Ollie
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olliefern.bsky.social
Ollie
@olliefern.bsky.social
22 followers 20 following 110 posts
Fiction writer, literary translator and travelling pet sitter. 🏳️‍🌈🧘🏼‍♂️
https://ollieredfern.substack.com/
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Reposted by Ollie
thevivllainous.bsky.social
More. Gay hockey. Now.
December 28, 2025 at 11:59 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
Coffee pause in Covent Garden to write a letter to one of my “Between the Pines” pen pals.
#LetterWriting
A letter-writing workspace at Fabrique Bakery in Covent Garden, featuring a small round marble table with decorative patterned tile flooring visible below. Rivoli letter writing paper with its distinctive bold typography sits ready with a blue pen beside it. A cappuccino in a teal cup and saucer displays beautiful latte art, accompanied by a kraft paper takeaway cup. A delicate glass vase holds two pale peach carnations, adding a touch of elegance to the workspace. A backpack rests against the white subway-tiled wall behind the table, creating a cozy spot for correspondence. A charming workspace at Fabrique Bakery in Covent Garden, at a small round marble table with decorative patterned tile flooring visible below. The scene includes a teal cup and saucer with the last sip of coffee, a kraft paper takeaway cup, and a delicate glass vase holding two pale peach carnations. On white paper lies a decorative greeting card or stationery featuring an ornate floral pattern in orange, green, and cream tones with a label space in the centre. A backpack rests against the white subway-tiled wall behind the table, creating an intimate letter-writing setup.
December 29, 2025 at 4:10 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
I'm kinda tempted??
December 29, 2025 at 4:05 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
Found at the London Review of Books bookshop what I was looking for (the latest Paris Review) and what I didn't know I was looking for (Ursula K. le Guin’s “Book of Cats”.)
**Left image:** The interior of the London Review Bookshop featuring floor-to-ceiling wooden shelving filled with books lining both walls. A central wooden display table on wheels showcases stacks of colorful books and publications. Industrial-style pendant lights hang from the ceiling alongside recessed lighting and a vintage air conditioning unit. The warm wood floors and pink-toned walls create an inviting literary atmosphere, with more display tables and browsing customers visible in the background. **Top right image:** A hand holding a book titled 'Book of Cats' with golden script lettering and a black cat silhouette on a yellow cover, by author Ursula K. Le Guin. The book is photographed among colorful display tables at the London Review Bookshop, stacked with various other titles including works about Orson Welles and other literary publications, showcasing the diverse range of books available. **Bottom right image:** Two copies of The Paris Review literary journal resting on a speckled granite or terrazzo surface at the London Review Bookshop. The minimalist white covers display the magazine's distinctive typography, representing one of the most prestigious literary publications in contemporary letters.
December 29, 2025 at 1:07 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
Thanks Tom for recommending this unique documentary - a mixture of "cute" & "trainwreck". Think Netflix's "Fyre Festival" meets teen cosplayers. I'm left wondering what would have happened if Livejournal users had decided to run a convention back in its heyday! (Maybe Whitby fulfilled that role?!)
zenithedtom.bsky.social Tom @zenithedtom.bsky.social · 2d
No worries! Well worth watching the complete history of the original 2014 Dashcon for context if you have time
DashCon: An Extensive Oral History
YouTube video by STRANGE ÆONS
youtu.be
December 28, 2025 at 5:35 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
I've spotted these around Camberwell, South London. I actually did try to WhatsApp them last night but the number is not listed. (Intentionally difficult to reach?) Today, I'm pondering if I should send them a text or even call...
#artproject?
A four-panel collage showing weathered and torn street posters that read 'HAVE YOU SPOTTED SOMETHING STRANGE?' with a large question mark below. Each poster has tear-off tabs at the bottom with contact details. The posters appear in various states of decay across different urban surfaces: stuck to a concrete wall, wrapped around a black metal pole, affixed to a beige surface with green graffiti, and deteriorating on a red brick wall. The mysterious posters create an intriguing piece of guerrilla art or community engagement project, their progressive deterioration documented across different London locations.
December 28, 2025 at 9:21 AM
olliefern.bsky.social
Thanks for sharing Tom, this is exactly the kind of content I want to watch on this holiday break!
zenithedtom.bsky.social Tom @zenithedtom.bsky.social · 2d
Watched this video about Tumblr nerds reviving a legendarily disastrous convention and it might be the most wholesome thing I’ve ever seen
Dashcon Is Resurrected: The Entire Story Of Dashcon 2
YouTube video by STRANGE ÆONS
youtu.be
December 27, 2025 at 4:51 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
2025 was the year I turned 50, became a nomadic petsitter, paid off debt, reconnected with old crushes, fell in love with "Just Kids," and spent Christmas alone with a cat named after a Roman empress.

"Magnanimity" was my Word of the Year… what was yours?

picosgemeos.substack.com/p/the-fifty-...
The Fifty-Year-Old Nomad
2025 in review
picosgemeos.substack.com
December 27, 2025 at 12:11 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
Boxing Day @ Mona's Cafe, Camberwell.
Cappuccino-fueled letters for pen pals.
#letterwriting
A cozy workspace at Mona's Cafe in Camberwell, photographed from a wooden table with an active letter-writing setup. In the foreground, handwritten correspondence on lined paper sits alongside a decorative notebook with an ornate green and cream pattern, a blue pen, a poetry collection titled 'The Toothmakers' Daughters' by Katherine Fallon with a turquoise cover, and a cappuccino in a teal ceramic cup with saucer. Salt and pepper shakers and a bowl of soup complete the table setting. The café features exposed brick walls with trailing plants, high ceilings with skylights, modern wooden tables and chairs, colorful artwork, and a 'COFFEE TIME' sign. A backpack rests on a nearby chair, and the warm, industrial-chic space with natural wood floors creates an inviting atmosphere for writing and creative work.
December 26, 2025 at 1:24 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
2026 New Year resolution: to always have three books on the go. A work of fiction, a work of non-fiction, and a poetry collection.
December 25, 2025 at 12:00 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
"A translator, then, isn’t just a lexical go-between, interpreting one word at a time. A translator, rather, is a reader who re-creates their own path through the textual world of a book."

A really good read in the New Yorker about translation - and currently free to access.
December 24, 2025 at 8:41 AM
olliefern.bsky.social
I'm not one for End of the Year Lists... except for @rachelondon.bsky.social's Best of Music!

I always discover new bands, and love how she sneaks in a couple of Eurovision tracks. Delighted to see Coach Party back in the charts as well as Suede.

millionreasons.livejournal.com/674939.html
2025 in Song
As usual, the first few songs are bands I saw at Rockaway Beach in Bognor, the festival that basically carries on New Years celebrations for a few more days. The Pill - Woman Driver. Often I find that...
millionreasons.livejournal.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:21 AM
olliefern.bsky.social
Is there a better feeling than post arriving in the mail?! Not when it's a beautiful Christmas card from one of your pen pals. 🤩

(My own are also out there, on their way to homes across the planet.)
#PenPals
A hand holds up a beautiful handmade greeting card featuring a silhouetted blackbird with a bright yellow eye perched on a brown branch against a muted background with a striking orange-red sun or moon. The card is signed 'Fossen '05' and is photographed against a window showing a wintry urban street scene with bare trees and parked cars. The folk art style illustration has an autumnal, contemplative quality An envelope addressed to Oliver Redfern resting on a wooden surface, featuring a colorful Christmas stamp showing a figure in festive colors. The Royal Mail frank is from Gatwick Mail Centre dated 15/12/2025, with a British Heart Foundation charity message. A sheet of green second-class stamps featuring King Charles III's profile is placed on top of the envelope, ready for mailing letters.
December 17, 2025 at 8:44 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
I've been running for nearly two years now a series of 100-words-only flash fiction and memoir on #Substack. No. 71 has just arrived:

open.substack.com/pub/picosgem...
The Candle
#71
open.substack.com
December 15, 2025 at 7:44 AM
olliefern.bsky.social
Iced Mocha Coffee with pashmak, plus Christmas cards and journal @ Persepolis in Peckham, South London. And they are playing the Human League! 👌🏼💫
A window seat workspace at Persepolis café in Peckham, featuring bright yellow-painted window frames decorated with festive garland. The table is covered with a classic red and white checkered tablecloth and holds a black notebook with pen, a stack of books topped with a Christmas card featuring a hare illustration, and a small framed photograph. A person in a vibrant blue and purple outfit sits at the adjacent table gazing out at the busy street scene, where pedestrians pass by Victorian-era shopfronts. The café's cheerful atmosphere is enhanced by the natural light streaming through the large windows and the holiday decorations. An extravagant iced mocha coffee served in a tall glass mug at Persepolis café in Peckham, sitting on the distinctive red and white checkered tablecloth. The drink features layers of chocolate and coffee with a dramatic cloud of white pashmak (Persian cotton candy) piled high on top, dusted with what appears to be rose petals or dried flowers. A red and white striped paper straw emerges from the fluffy topping. In the background, a person in bright blue and purple clothing sits at an adjacent table.
December 14, 2025 at 4:17 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
This is the only End of Year Music List that counts.
December 13, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Reposted by Ollie
katie.bzky.team
i think if you have a juicy enough tale therapists should give you the session for free because let's be real they love that shit and ought to be paying you for the experience
December 8, 2025 at 8:37 AM
olliefern.bsky.social
Ham & cheese croissant (I should really go back to being a vegetarian), cappuccino, Foray journal and Muji 0.38 pen @ Mona’s Cafe, Camberwell, South London.
#BlueskyWriters
Ham & cheese croissant (I should really go back to being a vegetarian), cappuccino, Foray journal and Muji 0.38 pen @ Mona’s Cafe, Camberwell, South London.
December 13, 2025 at 1:27 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
Watched this gorgeous #film last night on MUBI, “Winter in Sokcho”. Three words to describe it: Franco-Korean, Melancholic and Wintry.

Highly recommended for its Korean dishes, cinematography and sensitive character portrayals.
#cinema
December 12, 2025 at 12:08 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
Bedroom.
#InsomniaWednesday
A dramatic nighttime photograph of a modern apartment building shot from ground level looking upward against a pitch-black sky. Multiple illuminated windows create a pattern of warm golden light scattered across the dark facade of the multi-story building. Vertical light beams or reflections streak upward into the darkness above, creating an atmospheric, almost cinematic effect. The stark contrast between the lit windows and the deep black night emphasizes the solitary feeling of urban life after dark.
December 10, 2025 at 6:19 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
"Between the Pines" - my new epistolary series - has just launched. First exchange is with Stefan, where we write about London cafes, gay life, cats, and books. Excited to see where this goes... More correspondents to follow. 📬🌲

open.substack.com/pub/picosgem...
#epistolary #letterwriting #substack
Between the Pines
A new epistolary series featuring letters, cards, postcards and photography
open.substack.com
December 3, 2025 at 9:00 AM
olliefern.bsky.social
#SilentSunday
Three white coffee or tea mugs arranged on a black counter, each with a bright yellow fruit fly trap in the shape of whimsical animal silhouettes - a hedgehog, a bird, and what appears to be a lion or similar creature. The yellow sticky traps are positioned on the rims of the mugs, with one clearly showing small fruit flies caught on its surface. Two glass jars are visible in the background, also carrying the traps.
November 30, 2025 at 8:12 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
Messalina.
#Caturday
A black and white cat with striking green eyes sits upright on a natural fiber doormat by a window, gazing directly at the camera with an alert, attentive expression. The cat has distinctive black patches on her head and ears, with a white face, chest, and body, and a black-tipped tail curled around her feet. Bright natural light streams through the window behind her, illuminating her pristine white fur and creating a peaceful, contemplative portrait of Messalina in her London home.
November 29, 2025 at 8:48 PM
olliefern.bsky.social
Number 70 in my series of 100-word-long pieces for Substack. Originally published 10 years ago, when I lived in a tower block by Victoria Park. I adapted it to my current nomadic life and temporary stay in Shoreditch.
#Memoir

open.substack.com/pub/picosgem...
Autumn
#70
open.substack.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:04 AM
olliefern.bsky.social
Current read: a compelling, page-turning horror about lesbian cannibals in Cumbria. What else do you need to know?!
#TheLamb
November 17, 2025 at 12:52 PM