James McConnachie
Writer. Reviews non-fiction for the Sunday Times, edits The Author magazine. Books about the Kamasutra, Conspiracy Theories, Nepal and, next, a Himalayan mountain. Books, singing, wildlife, languages, running...
- Reposted by James McConnachieLast week we co-launched Brave New World? alongside other creator organisations. This groundbreaking new report reveals the stark impact of GenAI on creators’ livelihoods.
- I wonder how other authors and critics have solved the 'reading becoming a chore' problem. Like Sathnam S, I turn to fiction for pleasure. But if you're a novelist...?
- My guide to getting over reading block in @thetimes.com www.thetimes.com/article/12c0...
- "Sometimes you even find yourself on stage, in front of actual audiences, with actual chairs who have barely skimmed the book they are being paid to discuss."
- My guide to getting over reading block in @thetimes.com www.thetimes.com/article/12c0...
- So much self-deprecation he could almost be English. "How a major national newspaper will carry on without someone on staff to summarize the plots of midlist literary novels is beyond me."
- Reposted by James McConnachieAuthors, join SoA Fellow Sarah McIntyre and create your own reel to show the creator behind the book. Use the #JusticeForCreators and #TheWriterBehindTheWords and tag us to show your support.
- Reposted by James McConnachieThe guy who owns Amazon shutting down the books section of the Washington Post is beyond parody
- "For this open call out, Embla will be trialling the use of Storywise – an AI platfrom connecting writers to publishers – to support in the administration side of handling open submissions. All submissions will then be reviewed by Embla’s editorial team."
- Embla Books, the digital-first imprint of Bonnier Books UK, is opening its submissions for the first time, accepting fiction manuscripts directly from unagented authors 👇 #BookSky
- Reposted by James McConnachieI should point out that not all the poems in my book are this rude
- Reposted by James McConnachieJoin us online to launch 'Dirt Rich' by Graeme Richardson on Tuesday 3 February at 7pm BST! 💻📖 The event will be hosted by Jermey Noel-Tod and will feature reading and discussion, alongside time for audience questions. More information and tickets here:🎟️ www.carcanet.co.uk/events/dirt-...
- Good advice too: 'The ratio of reading poems to writing one should be about 50:1.'
- 'I started as the poetry critic for The Sunday Times in January 2022. “Your main qualification,” the books editor said, offering me the role, “is that you have no friends.” Reviewing poetry for four years, I’ve even fewer friends now.' Love this opener from @ravoon.bsky.social.
- His collection is out now: www.carcanet.co.uk/978180017534...
- 'I started as the poetry critic for The Sunday Times in January 2022. “Your main qualification,” the books editor said, offering me the role, “is that you have no friends.” Reviewing poetry for four years, I’ve even fewer friends now.' Love this opener from @ravoon.bsky.social.
- "writing books for many is not financially rewarding and often pursued to establish a brand to allow writers to make money from something else. The question then becomes: what is that thing?"
- “I didn’t have rich parents, a childhood bedroom to return to or an infatuated billionaire intent on marrying me. Either writing had to make me money or I couldn’t do it. “ I wrote about making a living from writing in the new economy. substack.com/home/post/p-...
- I suggested that misogyny might be a factor behind the violence of the Salt Path backlash, for the Sunday Times. It was a passing point. An extraordinary number of (male) readers are taking issue with it. www.thetimes.com/culture/book...
- Oh, Penguin
- 'the UK creative industries — which contributed £125 billion to the economy in 2024 and supported 2.4 million jobs — are being destroyed by an AI sector that... contributed just £11 billion in the same year and supported only 85,000 jobs." www.thetimes.com/culture/film...
- If you're a creative and you want government lobbied, consider joining one of the orgs behind this: @ism-music.bsky.social, @equityuk.bsky.social, @societyofauthors.bsky.social, and Association of Illustrators and @assocphoto.bsky.social
- 'the UK creative industries — which contributed £125 billion to the economy in 2024 and supported 2.4 million jobs — are being destroyed by an AI sector that... contributed just £11 billion in the same year and supported only 85,000 jobs." www.thetimes.com/culture/film...
- Lisa Nandy seems to get it. More than most of than the 10 ministers who've sat in the post since, say, John Whittingdale in 2015. And 17 Secretaries of State since Jowell's stint ended in 2007!
- To those Times readers commenting 'luddites!' and 'get on your bike!', I'd just say - so was it a good thing that the UK destroyed its manufacturing industries? And do you like reading, music or good telly?
- 'the UK creative industries — which contributed £125 billion to the economy in 2024 and supported 2.4 million jobs — are being destroyed by an AI sector that... contributed just £11 billion in the same year and supported only 85,000 jobs." www.thetimes.com/culture/film...
- Reposted by James McConnachieAnd every time you use ChatGPT, an artist dies a little.
- 'the UK creative industries — which contributed £125 billion to the economy in 2024 and supported 2.4 million jobs — are being destroyed by an AI sector that... contributed just £11 billion in the same year and supported only 85,000 jobs." www.thetimes.com/culture/film...
- 'the UK creative industries — which contributed £125 billion to the economy in 2024 and supported 2.4 million jobs — are being destroyed by an AI sector that... contributed just £11 billion in the same year and supported only 85,000 jobs." www.thetimes.com/culture/film...
- Chapter title of the decade?
- I reviewed John Yorke's latest for the Sunday Times. I did not like it: "as if Robert McKee’s classic screenwriting manual, Story, had been infected with the grandiose and reductive spirit of the world-history guru Yuval Noah Harari." www.thetimes.com/culture/book...
- Oh yeah and this: 'It doesn’t help that on the same page there is a howler. Beowulf is not “Danes v Grunewald”. The foundational villain of English literature, as anyone writing about literature should know, was Grendel. And in any case the bigger baddie was Grendel’s mum.'
- am I right in thinking that 'however' in a new sentence should contrast/quarrel with the main verb, specifically, of the previous one?
- The expression 'hit bedrock'. What does it mean? Is it finally reaching a stable platform for, say, pilings (positive) or arriving at a depth that becomes impossible to further excavate/mine (negative). It feels different to 'hit rock bottom'.
- This, I would suggest, is a golden ticket.
- The most relaxing / demanding writing retreat in Italy is in its 5th year! Umbrian cuisine, fine wine, yoga, pool, table tennis... Now taking bookings for October. AV won’t be with us this year, but we’re delighted to add @poetclare.bsky.social into the tutor triangle! villapia.com/a-haven-for-...
