Daryl
@drleeworthy.bsky.social
Writer, historian. Labour histories, social histories, biographies of writers, mostly British but occasionally elsewhere. Always got my nose in a novel.
“Each day is a little bit of history” — Jose Saramago
“Each day is a little bit of history” — Jose Saramago
Evening read after a day of writing, blood donation, and library runs: Vargas Llosa's The Time of the Hero. At last one of his books that clicks from the outset.
October 20, 2025 at 10:43 PM
Evening read after a day of writing, blood donation, and library runs: Vargas Llosa's The Time of the Hero. At last one of his books that clicks from the outset.
The coincidence of inflatable frog suits and this short story by Murakami being released at the same moment is worth noting, for the esses and gees.
October 18, 2025 at 10:30 PM
The coincidence of inflatable frog suits and this short story by Murakami being released at the same moment is worth noting, for the esses and gees.
Having a Bookish afternoon — brilliant words from the doc, @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social
October 18, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Having a Bookish afternoon — brilliant words from the doc, @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social
Lastly, I think perhaps we should find a different descriptor to supersede ‘postindustrial’. (Penallta Colliery's buildings have been converted into accommodation, for instance.) Where we are now, an economy run as one giant quango, is way beyond postindustrial. And yes, it is very pretty:
October 16, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Lastly, I think perhaps we should find a different descriptor to supersede ‘postindustrial’. (Penallta Colliery's buildings have been converted into accommodation, for instance.) Where we are now, an economy run as one giant quango, is way beyond postindustrial. And yes, it is very pretty:
Hah. It's not one of his classics, I confess, perhaps it was a retirement project, but then he did write a few books about the wine trade in the 80s and 90s, so he must have thought the subject important: there's this one and another about Australia called Wine for Sale.
October 13, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Hah. It's not one of his classics, I confess, perhaps it was a retirement project, but then he did write a few books about the wine trade in the 80s and 90s, so he must have thought the subject important: there's this one and another about Australia called Wine for Sale.
Autumn has truly arrived.
October 13, 2025 at 4:13 PM
Autumn has truly arrived.
Ah, non. It is in fact René's twin brother, who is also called René.
October 10, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Ah, non. It is in fact René's twin brother, who is also called René.
Well... I looked and found...the absolute hilarity...
October 10, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Well... I looked and found...the absolute hilarity...
Dark-side Jamie! I always thought this variant got a bit close to (you know who):
August 30, 2025 at 2:32 PM
Dark-side Jamie! I always thought this variant got a bit close to (you know who):
It's @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social's fault but the theme is now stuck in my head.
August 29, 2025 at 7:23 PM
It's @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social's fault but the theme is now stuck in my head.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, at the World's Fair in the company of Edgar Doctorow.
August 23, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, at the World's Fair in the company of Edgar Doctorow.
It was the hearse which reminded me that yes, yes I did read this in college - this is what you get for an updated cover design I guess - and it made me laugh, nay guffaw, once more.
August 23, 2025 at 9:20 PM
It was the hearse which reminded me that yes, yes I did read this in college - this is what you get for an updated cover design I guess - and it made me laugh, nay guffaw, once more.
For anyone here who might be unfamiliar with the series, then you are in for a treat. I am a big fan. At turns funny and surreal, Kurkov brings to life that period immediately after the Great War (and the Russian Revolution) all too often neglected in the rush to go from 1917/18 straight on to 1939.
August 23, 2025 at 5:35 PM
For anyone here who might be unfamiliar with the series, then you are in for a treat. I am a big fan. At turns funny and surreal, Kurkov brings to life that period immediately after the Great War (and the Russian Revolution) all too often neglected in the rush to go from 1917/18 straight on to 1939.
That exciting moment when you're having a mooch around for some reading materials and discover a must-have coming out next year. So here's the UK cover – from the listing – of The Lost Soldiers, the third part of the Kyiv Mysteries by Andrey Kurkov (translated into English by @bdralyuk.bsky.social).
August 23, 2025 at 5:21 PM
That exciting moment when you're having a mooch around for some reading materials and discover a must-have coming out next year. So here's the UK cover – from the listing – of The Lost Soldiers, the third part of the Kyiv Mysteries by Andrey Kurkov (translated into English by @bdralyuk.bsky.social).
Shock! I almost gave you this one instead:
August 14, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Shock! I almost gave you this one instead:
I know Dion will get this one but all the same...
August 14, 2025 at 10:42 AM
I know Dion will get this one but all the same...
Part of the collected works...
August 12, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Part of the collected works...
One of the very best historical facts is that the guy on the left, John Hughes of Merthyr Tydfil, engineer and industrialist, gave his name to the place where the guy on the right, yah you know who it is, started out as an industrial worker.
August 5, 2025 at 11:23 AM
One of the very best historical facts is that the guy on the left, John Hughes of Merthyr Tydfil, engineer and industrialist, gave his name to the place where the guy on the right, yah you know who it is, started out as an industrial worker.
For some reason Heinrich Böll isn't so easily accessible in libraries or in bookshops these days, so it was a happy occurrence to find a pristine copy of The Silent Angel in the reserve stock stacks.
August 2, 2025 at 4:24 PM
For some reason Heinrich Böll isn't so easily accessible in libraries or in bookshops these days, so it was a happy occurrence to find a pristine copy of The Silent Angel in the reserve stock stacks.
Indeed, the oldest surviving blue plaque in the UK - and thus the world - is devoted to...
July 30, 2025 at 9:09 PM
Indeed, the oldest surviving blue plaque in the UK - and thus the world - is devoted to...
Big up to @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social for tipping us off to this book (Up, Up and Oy Vey by Simcha Weinstein) all about the origins of Superman and other superheroes—today's Sound of Cinema was absolutely fabulous and, as always, you/I never end an episode without a freshly expanded reading list.
July 19, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Big up to @drmatthewsweet.bsky.social for tipping us off to this book (Up, Up and Oy Vey by Simcha Weinstein) all about the origins of Superman and other superheroes—today's Sound of Cinema was absolutely fabulous and, as always, you/I never end an episode without a freshly expanded reading list.
Ahh cool.
Swindon to here wouldn't be so bad, I suppose, so it is possible he just travelled the Great Way Round each week. Fun stuff, Alex!
This is very much a thread for @dralexanderjackson.bsky.social (apart from the Sunderland thing — he's a Toon!*)
*Yes, yes I did!
Swindon to here wouldn't be so bad, I suppose, so it is possible he just travelled the Great Way Round each week. Fun stuff, Alex!
This is very much a thread for @dralexanderjackson.bsky.social (apart from the Sunderland thing — he's a Toon!*)
*Yes, yes I did!
July 9, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Ahh cool.
Swindon to here wouldn't be so bad, I suppose, so it is possible he just travelled the Great Way Round each week. Fun stuff, Alex!
This is very much a thread for @dralexanderjackson.bsky.social (apart from the Sunderland thing — he's a Toon!*)
*Yes, yes I did!
Swindon to here wouldn't be so bad, I suppose, so it is possible he just travelled the Great Way Round each week. Fun stuff, Alex!
This is very much a thread for @dralexanderjackson.bsky.social (apart from the Sunderland thing — he's a Toon!*)
*Yes, yes I did!
Here we go, this is the one I meant. Not White head but Flinn. Sorry!
June 6, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Here we go, this is the one I meant. Not White head but Flinn. Sorry!