Karen McCarthy Woolf
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karenmccarthywoolf.bsky.social
Karen McCarthy Woolf
@karenmccarthywoolf.bsky.social
Poet. Novelist. Essays. Nature geek & speaker addict. Author Top Doll 2024. TS Eliot Prize Shortlist. Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholar UCLA. FRSL. Teaches at Goldsmiths. Faber Academy. 🎶🐿️ 🪐
Pinned
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
December 3, 2024 at 11:42 PM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
Huge congratulations to Dr Karen McCarthy Woolf @karenmccarthywoolf.bsky.social, Associate Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, who has been awarded a Cholmondeley Award for her contribution to poetry.
societyofauthors.org/prizes/the-s...
Cholmondeley Awards - The Society of Authors
Recognising the achievement and distinction of individual poets
societyofauthors.org
July 9, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
Today the latest 'Callaloo' landed ‘New Dimensions: Black British Literatures and Creative Communities’ A special Issue edited and curated beautifully by @jallenpaisant.bsky.social & @karenmccarthywoolf.bsky.social - I have one of my grotesque horror short stories ‘Rapier’ included here! Thank you!
July 16, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
Thrilled to have ‘Self-Portrait with Fire Ants’ in this special anthology Nature Matters edited by @monaarshiwrites.bsky.social & @karenmccarthywoolf.bsky.social a go-to text for teaching. Published by @faberbooks.bsky.social My poem is from my 2nd collection The Zoo Father @serenbooks.bsky.social
August 9, 2025 at 6:48 AM
Huge congratulations to Dr Karen McCarthy Woolf @karenmccarthywoolf.bsky.social, Associate Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, who has been awarded a Cholmondeley Award for her contribution to poetry.
societyofauthors.org/prizes/the-s...
Cholmondeley Awards - The Society of Authors
Recognising the achievement and distinction of individual poets
societyofauthors.org
July 12, 2025 at 1:41 PM
My work has been pirated along w countless others— a @societyofauthors.bsky.social guide on what you can do…
I’m going to do all the things this thoughtful guide recommends. Because my work has been stolen. It’s just amazing that I can’t simply go to the police. My books have been stolen - I wasn’t paid, it’s a simple crime and should have a simple remedy.
We are disappointed but not surprised that Meta has used millions of pirated books to develop its AI systems.

As a matter of urgency, Meta needs to compensate the rightsholders of all the works it has been exploiting.

But what can authors do? Read here:
societyofauthors.org/2025/03/21/t...
March 22, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
This World Poetry Day, introducing Nature Matters: Vital Poems from the Global Majority, a new gathering of African, Asian and Caribbean diaspora voices on nature.

Edited by Mona Arshi and @karenmccarthywoolf.bsky.social , Nature Matters is out in May 2025 and available to pre-order now.
March 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
I’m thrilled to have work in this new anthology edited Mona Arshi and @karenmccarthywoolf.bsky.social
This World Poetry Day, introducing Nature Matters: Vital Poems from the Global Majority, a new gathering of African, Asian and Caribbean diaspora voices on nature.

Edited by Mona Arshi and @karenmccarthywoolf.bsky.social , Nature Matters is out in May 2025 and available to pre-order now.
March 21, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
Hungary bans Pride, mandates $540 fines for attendees. Will use facial recognition to ID people
🇪🇺🚫🏳️‍🌈Hungary just became the first EU country to ban Pride events in Viktor Orbán's latest anti-LGBTQ crackdown, allowing authorities to use facial recognition to identify and punish disobedient attendees.

Liberal opposition MPs (Momentum party) protested inside parliament by using smoke grenades.
March 18, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Top Doll signing after my @poetrylondon.bsky.social reading at StAnza w @paulfarley.bsky.social & Janette Achariya 💗
March 16, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
Fascism is here.

The list of words Trump is banning from government is the most stunning document of our time. Click the image below to see how many words Trump and Musk have canceled as part of their new Reich.

🔗: www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
March 10, 2025 at 12:22 AM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
Looking forward to this! Poet Michael Symmons Roberts explores composer Olivier #Messiaen's obsession with birdsong in this imaginative sonic trip 8pm Sun 23rd Feb @BBCRadio3 or catch up @BBCSounds Producer @nadiamolinari.bsky.social #classicalmusic #audiodrama
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...
BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3, Messiaen and the Birds
Poet Michael Symmons Roberts explores composer Olivier Messiaen's obsession with birdsong.
www.bbc.co.uk
February 23, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
I had moments of sadness this week. I spoke at a press freedom conference about the corporate capture of the Observer. This is one of my last pieces. I'll miss my brilliant colleagues. But I'm rebuilding from the ground up, truly independent media. Please join me 🙏

broligarchy.substack.com
March 9, 2025 at 9:20 AM
Dates for Top Doll out & about this Spring 🌼
February 22, 2025 at 8:11 PM
February 22, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Reading w @ellafrears.bsky.social & others at @sohopolypoetry on 7 March. Come thru!!! 🎶✨🎶
February 19, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
They tried to cancel John Crace from covering the right-wing jamboree at ExCel but no one can stop him filing copy this good

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
February 18, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
USS: *chef’s kiss*
Thames Water released raw sewage into a chalk stream for more than 1,000 hours over the past 6 weeks.

Execs will get a bonus. The company wants to pay higher dividends, record hike in customer prices.

Regulators do nothing. Govt can end the scam by nationalisation, but won't.
archive.ph/k7b60
Thames Water pumps sewage into chalk stream for 1,000 hours
Pollution has created a ‘coating of brown sewage sludge’ on the River Ver
www.telegraph.co.uk
January 28, 2025 at 9:33 AM
Am interviewing poetic mythmaker @nickmakoha at the @goldsmithsenglish.bsky.social Goldsmiths Writers Centre on 26 February — also big up @richardscott whose crystal poems glint in the light!
On the other hand, still good things to get excited about.
January 27, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
Are Bloomsbury standing up to Amazon’s ridiculous demands??? Huge if so. Anyone know the inside gossip?
Amazon UK has said that it will cease selling Bloomsbury’s print and e-books from midnight on 23rd January, saying negotiations between the giant retailer and the publisher had broken down 👇 #BookSky
www.thebookseller.com/news/amazon-...
Amazon UK to stop selling Bloomsbury's books
Amazon UK has said that it will cease selling Bloomsbury’s print and e-books from midnight on 23rd January.
www.thebookseller.com
January 23, 2025 at 6:54 PM
No more Bloomsbury books available on Amazon 👀👀
Many years ago when I was an editor I went to my boss and asked why we were allowing ourselves to become so reliant on Amazon...I suggested that publishers could mutually invest in a central bookselling website where orders were sent direct to relevant hubs and the amount we'd save because...
January 23, 2025 at 10:48 PM
Reposted by Karen McCarthy Woolf
The great Michael Longely has died. We have lost a poet of immense stature. This recent BBC doc will give you a flavour of how he made made words sing: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...
Michael Longley - Where Poems Come From
A film profile of Belfast poet Michael Longley, offering insights into his work, friendships, working process, the places that have inspired him and his relationship with the natural world.
www.bbc.co.uk
January 23, 2025 at 2:28 PM