Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Aug 30

It’s #BackToSchool time again. #Teachers (especially years 2-4) if you read Small or Small Bites Back with your classes, I’ll gladly do free virtual Q&As with them. There are also worksheets for every chapter on my website. #Reading #PrimarySchool

Text: Head back to school with small. I’m still doing free virtual Q&As for all classes reading Small or Small Bites Back!
Image: the orange and blue covers of Small and Small Bites Back

Text: know little ones nervous about starting a new school? Harvey knows the feeling. He’s got a place at Madame Bogbrush’s School for Gifted Giants. But he’s not a giant … he’s a boy on stilts!
Image: boy looking wobbly in long blue dungarees and big rubber foot. Next to orange and blue covers of Small and Small Bites Back.

Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Aug 30

I have 100% judged this book by its amazing cover. Can’t wait to read it this weekend! #Reading

Cover of Return to the Dallergut Dream Department Store, featuring a train of different coloured carriages going over a bridge with a rainbow and snow-topped mountains behind. It’s very colourful!

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Reposted by Hannah Moffatt

hackenabush.bsky.social @hackenabush.bsky.social · Jul 3

COVER REVEAL! The aliens are coming! And they’ve brought custard! Aliens Made Me Do It by me and Rory Walker out 25th Sept. @everywithwords.bsky.social

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Reposted by Hannah Moffatt

Sarah Merrett 🫧A Place of a Thousand Wishes @sarahmerrett1.bsky.social · Jul 20

Today is World Ice Cream Day, the perfect day to check out my new MG adventure set in 1899. Mason and Pa make the world’s best ice cream, but the heatwave and a sinister stranger are about to ruin everything. Can a famous wish-maker solve their problems? @everywithwords.bsky.social

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Jul 21

Thank you! ☺️

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Jul 21

I have been attempting to learn how to garden this year. This sunflower is my greatest success so far (It’s even taller than me!). #Gardening

Sunflower with dusky pink centre and light yellow outer petals. Against a Victorian brick wall.

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Apr 23

I’ve seriously considered getting a typewriter! I didn’t think I had AI on Word and was terrified to see the Word app on my phone offering to give me a Copilot summary of my manuscript today 😩

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Reposted by Hannah Moffatt

Jacqui Sydney 📚 @jacquisydney.bsky.social · Apr 23

Can’t wait to discover how Vivi’s story ends in #ViviConway and the Lost Hero by @littlehux.bsky.social. Out 22/05 for 9+ readers, huge thanks go to @knightsofbooks.bsky.social @edpr.bsky.social 😊 #KidlitUK #UKKidlit

The book, matching bookmark and press release. The book’s cover shows Vivi wielding a sword, surrounded by a diverse group of people, a giant spider and a large dog.

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Apr 18

LOVED the newsletter!

a man in a black shirt is looking at a screen with a red background

Alt: a man in a black shirt is looking at a screen with a red background

media.tenor.com

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Apr 13

You’ll love it! X

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Apr 13

Update now I’ve read the proof to say it’s utterly delightful. Clever concept, great characters and and a good environmental message that isn’t too heavy handed. Also, how can you not love a character called Tuftorius Snook?& 💕
I think young readers will adore Finders of Silverthorn Forest 🌳

Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Apr 5

Opened the loveliest book post this morning. Finders of the Silverthorn Forest looks utterly delightful. Out 1st May with @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social
Written by Rachel Chivers Coo and illustrated by Laura Catalan.
For readers 7+ #kidlit

Proof copy of Finders of Silverthorn Forest (title in chunky red letters against a mostly green background with leaves and flowers. And the head of a grey fox-like creature with bushy eyebrows with its paw on a yo-yo). The book is in a light blue box with the gingham cloth is was wrapped in underneath and a hint of the other goodies inside the proof pack- luggage label, edge of a fruit pastels packet and corner of a packaged tea bag.

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Apr 5

Opened the loveliest book post this morning. Finders of the Silverthorn Forest looks utterly delightful. Out 1st May with @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social
Written by Rachel Chivers Coo and illustrated by Laura Catalan.
For readers 7+ #kidlit

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Reposted by Hannah Moffatt

P J Canning @pjcanningauthor.bsky.social · Feb 24

The government doesn't understand that the power, control and money in generative AI sits with who owns the numerical data, music, voices, images and text needed to train the models.
AI models themselves will soon be cheap and plentiful. The way to make money is to create, own & control the content.

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Feb 2

If you’re in the mood for buying children’s books (especially mine!) it’s a great time to give @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social a try.
10% of their children’s book sales in Feb go to BookTrust & Scottish Book Trust to fund early years reading support for disadvantaged and vulnerable families in UK.

Purple background of the Bookshop.org Read it Forward campaign. The orange cover of Small! middle left and the blue cover of Small Bites Back middle right. Text at the bottom reads: 10% of all children's book sales go to BookTrust and Scottish Book Trust in February 2025

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Reposted by Hannah Moffatt

P.G. Bell @pgbellwriter.bsky.social · Jan 22

We are so damned lucky to have @frankcottrellboyce.bsky.social as our Children's Laureate. If things are ever going to improve, we need people addressing our politicians directly, loudly and repeatedly. www.theguardian.com/books/2025/j... #KidLitUK #KidLit

Children facing a ‘happiness recession’ says laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce

Author will highlight the ‘enormous disadvantage’ handed to children without access to books, and call on government to improve early-years literacy

www.theguardian.com

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Jan 22

PLR day is always such a delight. Thank you so much to all the wonderful #libraries that have Small and Small Bites Back on their shelves … and to everyone who borrowed them 💕📚💕

Top of my head hiding behind the orange cover of Small and the blue cover of Small Bites Back

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Reposted by Hannah Moffatt

Alan Baxter @alanbaxter.bsky.social · Jan 9

100% free ways to support authors you love:

- share their social posts
- recommend their books
- leave reviews
- order their books at your library
- request their appearance at events
- drop them an encouraging line
- exhort the will of ancient gods in dark rituals to ensure their success

thanks!

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Jan 6

Don’t read it on public transport or you’ll miss your stop!

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Jan 6

You’re going to LOVE it!!

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Reposted by Hannah Moffatt

Jamie Smart @jamiesmart.bsky.social · Jan 5

It doesn’t take a genius to see how much revenue artists and authors bring into a country, and yet here we are with a supposedly progressive government telling creatives they should let AI steal all their work 🥲

The Guardian @theguardian.com · Jan 5

Impoverished authors are told they should do it for the love. Try saying that to a dentist | Gareth Rubin

The average income for a writer is now £7,000. For our sake and the country’s, we need financial assistance This week will be like A-level results week for authors, but with added economic jeopardy. For a good whack of the 100,000 writers and translators…

www.theguardian.com

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Jan 1

Happy New Year Bluesky!

Aerial shot of fireworks bursting around London Eye as part of the NYE celebrations

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Dec 30

Love that! My husband and I had somehow never seen It’s a Wonderful Life before this Christmas. I’d definitely add it to the list if you’ve missed it too!

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Dec 30

When you work in @britishlibrary.bsky.social they recommend taking a snap of your locker so you don’t forget it … meaning my phone is full of shots like these!
Thanks a million to the staff at The British Library for making it such a joyful, peaceful place to work. #WritingCommunity

A montage of red, yellow, green and one blue locker I’ve loved and lost at The British Library. Most doors show their number and a grey number pad where you enter your code to lock/unlock the door.

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Hannah Moffatt @missdeplume.bsky.social · Dec 29

Agh - forgot the Alt text on the image: proof copy of Grumpfort which reads Dare you Enter Grumpfort? And green piece of paper beside it with the PR blurb.
(And even though I only know about it because of reading the proof, I’m excited for kids - especially those who liked Small! - to discover it 😀)

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