Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 8h

No, Adobe Acrobat, I do not want your AI tool to summarise my own novel. Yes, I know it 'appears' to be a long document. I promise I can handle it. Go back to the depths from which you came.

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Reposted by Dr Chiara Bullen

Leona Scream @editor.scot · 1d

We need this in Scotland. It’s not even wishful or fanciful thinking: it’s financially astute. Our creative industries are absolutely vital

RTÉ News @news.rte.ie · 2d

The Basic Income for the Arts scheme will be put on a permanent footing in the Budget tomorrow

Budget 2026: Basic income for artists to become permanent

The Basic Income for the Arts scheme will be put on a permanent footing in the Budget tomorrow.

www.rte.ie

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Reposted by Dr Chiara Bullen

🌈Dr. Franken Frizzle 🎃 @swilua.bsky.social · 2d

Now published in the International Journal for the Practice and Theory of Creative Writing: our research on YA Book covers, showing that book covers may be as powerful a driver of sales as author fame
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

YA book covers: likability and sales

Book covers have been an important aspect of book selling for the 20th and 21st centuries. In order to provide Young Adult (YA) authors with data about YA book covers, we asked: what makes a cover ...

www.tandfonline.com

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 2d

That's fantastic news, Lyndsey!! Congrats!! ♥️

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 2d

I feel this, these days my brain simply cannot focus on the project it actually needs to!!

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Reposted by Dr Chiara Bullen

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 2d

I’m sure this is just me, but cat trees look like printing presses?

A cat tree that looks like a printing press.

A printing press that looks like a cat tree.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 3d

🥹🥹🥹♥️

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 3d

New week new haircut 🙏

A selfie. I’m wearing a brown dress, a gold necklace with a green charm, and have shoulder length brown hair in its naturally curly/wavy state.

Another selfie. Shoulder length brown curly hair, a black halter neck top with a gold chain necklace and a green pendant.

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Reposted by Dr Chiara Bullen

Not In Our Name (NION) Women @nionwomen.bsky.social · 6d

We expect to hit 55k signatures in support of our open letter this week, perhaps even today. Thank you to everyone who has signed or shared. Let’s keep this going:

notinourname.org.uk

Home - Not in our name

As women we reject the narrative that trans+ people are a threat.

notinourname.org.uk

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Reposted by Dr Chiara Bullen

Northodox Press 📖 @northodoxpress.bsky.social · 4d

For the evening crowd 👇

Northodox Press 📖 @northodoxpress.bsky.social · 5d

UK based SFF reviewers: we need you!

We have a few unclaimed review copies left of both these brand new titles!

If epic fantasy or unusual, character driven scifi is your thing, get in touch for a copy. Strictly first come, first served ⚔️🚀

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Reposted by Dr Chiara Bullen

Lyndsey Croal (she/her) @lyndseycroal.bsky.social · 7d

It's October, which I think is officially the best month to start reading Dark Crescent...omens, superstitions, hauntings, monsters, all from Scottish folklore - here's a wee sneak peak at what you'll find...👀🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🖤✨ linktr.ee/lyndseycroal @lunapress.bsky.social

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Reposted by Dr Chiara Bullen

Association for Scottish Literature @asls.org.uk · 6d

Tha i mar bharaille de sgadan saillte:
chan eil agad ach do chròg
a stobadh ann, agus dòrlach a thoirt a-mach,
reamhar is tiugh leis a’ bhuntàta…

—Aonghas Phàdraig Caimbeul, “Bàrdachd”
#NationalPoetryDay #poem #poetry #Gaelic
www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poem/bardachd/

Bàrdachd
Aonghas Phàdraig Caimbeul

Tha i mar bharaille de sgadan saillte:
chan eil agad ach do chròg
a stobadh ann, agus dòrlach a thoirt a-mach,
reamhar is tiugh leis a’ bhuntàta.

Stob
an t-ìm na mheasg
agus tha cuirm agad: Eliot is Donnachadh Bàn,
le do làmhan rùisgte. Seachain
forca is sgian: fàg sin aig na sgoilearan.

Nuair a thig thu gu bonn a’ bharaille
sgròb na craicinn ri chèile,
dean ràth chnàimhean,
lìon lannan
‘s tilg sin thairis
dìreach mu àm reothairt.

Ma ghlacas tu adag,
thoir leat i: nuair tha an sgadan
gann, nì easgann fraighte fhèin a’ chùis
san acras.

Poetry
Translator: Angus Peter Campbell

It’s like a barrel of salt herring:
you only have to stick your paw
in, and lift a handful out,
thick and juicy with the tatties.

Pile
the butter in the middle
and you have a feast: Eliot and Duncan Bàn,
eaten with your bare fingers. Don’t use
a knife and fork: leave that to the scholars.

When you reach the bottom of the barrel
scrape the skins together,
make a raft of bones,
a net of fine filament,
and fling it over the side
just after the spring tide.

If you catch a common haddock,
take it anyway: in the absence
of a fat herring even eels
taste fine when deep-fried.

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Reposted by Dr Chiara Bullen

Scottish Book Trust @scottishbooktrust.bsky.social · 7d

New research suggests that school libraries, aside from supporting and strengthening pupils' academic achievement, also play a vital role in supporting pupil wellbeing. ❤️📚

www.scottishbooktrust.com/articles/bey...

An infographic slide that includes a quote. The quote is: 'Children and young people who use the school library have, on average, higher mental wellbeing scores' – not only that but pupils who don't use their school library are 'nearly twice as likely to have low mental wellbeing than they are to have high mental wellbeing'.

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 9d

Email subject lines I do NOT like. What do you mean 20 years?!??

An email subject line that reads ‘20 years of a fever you can’t sweat out!’

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 9d

Woke up with a cold, so I’m working on the couch this morning. I have a supervisor sitting behind me, making sure I’m not slacking off….

A ginger and white cat sits on the back of a couch, covered in a yellow blanket with a white floral pattern. The wall behind the cat is a dusky dark green. The cat’s face has a smug aura!!

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 9d

Excellent, thank you!! I quite like diving into series technically the wrong way around (Six of crows before Grisha books, Silksong before Hollow Knight, etc) then picking up things retrospectively when finally entering something the ‘right’ way 😅

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 9d

I’ve never read any Witcher books - do you think this would be a decent one to start with? (I know it’s new and standalone, but still!)

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 10d

Ft. weekend drinks…

A close up of an assortment of alcohol (cans of beer, bottles of wine, Prosecco, etc) keeping cool in an ice bath 🛁

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 10d

This week’s weekend eats 🍽️ (credit to the v. talented @drcleoocy.bsky.social for the first one! 🍅 🧀)

A baked pastry sheet topped with tomatoes, olives, anchovies and parmesan

A bowl of cullen skink topped with water cress in a blue bowl. Three slices of white sourdough bread are arranged next to it. There is a small bowl of wrapped butter blocks, a cup of tea in a blue cup and a glass of water behind it

A close up of eggs baked in tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach, harissa and chilli oil

A close up of a large Neapolitan pizza topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, green and red chillies and with a hot honey glaze. The crust is lightly charged, and another plate with a mozzarella pizza sits behind

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 10d

I would scream too, that's like my worst fear !!!

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Reposted by Dr Chiara Bullen

Jason Kirk @jasonkirk.fyi · 25d

Discovering computer as an adult makes you go crazy. Discovering computer as a baby makes you go crazy. In all of human history, there will only ever be one generation to discover computer at the correct age: 13

The Ass is the father of the legs @internethippo.bsky.social · Nov 10

The problem with every post-Millennial generation is they got to go straight to high speed internet. Of course you'll get computer madness that way. Make them start with those old screeching modems and work their way up

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Reposted by Dr Chiara Bullen

Lorraine Wilson @rainewilson.bsky.social · 13d

🌊IT'S PRE ORDER GIVEAWAY TIME!!🌊
It's 6 weeks til THE SALT ORACLE is unleashed!

To celebrate, anyone who sends proof of a pre order will be in with a chance of winning 1 of 10 sets of these gorgeous oracle cards & a signed bookplate!

geni.us/saltorac
@solarisbooks.bsky.social

graphic with the book THE SALT ORACLE, & a heading saying '6 weeks to publication' against an oceanic backdrop taken from the book cover art (by Sam Gretton)

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 13d

Had an excellent evening at The Bookmonger last night listening to Margaret McDonald talk all things Glasgow Boys, the Carnegie (!) and publishing in today’s industry ✍️

The counter of the bookshop The Bookmonger. There are bottles of wine on shelves around the counter, and multiple copies of Margaret McDonald’s Glasgow Boys on top of it.

A crowd of people sit in the bookshop The Bookmonger, the author Margaret McDonald is in front of them

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Dr Chiara Bullen @chiarab.bsky.social · 13d

SJM, perhaps!

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Reposted by Dr Chiara Bullen

Cameron Johnston @cameronjohnston.bsky.social · 14d

Well hello! The cover for First Mage On The Moon, has been revealed before its Launch Day on April 14th, 2026.

Pre-orders are live at all your usual emporiums for you awesome people angryrobotbooks.my.canva.site/first-mage-o...

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