snooze ‘artefact’ is when you hear yourself give a little snore, and think: oh, that’s me, snoring. I must be asleep.
November 13, 2025 at 4:07 PM
My favourite snooze ‘artefact’ is when you hear yourself give a little snore, and think: oh, that’s me, snoring. I must be asleep.
Reposted by Jonathan Gibbs
SATAN: So what makes you want to work here? Isn’t it a bit of a sideways move for you?
ME: Well, sideways and down, haha
SATAN: Haha
ME: But I’ve been working in the sector for a while, and I feel this is where the action is
SATAN: Your most recent role was…
ME: Cinema website designer
SATAN: Sweet
ME: Well, sideways and down, haha
SATAN: Haha
ME: But I’ve been working in the sector for a while, and I feel this is where the action is
SATAN: Your most recent role was…
ME: Cinema website designer
SATAN: Sweet
November 13, 2025 at 2:43 PM
SATAN: So what makes you want to work here? Isn’t it a bit of a sideways move for you?
ME: Well, sideways and down, haha
SATAN: Haha
ME: But I’ve been working in the sector for a while, and I feel this is where the action is
SATAN: Your most recent role was…
ME: Cinema website designer
SATAN: Sweet
ME: Well, sideways and down, haha
SATAN: Haha
ME: But I’ve been working in the sector for a while, and I feel this is where the action is
SATAN: Your most recent role was…
ME: Cinema website designer
SATAN: Sweet
Reposted by Jonathan Gibbs
Reposted by Jonathan Gibbs
Went to the Natsume Sōseki Memorial museum last week where they’ve recreated his writing room.
November 13, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Went to the Natsume Sōseki Memorial museum last week where they’ve recreated his writing room.
Bloody hell the line-up for issue 2 of The Little Review is quite something.
www.thelittlereview.co.uk/shop/p/pre-o...
www.thelittlereview.co.uk/shop/p/pre-o...
November 12, 2025 at 10:58 PM
Bloody hell the line-up for issue 2 of The Little Review is quite something.
www.thelittlereview.co.uk/shop/p/pre-o...
www.thelittlereview.co.uk/shop/p/pre-o...
Reposted by Jonathan Gibbs
Oh, this is LOVELY.
November 12, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Oh, this is LOVELY.
Finished rewatch of S2 of Blue Lights, and it does lay it on a bit thick, but it lays it on thick *very well*, and had me sobbing by the end, again. I’m not quite sure I’m ready for S3 being actually better than that, which definitely was the word on the street.
November 12, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Finished rewatch of S2 of Blue Lights, and it does lay it on a bit thick, but it lays it on thick *very well*, and had me sobbing by the end, again. I’m not quite sure I’m ready for S3 being actually better than that, which definitely was the word on the street.