Oli Franklin-Wallis
@olifranklinwallis.bsky.social
Writer, features director @ British GQ, author of Wasteland: The Dirty Truth About What We Throw Away, Where It Goes, And Why It Matters
Reposted by Oli Franklin-Wallis
South Korea's exports to tiny Kyrgyzstan just reached half a billion Dollars in one month. This stuff is obviously not headed to Kyrgyzstan but is going to Russia. The West is guilty of a collective failure on Ukraine: chasing short term profits instead of shutting down autocrats. We must do better.
November 2, 2025 at 1:21 PM
South Korea's exports to tiny Kyrgyzstan just reached half a billion Dollars in one month. This stuff is obviously not headed to Kyrgyzstan but is going to Russia. The West is guilty of a collective failure on Ukraine: chasing short term profits instead of shutting down autocrats. We must do better.
Reposted by Oli Franklin-Wallis
I wrote this, about the worst thing that ever happened to me, and now I chose to deal with it www.theguardian.com/money/2025/n...
Even when unthinkable things were happening to me, my first instinct was to work. Am I addicted?
It was only years later, when I heard the word workaholic being used seriously for the first time, that I wondered whether I had a problem
www.theguardian.com
November 2, 2025 at 10:25 AM
I wrote this, about the worst thing that ever happened to me, and now I chose to deal with it www.theguardian.com/money/2025/n...
Wrote about imagination, memory, and the time medication caused me to stop dreaming. open.substack.com/pub/oliverfr...
What happens when you can't imagine anything
If I say, 'picture an apple', can you do it? If you can't, you may have aphantasia. Some very personal thoughts on the New Yorker's latest story.
open.substack.com
October 30, 2025 at 9:37 AM
Wrote about imagination, memory, and the time medication caused me to stop dreaming. open.substack.com/pub/oliverfr...
Substack being down is presumably going to mean a massive surge in Bluesky traffic for the first time in years.
October 20, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Substack being down is presumably going to mean a massive surge in Bluesky traffic for the first time in years.
Reposted by Oli Franklin-Wallis
The joy of print newspapers, according to @chrislhayes.bsky.social
(the FT Weekend is even better, obviously)
(the FT Weekend is even better, obviously)
October 19, 2025 at 10:19 AM
The joy of print newspapers, according to @chrislhayes.bsky.social
(the FT Weekend is even better, obviously)
(the FT Weekend is even better, obviously)
Rare case of someone who should lose their job because of AI
kids teacher just sent this home as part of an assignment he's doing and i want to smash every computer at the school
October 15, 2025 at 9:17 AM
Rare case of someone who should lose their job because of AI
Reposted by Oli Franklin-Wallis
Every one of these "If only it were possible to..." plugs for AI is animated by an incredibly deep resentment of either talent or authorship.
Despite early, and familiar, copyright growing pains, Sora may be the prelude to AI-generated on-demand TV and movies
Want to See Marilyn Monroe in Game of Thrones? AI Could Make It Soon
Despite early, and familiar, copyright growing pains, Sora may be the prelude to AI-generated on-demand TV and movies
www.scientificamerican.com
October 15, 2025 at 4:35 AM
Every one of these "If only it were possible to..." plugs for AI is animated by an incredibly deep resentment of either talent or authorship.
Reposted by Oli Franklin-Wallis
Does anyone use solid shampoo and/or conditioner?
I’ve been trying them out and would appreciate more recommendations.
(So far Grom or Hair Blocks are winning, but I’m not 100% won round yet.)
I’ve been trying them out and would appreciate more recommendations.
(So far Grom or Hair Blocks are winning, but I’m not 100% won round yet.)
October 12, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Does anyone use solid shampoo and/or conditioner?
I’ve been trying them out and would appreciate more recommendations.
(So far Grom or Hair Blocks are winning, but I’m not 100% won round yet.)
I’ve been trying them out and would appreciate more recommendations.
(So far Grom or Hair Blocks are winning, but I’m not 100% won round yet.)
Reposted by Oli Franklin-Wallis
As for this - in other words the government would rather we offshore our operations instead of generating jobs and exports in a high productivity sector in the UK. I despair...
October 8, 2025 at 6:29 AM
As for this - in other words the government would rather we offshore our operations instead of generating jobs and exports in a high productivity sector in the UK. I despair...
This is the best magazine profile I've read in - oh, I don't know how long. Makes you nostalgic. Even if you don't care a jot about Ken Burns or his films (I've never even seen one), find some time for this. www.gq.com/story/ken-bu...
Ken Burns Loves America—and You Can, Too
Ken Burns’s obsession with this country can be felt in all 234 hours of his roughly 40 films—including his latest mega-doc, The American Revolution. At a moment when we are once again arguing about th...
www.gq.com
October 8, 2025 at 8:07 AM
This is the best magazine profile I've read in - oh, I don't know how long. Makes you nostalgic. Even if you don't care a jot about Ken Burns or his films (I've never even seen one), find some time for this. www.gq.com/story/ken-bu...
This is just another masterful piece of writing by @tomlamont.bsky.social. Fascinating, entertaining, poetic, human. www.theguardian.com/news/2025/se...
The human stain remover: what Britain’s greatest extreme cleaner learned from 25 years on the job | Tom Lamont
From murder scenes to whale blubber, Ben Giles has seen it – and cleaned it – all. In their stickiest hours, people rely on him to restore order
www.theguardian.com
September 24, 2025 at 8:29 AM
This is just another masterful piece of writing by @tomlamont.bsky.social. Fascinating, entertaining, poetic, human. www.theguardian.com/news/2025/se...
Reposted by Oli Franklin-Wallis
Finished reading Wasteland by @olifranklinwallis.bsky.social.
It’s excellently researched, beautifully written and very informative. It’s taken me a while because at times the topic was as bleak as you’d expect, but I am so glad I read it.
I feel better able to make my own small difference.
It’s excellently researched, beautifully written and very informative. It’s taken me a while because at times the topic was as bleak as you’d expect, but I am so glad I read it.
I feel better able to make my own small difference.
September 19, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Finished reading Wasteland by @olifranklinwallis.bsky.social.
It’s excellently researched, beautifully written and very informative. It’s taken me a while because at times the topic was as bleak as you’d expect, but I am so glad I read it.
I feel better able to make my own small difference.
It’s excellently researched, beautifully written and very informative. It’s taken me a while because at times the topic was as bleak as you’d expect, but I am so glad I read it.
I feel better able to make my own small difference.
Reposted by Oli Franklin-Wallis
An @nytimes investigation finds staggering levels of insider dealing: The Trump administration confers benefits on the UAE (despite security concerns) as the UAE confers riches on the Trump family. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...
Anatomy of Two Giant Deals: The U.A.E. Got Chips. The Trump Team Got Crypto Riches.
www.nytimes.com
September 15, 2025 at 8:03 PM
An @nytimes investigation finds staggering levels of insider dealing: The Trump administration confers benefits on the UAE (despite security concerns) as the UAE confers riches on the Trump family. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/15/u...
Reposted by Oli Franklin-Wallis
It’s not enough. They should pay the $150k fine per book.
Anthropic Agrees to Pay $1.5 Billion to Settle Lawsuit With Book Authors
www.nytimes.com
September 6, 2025 at 12:43 PM
It’s not enough. They should pay the $150k fine per book.
Starmer should now appoint Reeves as Deputy PM, use her change of position to renegotiate the fiscal rules, suck up six months of shit press for it, and actually start doing some policy rather than this ming vase government.
September 5, 2025 at 11:10 AM
Starmer should now appoint Reeves as Deputy PM, use her change of position to renegotiate the fiscal rules, suck up six months of shit press for it, and actually start doing some policy rather than this ming vase government.
The timing of this is objectively quite funny.
September 5, 2025 at 11:05 AM
The timing of this is objectively quite funny.
Having a fact-checking team is perhaps my favourite part about working at @gqmagazine.bsky.social, and this piece about the @newyorker.com's infamous fact-checking department captures some of the joys of the process. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
The History of The New Yorker’s Vaunted Fact-Checking Department
Reporters engage in charm and betrayal; checkers are in the harm-reduction business.
www.newyorker.com
September 4, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Having a fact-checking team is perhaps my favourite part about working at @gqmagazine.bsky.social, and this piece about the @newyorker.com's infamous fact-checking department captures some of the joys of the process. www.newyorker.com/magazine/202...
This is an insane caper (emailing Mi5 from the Apple Store! A fake bomb hoax! Dead-drops in poo bags!). Make time to read it.
When Daniel Khalife, a British soldier accused of spying for Iran, escaped from Wandsworth Prison, he became a social media celebrity... Was he a threat to national security? Or just a mixed up kid?
My latest for GQ, a story of angst and espionage...
www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/dani...
My latest for GQ, a story of angst and espionage...
www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/dani...
Daniel Khalife: Fugitive, Traitor? Soldier, Spy
When Daniel Khalife, a British soldier accused of spying for Iran, escaped from Wandsworth Prison, he became a social media celebrity. But the wild true story of his arrest, escape and recapture revea...
www.gq-magazine.co.uk
September 4, 2025 at 1:21 PM
This is an insane caper (emailing Mi5 from the Apple Store! A fake bomb hoax! Dead-drops in poo bags!). Make time to read it.
The plastics treaty has failed again. The petrostates are using waste and recycling as a distraction - it will allow them to keep producing in perpetuity. Hard to feel hopeful when the lobby has America’s backing.
August 15, 2025 at 6:33 AM
The plastics treaty has failed again. The petrostates are using waste and recycling as a distraction - it will allow them to keep producing in perpetuity. Hard to feel hopeful when the lobby has America’s backing.
Reposted by Oli Franklin-Wallis
Armed Trump administration agents wearing masks just showed up outside of Gavin Newsom’s press conference.
This is what rising fascism looks like.
This is what rising fascism looks like.
August 14, 2025 at 6:42 PM
Armed Trump administration agents wearing masks just showed up outside of Gavin Newsom’s press conference.
This is what rising fascism looks like.
This is what rising fascism looks like.
Reposted by Oli Franklin-Wallis
This is a nightmare
A cognitively impaired New Jersey man grew infatuated with a Meta chatbot originally created in partnership with celebrity influencer Kendall Jenner. His fatal attraction shines a light on Meta's guidelines for its AI chatbots reut.rs/45DQIRj
@jeffhorwitz.bsky.social
@jeffhorwitz.bsky.social
August 14, 2025 at 12:38 PM
This is a nightmare
I posted about not posting. (Or: ‘why being offline as a creative is career suicide’) open.substack.com/pub/oliverfr...
The problem with not posting
I’ve not really posted much lately.
open.substack.com
August 14, 2025 at 6:31 AM
I posted about not posting. (Or: ‘why being offline as a creative is career suicide’) open.substack.com/pub/oliverfr...
Reposted by Oli Franklin-Wallis
"This is a high-stakes moment for anyone invested in what plastics might be doing to our health." Read @olifranklinwallis.bsky.social's latest for us! nytimes.com/2025/08/07/o...
Opinion | Two Words: Plastics Treaty
Even if the jury on microplastics is still out, there is enough evidence of the harmful effects of chemical additives in plastics for the U.N. to act now.
nytimes.com
August 7, 2025 at 3:00 PM
"This is a high-stakes moment for anyone invested in what plastics might be doing to our health." Read @olifranklinwallis.bsky.social's latest for us! nytimes.com/2025/08/07/o...
We don’t know exactly what plastics are doing to us. But the evidence is bad enough for us to act now. My essay for @nytopinion.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/o...
Opinion | Two Words: Plastics Treaty
www.nytimes.com
August 7, 2025 at 12:57 PM
We don’t know exactly what plastics are doing to us. But the evidence is bad enough for us to act now. My essay for @nytopinion.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2025/08/07/o...