Iain Rowan
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iainrowan.com
Iain Rowan
@iainrowan.com
Writer, rep @LiverpoolLit| Campaign Coordinator CPWF UK (formerly Sea Shepherd UK) | Sunderland. https://iainrowan.com
Chocolate fireguard, the spavined, captured Environment Agency says 'we will not hesitate to take robust enforcement action where appropriate'.

It's appropriate. So why is that not 'We are not hesitating and are taking robust enforcement action *now*.
November 10, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Robert Aickman — “Bind Your Hair” (Dark Entries). Not often quoted as one of his best, but I love this one: unsettling in all the best ways. Especially the children. What happened? You'll have no idea. That's Aickman. But you know it was not good.

The cover, sadly, is also not good.
October 20, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Carys Davies — “The Quiet” (The Redemption of Galen Pike). Beautifully restrained, elegantly spare and a wonderful and unexpected turn about.
October 20, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Dearbhaile Houston — “The Tenants” (Banshee 19). Grimly familiar to many, some lovely, sad touches (‘paralysed by the rest of their lives’) from the excellent but new to me Irish lit mag @bansheepress.bsky.social
October 20, 2025 at 5:20 PM
M. John Harrison — “Gifco” (Things That Never Happen).

Yet another MJH story that almost leaves me feeling as if I have queasy motion sickness, as if the world is moving under me but I can’t see how.
October 20, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Claire Keegan — “The Ginger Rogers Sermon” (Antarctica).

Jesus. Another Keegan story that is the beautifully-written equivalent of being punched hard in the gut. Didn’t see where it was going, almost wish I never went. Wonderful voice.
October 20, 2025 at 5:20 PM