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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell
@sflayzell.bsky.social
1.9K followers 1.4K following 400 posts
I write queer stories & edit books sometimes https://sflayzell.com/ Buy Cottonopolis, a MG set in 1840s Manchester, shortlisted for Little Rebels https://www.northodox.co.uk/product-page/cottonopolis-paperback-pre-order Views mine, contact via website
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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · Aug 20
My publisher just sent me a video of the Little Rebels shortlist in the window of radical booksellers Housmans, including Cottonopolis!

www.instagram.com/reel/DNkmpTL...

As well as being in the window display (!), the book is also available to order from Housmans:
housmans.com/product/cott...
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bigbeardybooks.bsky.social
Big Bearded Spookteller @bigbeardybooks.bsky.social · 1h
It's the end of the week so it must be #PublisherFriday!

If you are an #IndependentPublisher why not let us know a bit about your press, some links, current projects, crowdfunders, submission windows, some of your authors

#publisher #SmallPress #publishing #IndiePress

alt text in pictures please
old engraving of a Tunis Press, which is a large wooden structure, with one man pulling the lever to make a print and another man who is smoking a pipe checking some copy, with sheets of paper strewn on the ground
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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · 2d
It's such an honour to be part of this community 🥹
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littlerebsprize.bsky.social
Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 2d
And now, (some of) our 2025 #LittleRebelsAward Shortlistees
happily join our little gallery of past shortlistees- thank you, all of you, for all of the work you have done making social justice topics engaging, riveting & accessible for young audiences ♥️
#KidLitUK ⤵️
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littlerebsprize.bsky.social
Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 3d
1/2 A fabulous Little Rebels Award Shortlistee Panel at our award night last week. Thank you @darrenchetty.bsky.social for your always-thoughtful & inquisitive chairing. And thank you @sarahhaggerholt.bsky.social @ellemcnicoll.bsky.social @sflayzell.bsky.social &Cathy Jenkins..
#KidsLitUK
#UKKidsLit
Chair, Darren Chetty, sat down, in profile. He is speaking, holding a mic in left hand and looking down at his iPhone in right hand. To his left is author Cathy Jenkins who looks down, laughing. Author SF Layzell holds a mic & is talking. To her left is author Cathy Jenkins. To her right is author Elle McNicholl and, next to her, author Sarah Hagger-Holt. All are sat down, front facing. Everyone is smiling. Author Sarah Hagger-Holt has the mic now and is gesturing with her other hand, legs crossed, in a casual pose. To her right is a big board with a kids book illustration (red riding hood?) To her left is Elle McNicholl who is turned towards her and laughing. To her left we can just see SF Layzell. Now Elle holds the mic. The other panellists are all laughing.
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eastangliabylines.co.uk
East Anglia Bylines @eastangliabylines.co.uk · 6d
🎬 From Ely bookshops to global premieres: Cambridge Film Festival celebrates stories filmed at home and abroad.
Cambridge Film Festival returns with 11 days of premieres, stars and local stories
Cambridge Film Festival is back this October with 100+ films, star names and local stories on screen
eastangliabylines.co.uk
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footycon.bsky.social
FootyCon @footycon.bsky.social · 7d
Our Call For Papers/Presentations is now live for the International Football History Conference aka FootyCon 2026.

Get your proposals in for what promises to be another great conference. The deadline is January 5th 2026!!

#Footycon26
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booksforkeeps.bsky.social
Books for Keeps, the online children's books review journal @booksforkeeps.bsky.social · 7d
Congratulations again to Sarah Hagger-Holt and to all the shortlisted rebel authors! Great evening celebrating with @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social Their book packs include excellent reading guides www.letterboxlibrary.com/product-page...
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booksforkeeps.bsky.social
Books for Keeps, the online children's books review journal @booksforkeeps.bsky.social · 8d
Tonight's the night we discover the winner of the 2025 @littlerebsprize.bsky.social (one of our favourites)👀Revisit the shortlist, which do you fancy for the win? #LittleRebelsAward #UKKidLit

booksforkeeps.co.uk/debut-author...
Graphic showing covers of the six books on the shortlist for the 2025 Little Rebels Award. Strapline Celebrating Radical Fiction for Children!
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littlerebsprize.bsky.social
Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 8d
TONIGHT
TONIGHT
TONIGHT
#UKKidLit #KidLitUK
#LittleRebelsAward
#WinnerReveal
The shortlist poster for the little rebels award 2025 showing book covers for the six shortlisted titles: Kende! Kende! Kende! The Fights That Make Us Cottonopolis Keedie Mayowa & the Sea of Words Zac and Jac Top left award logo “Little Rebels Award 2025” Top right “Celebrating Radical Fiction for Children” Partially obscuring some of the book covers are 6 question marks.
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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · 9d
Thank you Iqbal! ❤️
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Iqbal Hussain @ihussainwriter.bsky.social · 9d
Honoured to have an essay in Bread Alone, a ground-breaking and important anthology from @indienovella.bsky.social featuring 32 working-class writers, collated and edited by award-winning journalist Kate Pascal. Pub: 9 March 2026. Pre-order: t.co/9AwOtMjLXC
Cover of book, with highlighted line in blue: "we often hear about towns decimated by the closure of coal pits or steelworks; cotton towns, with their largely brown workforce, didn't generate the same headlines - or sympathies. Words Beyond Walls, Iqbal Hussain."
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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · 9d
TOMORROW!!!
littlerebsprize.bsky.social
Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 9d
Dear #LittleRebelsAward Folk:

Ahead of tomorrow evening’s Award Ceremony, let’s remind ourselves of our very brilliant

🪧LITTLE REBELS AWARD
SHORTLIST 2025🪧

Books which are ⭐️plump⭐️with social justice content and hopeful activism!

#KidLitUK
#UKKidLit
#bookawards
#kidsbookawards
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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · 9d
In various day jobs I've come across people who want user experiences to be "frictionless", but "frictionless learning" is a contradiction in terms!
chanda.blacksky.app
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein 🌌 @chanda.blacksky.app · 9d
actually it's ok to look things up in the dictionary instead of blaming the author for using a word you didn't know

learning is good
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hannahelias.bsky.social
Hannah Elias @hannahelias.bsky.social · 9d
Are you an emerging scholar researching Black British history and looking for opportunities to share your research? Please get in touch with @oliviawyatt1999.bsky.social or Meleisa Ono George via contact info below to take part in this ⚡️ talks session @ihr.bsky.social (and please share widely!)
ihrblackbritish.bsky.social
IHR Black British History Seminar @ihrblackbritish.bsky.social · 9d
Kicking off our fantastic line up with a showcase of new research! Get in touch if you are a postgraduate or early career researcher who would like to introduce their work to the field.

📍 Hybrid: N304, IHR, Senate House, WC1E 7HU and Online
📅 Thursday 16th October, 2025
⏰ 17:30
🔗 bit.ly/3INwCfO
Email Olivia.Wyatt@ed.ac.uk or Meleisa.Ono-George@history.ox.ac.uk to present online or in-person
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littlerebsprize.bsky.social
Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 10d
THIS WEDNESDAY!!
9pm-ish
The winner of the edgiest children’s book award comes out to play!
Run by @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social & @housmansbookshop.bsky.social on behalf of the Alliance of Radical booksellers.

#LittleRebelsAward
#UKKidLit #KidLitUK
Pastel balloon shapes frame a poster announcement. Top left has a logo “little rebels award 2026” Top middle reads: “celebrating radical fiction for children!” Centre, written in to large maybe balloon: “Winner Reveal Wednesday 1st October (evening)” Bottom left logo for “Barry Amiel & Norman Melburne Trust” Bottom right “stay tuned” followed by deets of Insta & Bluesky accounts.
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littlerebsprize.bsky.social
Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 10d
What a panel! What a night!

Last October 2024, our Shortlistee Panel shared all of their most rebellious thoughts at our award night ceremony. (See alt text for names)

We can’t wait to hear what our 2025 Shortlistee Panellists have to say.
#LittleRebelsAward
#KidLitUK
Photo shows a lineup of little rebels award shortlistees from last year / 2024. From left to right back row: JT Williams, Yaba Badoe, Jen Reid, Harry Woodgate, James Catchpole, Karen George, Kate Rafiq, Diane Ewen Two shortlistees crouch at the front- these are Elisa Paganelli and Helen Rutter. Behind them is a screen with a poster image of the 8 books in that year’s shortlists. There is a surround of bookshelves.
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indexoncensorship.org
Index on Censorship @indexoncensorship.org · 13d
Banned Books Week UK starts next Sunday! Help spread the word:

🔹Post on social media
🔹Share your favourite banned book
🔹Use the #BannedBooksWeekUK

Check out our social media pack, printable posters & resources: www.indexoncensorship.org/bannedbooksw... @thebookseller.com @hayfestival.bsky.social
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louiestowell.bsky.social
Louie Stowell @louiestowell.bsky.social · 11d
fyi if you're a non fic publisher, there are some retro ideas in here that might well be ready for a revival. Peter Usborne was always obsessed with "dusty corners" - what old book idea can you bring back for the modern age?
louiestowell.bsky.social
Louie Stowell @louiestowell.bsky.social · 11d
What was your favourite non fiction book as a kid? I have very fond memories of one called "How to handle a hamster" that taught you random skills like changing a plug (defunct skill now but still).
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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · 12d
It still hasn't sunk in that my book was shortlisted for one of my favourite book prizes BUT I am very excited to hang out with everyone involved in this award and to spend some time talking together about what makes a radical children's book.
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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · 12d
I feel hugely proud and privileged to be part of this year's shortlist, and a huge thanks are due to readers, friends, @littlerebsprize.bsky.social @northodoxpress.bsky.social @write-mentor.bsky.social and many others for making it happen 🌈
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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · 12d
All of my research, reading and conversations bolstered what I think of as radical: humanising people who have been dehumanised, tracing that humanity and pride through history, arguing that change is both possible and necessary - and showing that it has happened before.
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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · 12d
I was moving boxes of books around today and found one of my stacks of research reading for Cottonopolis.
A stack of books including titles such as Michael Armstrong by Fanny Trollope, The Whispering Road by Livi Michael, Smith by Leon Garfield, and The Peterloo Massacre by Joyce Marlow
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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · 12d
It still hasn't sunk in that my book was shortlisted for one of my favourite book prizes BUT I am very excited to hang out with everyone involved in this award and to spend some time talking together about what makes a radical children's book.
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Reposted by SF Layzell
sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · 12d
Happy 200 years of public railways! Here's a short story I wrote about trains, trans kids and magic talking eels for Ely Pride this summer: sflayzell.com/short-story-...
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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · 12d
Happy 200 years of public railways! Here's a short story I wrote about trains, trans kids and magic talking eels for Ely Pride this summer: sflayzell.com/short-story-...
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