Sophie Atkinson
@sophieatkinson.bsky.social
Writer :) Represented by Monika Woods (Triangle House). For UK enquiries, represented by Seren Adams (Lexington Literary Agency).
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
The library as 'living center for community resources' vs. 'archive of the written word': eternal tension illuminated by @millmedia.bsky.social 's @sophieatkinson.bsky.social
manchestermill.co.uk/the-lost-boo...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-lost-boo...
The lost books of Central Library: scandal or conspiracy theory?
A quarter of a million volumes were disposed of in circumstances that remain deeply contested. Some former workers accuse the council of a cover up
manchestermill.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 2:01 PM
The library as 'living center for community resources' vs. 'archive of the written word': eternal tension illuminated by @millmedia.bsky.social 's @sophieatkinson.bsky.social
manchestermill.co.uk/the-lost-boo...
manchestermill.co.uk/the-lost-boo...
In 2012, there were rumblings in Manchester that something strange was happening with the Central Library renovation. Staff were alleging there had been a miscalculation in the amount of shelving that had led to the council needing to cut a disproportionate % of books at speed. (1/??)
January 10, 2026 at 2:07 PM
In 2012, there were rumblings in Manchester that something strange was happening with the Central Library renovation. Staff were alleging there had been a miscalculation in the amount of shelving that had led to the council needing to cut a disproportionate % of books at speed. (1/??)
And also wrote about all the North American Liverpools which ended up zeroing in on Liverpool, NY, which is essentially Stars Hollow — and where I had the considerable advantage of consulting a salaried town historian (why can't everywhere have this).
So we sent the indomitable @sophieatkinson.bsky.social to find out, grilling the residents of one particular Liverpool — in New York state — on their lives in the other 'Pool. Enjoy!
www.livpost.co.uk/the-other-li...
www.livpost.co.uk/the-other-li...
The other Liverpool
Our city has left its stamp globally — including its actual name. What's life like for Liverpudlians overseas?
www.livpost.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 12:11 PM
And also wrote about all the North American Liverpools which ended up zeroing in on Liverpool, NY, which is essentially Stars Hollow — and where I had the considerable advantage of consulting a salaried town historian (why can't everywhere have this).
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
like almost everything wrong with this country, this is ultimately downstream of austerity - a library cannot be a library any more, it has to be a meeting room, a cafe, a study area, a chillout zone with beanbags, a public toilet, an event space, because no other free public spaces exist any more.
Really good piece on how with minimal to zero input from experienced librarians, Manchester City Council threw out around a quarter of a million books in a rush during the renovation of Central Library in 2010 by @sophieatkinson.bsky.social for @manchestermill.bsky.social
The lost books of Central Library: scandal or conspiracy theory?
A quarter of a million volumes were disposed of in circumstances that remain deeply contested. Some former workers accuse the council of a cover up
manchestermill.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 10:49 AM
like almost everything wrong with this country, this is ultimately downstream of austerity - a library cannot be a library any more, it has to be a meeting room, a cafe, a study area, a chillout zone with beanbags, a public toilet, an event space, because no other free public spaces exist any more.
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
Really good piece on how with minimal to zero input from experienced librarians, Manchester City Council threw out around a quarter of a million books in a rush during the renovation of Central Library in 2010 by @sophieatkinson.bsky.social for @manchestermill.bsky.social
The lost books of Central Library: scandal or conspiracy theory?
A quarter of a million volumes were disposed of in circumstances that remain deeply contested. Some former workers accuse the council of a cover up
manchestermill.co.uk
January 10, 2026 at 9:32 AM
Really good piece on how with minimal to zero input from experienced librarians, Manchester City Council threw out around a quarter of a million books in a rush during the renovation of Central Library in 2010 by @sophieatkinson.bsky.social for @manchestermill.bsky.social
Manchester’s Central Library was once considered the British Library of the North. Did a miscalculation in shelving lead to it having to chop a huge fraction of its non-fiction collection, and at speed? I spent a year obsessing about a long-lost rumour from the early 2010s tinyurl.com/ynsyvy2t
The lost books of Central Library: scandal or conspiracy theory?
A quarter of a million volumes were disposed of in circumstances that remain deeply contested. Some former workers accuse the council of a cover up
tinyurl.com
January 10, 2026 at 10:36 AM
Manchester’s Central Library was once considered the British Library of the North. Did a miscalculation in shelving lead to it having to chop a huge fraction of its non-fiction collection, and at speed? I spent a year obsessing about a long-lost rumour from the early 2010s tinyurl.com/ynsyvy2t
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
‘I can hear wailing from the funeral and the yelps of the women as they scare the gods with their genitals’.
@sophieatkinson.bsky.social is back on @manchestermill.bsky.social with a brilliant piece about the Marina Abramovic show.
manchestermill.co.uk/in-a-sea-of-...
@sophieatkinson.bsky.social is back on @manchestermill.bsky.social with a brilliant piece about the Marina Abramovic show.
manchestermill.co.uk/in-a-sea-of-...
In a sea of writhing bodies, Marina Abramovic convinced me Aviva Studios makes sense
'I can hear wailing from the funeral and the yelps of the women as they scare the gods with their genitals'
manchestermill.co.uk
October 16, 2025 at 11:31 AM
‘I can hear wailing from the funeral and the yelps of the women as they scare the gods with their genitals’.
@sophieatkinson.bsky.social is back on @manchestermill.bsky.social with a brilliant piece about the Marina Abramovic show.
manchestermill.co.uk/in-a-sea-of-...
@sophieatkinson.bsky.social is back on @manchestermill.bsky.social with a brilliant piece about the Marina Abramovic show.
manchestermill.co.uk/in-a-sea-of-...
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
Labour's new policy - of humiliating trans people by requiring them constantly to self-identify - we believe puts the UK (again) in breach of its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and will seek a declaration of incompatability. goodlaw.social/0r6l
Help us challenge the Supreme Court’s judgment on trans rights | Good Law Project
goodlaw.social
April 25, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Labour's new policy - of humiliating trans people by requiring them constantly to self-identify - we believe puts the UK (again) in breach of its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights and will seek a declaration of incompatability. goodlaw.social/0r6l
are you based in glasgow...or are you elsewhere and do you simply enjoy a perfect Yarn. May i direct you to today's @glasgowbell.bsky.social's look at how beef over fencing in Cathkin Park has escalated to a court battle; a loo civil war and manspreading allegations 💯 shorturl.at/a8KUw
The £30k war over Cathkin Park
Locals say a football charity is mounting a hostile takeover of a Crosshill pitch. What’s the truth?
shorturl.at
March 20, 2025 at 11:25 AM
are you based in glasgow...or are you elsewhere and do you simply enjoy a perfect Yarn. May i direct you to today's @glasgowbell.bsky.social's look at how beef over fencing in Cathkin Park has escalated to a court battle; a loo civil war and manspreading allegations 💯 shorturl.at/a8KUw
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
A few images from outside the federal courthouse in downtown Manhattan, where a rally in support Mahmoud Khalil took place in Foley Square.
Captions in the alt-text.
Captions in the alt-text.
March 12, 2025 at 5:46 PM
A few images from outside the federal courthouse in downtown Manhattan, where a rally in support Mahmoud Khalil took place in Foley Square.
Captions in the alt-text.
Captions in the alt-text.
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
"Saying to clients: 'yes, it’s fine to consume as much material as your gloriously Instagrammable open plan kitchen requires' while doing nothing to make the house less consumptive, felt fraudulent": we spoke to architects here about why retrofitting needs to happen NOW. 🧵
March 13, 2025 at 3:33 PM
"Saying to clients: 'yes, it’s fine to consume as much material as your gloriously Instagrammable open plan kitchen requires' while doing nothing to make the house less consumptive, felt fraudulent": we spoke to architects here about why retrofitting needs to happen NOW. 🧵
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
For inspiration for your own home and a rare bit of positive news about the climate crisis, check out the full piece by @sophieatkinson.bsky.social below 🏚️>🏠 manchestermill.co.uk/could-this-b...
Could this be the future of housing in Manchester?
Forget damp, forget sky-high energy bills. Let’s retrofit
manchestermill.co.uk
March 13, 2025 at 3:36 PM
For inspiration for your own home and a rare bit of positive news about the climate crisis, check out the full piece by @sophieatkinson.bsky.social below 🏚️>🏠 manchestermill.co.uk/could-this-b...
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
Israel cuts off humanitarian supplies to Gaza as it seeks to change ceasefire deal
Israel cuts off humanitarian supplies to Gaza as it seeks to change ceasefire deal
Netanyahu’s office says it is imposing blockade as Hamas will not accept plan that Israel says US envoy put forward
Israel has cut off humanitarian supplies to Gaza in an effort to pressure Hamas into accepting a change in the ceasefire agreement to…
www.theguardian.com
March 2, 2025 at 9:22 AM
Israel cuts off humanitarian supplies to Gaza as it seeks to change ceasefire deal
rave review from the only critic i care about, my boyfriend
Excellent article on Manchester Art Gallery's mind-boggling teapot exhibition (running for 6 years! longer than The Smiths) and how it is reflective of the failures of Manchester's current arts landscape manchestermill.co.uk/why-has-manc...
Why has Manchester Art Gallery housed an exhibition on teapots for half a decade?
‘So this is…the temporary collection?’
manchestermill.co.uk
January 22, 2025 at 1:31 PM
rave review from the only critic i care about, my boyfriend
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
You may not be shocked to learn that Elon Musk has egregiously misled the world about the Oldham grooming story. I've been reporting on it for years and so much of the noise traces back to one bad faith rabble rouser called Raja Miah. This is the real story.
manchestermill.co.uk/p/elon-musk-...
manchestermill.co.uk/p/elon-musk-...
Elon Musk thinks there is a hidden grooming scandal in Oldham. Why can’t the police find it?
This week’s controversy can be traced back to a vicious online campaign that has terrified politicians – but struggled to substantiate its claims
manchestermill.co.uk
January 11, 2025 at 8:33 AM
You may not be shocked to learn that Elon Musk has egregiously misled the world about the Oldham grooming story. I've been reporting on it for years and so much of the noise traces back to one bad faith rabble rouser called Raja Miah. This is the real story.
manchestermill.co.uk/p/elon-musk-...
manchestermill.co.uk/p/elon-musk-...
They wore spandex. They did a workout routine on camera. They smashed their fundraising target by 100 x - but who were their uniquely generous donors?
@jackdulhanty.bsky.social on the jazzercise fundraising miracle of 2020 is unmissable. shorturl.at/KKcUR
@jackdulhanty.bsky.social on the jazzercise fundraising miracle of 2020 is unmissable. shorturl.at/KKcUR
Manchester planning director’s jazzercise for charity raised £50k — from developers
One had filed an application for a controversial tower just before
shorturl.at
January 9, 2025 at 2:47 PM
They wore spandex. They did a workout routine on camera. They smashed their fundraising target by 100 x - but who were their uniquely generous donors?
@jackdulhanty.bsky.social on the jazzercise fundraising miracle of 2020 is unmissable. shorturl.at/KKcUR
@jackdulhanty.bsky.social on the jazzercise fundraising miracle of 2020 is unmissable. shorturl.at/KKcUR
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
"The question is not one of whether women were involved in the label’s success, but rather why it’s taken just under half a century for their involvement to be recognised."
@ophiraophira.bsky.social on the forgotten women of Factory, for today's weekend read.
manchestermill.co.uk/p/she-helped...
@ophiraophira.bsky.social on the forgotten women of Factory, for today's weekend read.
manchestermill.co.uk/p/she-helped...
She helped build Factory Records from the ground up. So how did Lindsay Reade get cut out of the story?
‘What is this with all these men? You know? What about me?’
manchestermill.co.uk
January 4, 2025 at 10:30 AM
"The question is not one of whether women were involved in the label’s success, but rather why it’s taken just under half a century for their involvement to be recognised."
@ophiraophira.bsky.social on the forgotten women of Factory, for today's weekend read.
manchestermill.co.uk/p/she-helped...
@ophiraophira.bsky.social on the forgotten women of Factory, for today's weekend read.
manchestermill.co.uk/p/she-helped...
I wrote a jampacked cultural edition (ft. some personal musings), where I reviewed the Hockney show at Aviva Studios, the xmas musical at the Royal Exchange — plus whether it might finally be possible to shed some light on the alleged binnings of books at Central Library. tinyurl.com/2p97z4mc
The Central Library mystery, the David Hockney show and the joy of free ping pong
An editor's edition from Sophie
tinyurl.com
December 18, 2024 at 10:26 AM
I wrote a jampacked cultural edition (ft. some personal musings), where I reviewed the Hockney show at Aviva Studios, the xmas musical at the Royal Exchange — plus whether it might finally be possible to shed some light on the alleged binnings of books at Central Library. tinyurl.com/2p97z4mc
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
Not even 48 hours since the Assad regime fell in Syria.
All the doors of the Assad regime’s human slaughterhouse haven’t yet been opened, & fortress Europe (inc the UK) is already closing theirs to Syrians in dehumanising, racist moves. Plans to deport them in Austria.
Hostility to refugees part of our social fabric.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Hostility to refugees part of our social fabric.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
December 9, 2024 at 8:46 PM
Not even 48 hours since the Assad regime fell in Syria.
Reposted by Sophie Atkinson
Another Labour MP landlord story - this one's just evicted a homeless mother of two. Exclusive from @londonermag.bsky.social. Please share 🙏
www.the-londoner.co.uk/labour-bayo-...
www.the-londoner.co.uk/labour-bayo-...
Exclusive: How a Labour MP evicted a homeless mother of two
"I don't even know what is going to happen to me. They could move me to Birmingham."
www.the-londoner.co.uk
November 22, 2024 at 3:21 PM
Another Labour MP landlord story - this one's just evicted a homeless mother of two. Exclusive from @londonermag.bsky.social. Please share 🙏
www.the-londoner.co.uk/labour-bayo-...
www.the-londoner.co.uk/labour-bayo-...
something i feel v intense about but not sufficiently to pitch a long read on is how the Sex and the City BOOK (pre-dated the tv show!) is one of the most underrated non-fiction collections of the 00s...feeling vindicated by bullying a friend into reading it and getting this text
November 21, 2024 at 1:45 PM
something i feel v intense about but not sufficiently to pitch a long read on is how the Sex and the City BOOK (pre-dated the tv show!) is one of the most underrated non-fiction collections of the 00s...feeling vindicated by bullying a friend into reading it and getting this text
real anti-brrr sentiment on social media this week despite existence of big jumpers, candles, making a different soup each week (neck-deep into my 30s how did you guess)
November 20, 2024 at 10:26 AM
real anti-brrr sentiment on social media this week despite existence of big jumpers, candles, making a different soup each week (neck-deep into my 30s how did you guess)