Ged Yates

Much as we love bookshops, they need more than love to keep going. A bookshop can be the centre of a whole community. Bookshops support authors; organize events. A thriving bookshop teaches the next generation that literacy matters. So don't just love your bookshop: actually buy books there.

If you see this, quote the energy you bring to Bluesky.

It should be obligatory when publishing these annual rich lists to state how many households have also fallen into relative poverty that year. You know, for context. #richlist2026 #eattherich

Think I’ll give up caring for Lent.

We all have days when we feel like a squashed chocolate ice cream capybara…

Ratcliffe is the perfect example as to why we should abolish the honours system. He’s done nothing for the country he milks his profits from - in fact, he wants to pollute it with fracking - and he thinks poor people and foreigners are to blame for society’s problems, not billionaires like him.

To Kajagoogoo first you must Thinklikeagoogoo.

Mine are mostly controlled by the Sprout, Stout, Cabbage and Leek, but I prefer the Haudenosaunee folklore…

‘The past is another country. They go to work on an egg there.’

This is so completely on the nose it makes your eyes water. I have no idea what Keir Starmer thinks of the arts and culture (and the ‘creative industries’ if you want to make it all about the economy) but the actions of his government would indicate it’s absolutely fuck all.

Madge will return in AVENGERS: DOOMSDAY.

Just watched a clip of the ever excellent Prof. Hannah Fry talking about octopuses born in space that couldn’t cope with gravity when they were brought to earth. Why would anyone do that? As if the planet isn’t in enough trouble already, we’re now creating angry space octopuses. Madness.

New Year’s Resolutions: 1. Read more. 2. Drink more. That ought to do it.

Think I’ll just go back to bed.

If the Arts were funded to the same extent as all this AI bollocks, then the world would be a much happier, more fulfilling place. But my dead gran disagrees so what do I know?

I’m going to be going ‘round shouting, "OOMPHOBE! LOOMPHOBE!" all day now.

It would be nice to think that today’s #budget might include some gesture of support for the arts, given how much the creative industries contribute to the UK economy, but I suspect if there’s anything offered it will be handouts to tech companies to keep ripping off artists, musicians and authors.

Government could start by not going out of its way to screw the entire knowledge work sector. Just spitballing here. Maybe back your creatives when they say they've been ripped off by huge tech firms instead of finding ways to give our work to megacorps free of charge? I dunno man it's a MYSTERY...

This is as good a description of the unnecessary AI assault on the creative industries as you’re ever likely to get…

Never eat anything that is blue or larger than your head.

So sad to hear of the death of Brian Patten. I love his poetry and loved seeing him perform it. ‘Armada’ is a great collection. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Is it a universal law that all charity shops must have at least one David Gray CD on their shelves at all times?

Gotta love the Liverpool #biennial2025

Maxim for the day: People earn respect, not positions. I'm not sure what made me think of that. All I've done this morning is deal with lawyers. #thoughtfortheday #kafkaesque #Ichosethewrongcareer

‘If at first you don’t succeed, tri, tricycle again…’

The first goosegog, awash with the morning sun.

If Ray Bradbury had been writing Fahrenheit 451 today there would be no shock value in book burning. He'd have had to burn the authors, and the government sanction only AI produced works for the parlor walls. On the bright side, the mechanical hounds would be made by Tesla and keep exploding.

I love all of David Lynch’s work and, for me, one of the best things about it is not knowing what it means. In life and art, we can never truly know what it means. Plus, the inside of my head feels like the Black Lodge.