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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell
@sflayzell.bsky.social
2K followers 1.4K following 540 posts
I write queer stories & edit books sometimes https://sflayzell.com/

Buy Cottonopolis, a MG set in 1840s Manchester, shortlisted for Little Rebels https://sflayzell.com/cottonopolis/

Views mine, contact via website
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sflayzell.bsky.social
SF Layzell @sflayzell.bsky.social · Oct 11
Happy Bookshop Day! Last week I visited my book Cottonopolis at radical booksellers Housmans nr Kings Cross London. If only I could stretch big enough to hug the whole shop.

If you're after a historical LGBTQ novel for readers young and old, find it here ❤️🏳️‍🌈
housmans.com/product/cott...
Image shows the front window of a small but perfectly formed bookshop. There is a book trolley in the foreground, and behind the book trolley is a smiling person in a blue coat, stretching their arms wide to showcase the window display.
Reposted by SF Layzell
jenbowden12.bsky.social
'To be a writer, all you need to do is write.'

Experimental writer, scientist and creative writing mentor @taniahershman.bsky.social is on Northern Voices today talking about blending science, creativity and genre, plus much more.

on.soundcloud.com/zET3rRUVdz6Q...
A greyscale photo of Tania leaning against a brick wall. Only her head and shoulders are visible and she has cropped dark hair. She is wearing a dark top and slightly lighter cardigan, and she is smiling at the camera. The Tyne Bridge is pictured in the centre of the frame over a still, reflective River Tyne in Newcastle, UK. Either side of the bridge are buildings with a warmer glow as the sun rises. The words Northern Voices in white lettering feature in the bottom centre of the image.
February 19, 2026 at 9:43 AM
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bigbeardybooks.bsky.social
Let's hear from you writers, tell us a little bit about yourself, what projects you've on the go, what you've written, any events in the near future, or just drop your bio and links and follow and support each other

#WritersLiftWednesday #Writers #Authors #WritersLift #BookSky 💙📚

alt text please
A sketch of a small pile of books with the words “Meet the Author” superimposed
February 18, 2026 at 7:38 AM
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dieworkwear.bsky.social
some of you are looksmaxxing when you need to be booksmaxxing
February 18, 2026 at 7:41 PM
sflayzell.bsky.social
Time to squeeze a fresh lemon on my #ShroveTuesday poem, 'pancake day in district 12', alternatively titled 'katniss and peeta get a divorce', published in @feralpoetryandart.bsky.social 🥞🍋

feralpoetry.net/pancake-day-...
‘pancake day in district twelve’ by S.F. Layzell – FERAL: A Journal of Poetry and Art
feralpoetry.net
February 17, 2026 at 5:04 PM
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letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
So sorry! Here it is again: uk.bookshop.org/shop/letterb...
Letterbox Library Bookshop UK
Since 1983, Letterbox Library has been a leading children's bookseller and education supplier, bringing teachers, librarians and parents the best in inclusive children's books. By “inclusive”, we mean...
uk.bookshop.org
February 17, 2026 at 1:38 PM
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assignedmale.bsky.social
Give trans kids a chance to be kids.
4 frame comic. it reads, on top of each frame : Give trans kids a chance to be kids without having to fight for the right to exist. first frame shows a kid playing soccer, second shows two kids drawing dinosaurs at a table, third shows a group of friends sitting by a fountain drinking bubble tea and eating chips, fourth shows a kid with long curly hair holding a trans flag.
February 16, 2026 at 9:03 PM
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jackshoulder.bsky.social
I cannot wait to read this book!
laylamccay.bsky.social Layla McCay @laylamccay.bsky.social · 2d
UK readers, if you’re planning to pre-order my new book The Queer Bookshelf about the history (and present and future) of LGBTQ+ literature, this is a pretty excellent deal. www.waterstones.com/book/the-que...
February 17, 2026 at 7:43 AM
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spiraledu.bsky.social
In Alaska, we recognize Elizabeth Peratrovich Day. Her words really resonate today.

“Asking you to give me equal rights implies that they are yours to give.

Instead, I must demand that you stop trying to deny me the rights that all people deserve.”
A mural of Elizabeth Peratrovich with formline Raven and salmon behind her painted on the side of a library in Juneau, Alaska
February 16, 2026 at 3:20 PM
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eastangliabylines.co.uk
Ever looked through a Victorian telescope at the night sky?

You can – and you don’t need to be an expert.

Read on to discover where you can enjoy open lectures, observatory tours, and hands-on stargazing. Bill Barton reports.

#NorwichScienceFestival #Astronomy
Spectacular astronomy in Suffolk: past, present, and future
Discover Suffolk’s astronomical heritage – from a Victorian observatory to today’s passionate amateur and professional stargazers
eastangliabylines.co.uk
February 16, 2026 at 6:00 PM
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letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
“The first thought that comes to my mind when I see ‘Alex Wheatle Reading Room’…it feels like he’s accomplished his goal, that he’s got more people reading of all ages…his legacy continues and lives on.”
Alex’s daughter (woman of colour) stands smiling, holding up gold plated scissors having just cut a red ribbon. She wears black trousers and a multicoloured long shawl. Her hair is pinned on top. Behind her is the entrance to a library room full of shelves. Above the entrance is a sign, done in the style of a UK road sign. It reads, ”Alex Wheatle Reading Room SW2”
February 12, 2026 at 1:19 PM
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letterboxlibrary.bsky.social
🪧✊🏽📣Dear fans of social justice children’s books:

You likely heard that the #LittleRebelsAward for Radical Children’s Fiction is on ⏸️/seeking funding.

The smallest thing you can do to offer support is to follow the award at @littlerebsprize.bsky.social
+ Insta

Thank you!

#KidLitUK
littlerebsprize.bsky.social Little Rebels Award @littlerebsprize.bsky.social · 8d
📣Little Rebels Award Folk!

An Announcement:
Award organisers @letterboxlibrary.bsky.social & @housmansbookshop.bsky.social are pausing the Little Rebels Award for Radical Fiction this year.

Full announcement below.
#KidLitUK
Visual assets sharing announcement on social media. Text against a cream background. At bottom are 3 partial balloon shapes in red, orange & blue with the Little Rebels Award logo in bottom right corner. Text reads: An Announcement The Little Rebels Award will be taking a pause in 2026. We have been proudly celebrating radical fiction for children since 2013, and in that time we've seen the prize grow and grow. Such is its success that the work the prize generates now exceeds the capacity of the small team running it. Like so many endeavours in the book world, the award runs mostly on love, enthusiasm and unpaid labour, and we've temporarily reached a point where the workload is unsustainable. We are incredibly grateful for the funding we receive from the Barry Amiel and Norman Melburn Trust, which goes to the prize money, promotional materials and the ceremony, but we have no funding beyond this, and our hope this year is to find additional funding opportunities to help us pay for administrative support. We would welcome any ideas or suggestions in this respect!✊🏿 Text continued on to next image (same design): We will continue to run our social media accounts throughout 2026, and we will be highlighting children’s titles published in 2025 which might otherwise have been amplified by a longlist - so do continue to follow us on Instagram and Bluesky to stay up to date. This was a really difficult decision, but we hope this pause will allow us to regroup and come back with a bang in 2027. Thank you to all our friends and followers for supporting the prize all these years and helping us to celebrate socially and politically engaged storytelling for children! We will see you soon. - The Little Rebels Team x
February 16, 2026 at 1:42 PM
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hidden-grove.bsky.social
Sharing merfolk on the lead-up to my online talk for @folkloretodmorden.bsky.social
Here’s a very enjoyable book I just finished reading. The Mermaid the Witch and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall 🧜🏿
Sapphic love and nonbinary rep!
Book cover with a sailing ship on
February 14, 2026 at 1:37 PM
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ijyalnews.bsky.social
Celebrate with us the launch of the special section on “Diversity and Inclusion in International YA Sports Fiction”, guest edited by Drs Carla Plieth and Sarah Layzell. Monday Feb 16, 13:00- 14:00 GMT on MS Teams. Registration: forms.cloud.microsoft/e/RBPDsHMiJZ
Microsoft Forms
forms.cloud.microsoft
February 13, 2026 at 7:11 AM
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mariannedoherty.bsky.social
Earlier this week, @alomshaha.bsky.social was chatting about how the message of loving each other should inform more public discourse (beyond religion).

So, for #KidsBooksFriday this week what kids books help kids to understand the importance of love in all its forms?

#KidLitUK #UKKidLit #KidLit
Book cover for Aalbert and Aalfred: A Love Story by Morag Hood Book cover for What’s That in Dog Years by Ben Davis Book cover for Another Kind by Cait May and Trevor Bream Book cover for The Boy I Love by William Hussey
February 13, 2026 at 7:43 AM
sflayzell.bsky.social
This coming Monday, I'll be in discussion with the authors of essays on diversity in young adult sports fiction. Free, online and open to all - see quoted thread for details 👇 #YALit #KidLit
February 13, 2026 at 7:50 AM
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danielsohege.bsky.social
Telling parents is downright dangerous. It will very clearly put many trans and non-binary young people at risk of abuse, bullying, potentially homelessness, among other things. This is the exact opposite of "protecting children". It's transphobia as policy.
February 12, 2026 at 5:49 PM
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danielsohege.bsky.social
Labour has brought back section 28 against trans and non-binary individuals. I lived through section 28 last time. I suffered the harms of it. This will do the same thing. Not even allowing young people to socially transition is plain wrong. It prevents them finding their own identity.
February 12, 2026 at 5:46 PM
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hessephillips.com
If you're a UK citizen who cares about the wellbeing of trans kids you have until April 22nd to do everything in your power to make sure these new rules do not come into effect. Lives are literally on the line.

Respond at this link 👇
February 12, 2026 at 6:38 PM
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ausiastsel.com
Inherited grief. The things your family carries that never get named but shape every room they enter. I keep circling back to it. It’s not supernatural, but it behaves like a haunting. I’d rather write about ancient gods, honestly. This is closer to the bone. #HorrorWritersChat
erynmccee.bsky.social Eryn McCee @erynmccee.bsky.social · 7d
Q2.
This question is not about the comfortable places that we go with horror. But the uncomfortable ones. The ones that turn us inside out even as we write them. The ones that make us wonder who we are, at the end. #HorrorWritersChat
February 11, 2026 at 8:06 PM
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erynmccee.bsky.social
I don't actually promo much of late but I will this time.
It's a domestic noir more than a horror: about menopausal ladies bumping off bad guys with poisoned tea.
It's quite irreverent and rather funny, I think. But there's something about the Aunties. I really like them.

#HorrorWritersChat
February 11, 2026 at 8:02 PM
sflayzell.bsky.social
I'm working on a couple of ghost stories, plus my queer historical Fen rebels novel. There's a flavour of it in this story: northerngravy.com/the-lantern-...

Thanks Eryn for hosting!
#HorrorWritersChat
February 11, 2026 at 8:03 PM
sflayzell.bsky.social
Haunted schools. I've put it off because it's a sharp stick poking at unexamined childhood traumas. But it's a very persistent sharp stick so I will have to write it eventually.
erynmccee.bsky.social Eryn McCee @erynmccee.bsky.social · 7d
Q3:
Here at #HorrorWritersChat we really do like to peel back those insecurities and fears and expose them to the light. You can do this.
Which scene do you keep putting off? And why?
February 11, 2026 at 7:54 PM
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erynmccee.bsky.social
OK, so here we go, #HorrorWritersChat bods.

You know the drill. Four questions, repost as many as you like, no links: promo at the end.
First I want to know.
What makes you write the kind of horror that you write?
February 11, 2026 at 7:00 PM
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skullsandsheets.bsky.social
Come hear me waffle!
skullsandsheets.bsky.social Skulls and Sheets @skullsandsheets.bsky.social · 8d
*Announcement*
I have been invited to speak at an online meeting of Cartoonists Northwest (USA) on the 21st February 2026 at 8pm GMT!

You are welcome to join and hear me speak about my art and how I flog dead horses

Sign up here!

www.eventbrite.com/e/cartoonist...
February 11, 2026 at 7:24 AM
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flyonthewallpress.bsky.social
Join us this Friday at House of books and friends, Manchester for a book swap social! Bring a book to swap and get a Fly on the Wall Press title and tote of your choice! Come make new friends and grab a cuppa this Pal-entines day :D

fly-on-the-wall-press.eventcube.io/events/92694...
February 10, 2026 at 9:42 PM