Polly Atkin
LightNews LightNews
banner
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Polly Atkin
@pollyrowena.bsky.social
7K followers 1.6K following 1.4K posts
Writer, Lake-swimmer, Bookseller.
FRSL
hEDS/Haemochromatosis/all the comorbs
she/her
rep @PortyLiterary

Basic Nest Architecture
Much with Body
Recovering Dorothy
Some Of Us Just Fall
The Company of Owls

https://linktr.ee/pollyatkin
Posts Replies Media Videos
pollyrowena.bsky.social
I don’t know who signed off on this seating arrangement but I’m not sure it was in my best interests.
Home desk set up in old cottage, with narrow table in front of deep window, with lamp on window sill, shining on quilt folded on top of stool in front of desk, and a comfy desk chair to the right, with a cat sitting on it.
November 12, 2025 at 3:11 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
I couldn’t believe how many different groups of #TawnyOwls I heard yesterday afternoon at dusk. They’re in charge now. Tune in to #TweetOfTheDay on radio 4 tomorrow morning and on BBC sounds afterwards to hear me talk about my tawny neighbours and what they mean to me a little. #TheCompanyOfOwls
November 8, 2025 at 11:03 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Bats!
November 7, 2025 at 12:04 AM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
What is it they say? Slow it down and get a skeleton to sing it?

Me and my haunted piano possessed by a snippet of the new Florence and the Machine. #OneOfTheGreats #EverybodyScream #TheChronicLife #Piano #Halloween
November 1, 2025 at 12:44 AM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
I see @oxfordunipress.bsky.social are cancelling independent scholars and researchers. I couldn't have written #RecoveringDorothy without an individual subscription and this is going to make similar work impossible for me going forward, including contributions to scholarly editions. What BS.
Form email from Oxford University Press, titled Changes to Your Subscripton. Hello Polly, Thank you for being a valued subscriber to Oxford Scholarly Editions Online. We appreciate your support and hope you've found the resource helpful in your work and research. We’re writing to let you know about a change to subscriptions. Moving forward, we will be retiring the option to purchase individual subscriptions to Oxford Scholarly Editions Online. Please rest assured that your current subscription will remain active until its scheduled expiration date. However, after that time, it will no longer be possible to renew it. You may still receive automated emails about renewing your subscription and its expiry—please ignore those messages. Oxford Scholarly Editions Online may still be available through institutional subscriptions via your university, organization, or local library. You can recommend the resource to your librarian to gain access in the future. If you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact our customer services team.
October 30, 2025 at 12:03 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
#Caturday night at the smithkin burrow.
Tabby cat with front legs stretched out sleeping with head between them.
October 25, 2025 at 9:23 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Fire-engine on the way!
Fire engine with lights flashing driving through outskirts of Workington
October 23, 2025 at 2:57 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Unexpected sight of a bus on fire between Workington and Whitehaven on the A595 just now! @itvborder.bsky.social
Double decker bus with fire under back wheels on side of road
October 23, 2025 at 2:52 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Just got the last of today's #lakelight for a brief swim - the light on the shore just before I got in, and gone, just after.
golden autumn trees and fells reflected in calm lake in bright sun fells and trees on shore reflected in still lake, in afternoon shade, with all the colours looking very richly auburn and chestnut.
October 22, 2025 at 9:02 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Please enjoy some autumn colours from Rydal this afternoon.
autumn trees and fells reflected in still lake in low early evening light, with boat house on left. tree covered island on lake and fells behind in bright fall colours reflected in lake heron standing very long and thin under oak tree amongst reeds
October 20, 2025 at 8:01 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
I am doing every small thing in my power to hold on to my baseline. I want to keep working because my work really matters to me. But if I can't - be very clear - it is not me who has failed - it is society, it is our leaders, it is community. #InfectionIsNotInevitable #PlagueYearSeason6
I have changed everything in my life to enable me to carry on working the small amount I can - a few hours a day – on some days - and I recognise my enormous privilege in this. But one covid infection could take that away. It could take it away for anyone, although I know it’s more likely to for me. 

I want to be able to carry on working my little pockets of 3 hours a day, on a good day, but if I can’t, be sure as hell it’s not me that’s at fault, it’s successive failures by our leaders. By our governments, one after another, by our health care system that won’t fight against it. By every MP that has normalised going to work in a parliament with filtered air and sending their constituents out to work and to school without. By everyone who has just rolled over and agreed that infection is inevitable. For the last few years, we’ve paid for Will’s vaccine privately. Now we have to pay for two. Again, I recognise my vast privilege that right now, we can just about afford it, or afford it more than I can afford to lose all future work. But most people - especially those placed in riskiest positions - just can’t afford to vaccination their whole household when it’s £100 a pop. Oh, the #DisabilityRebellion I would stage if I wasn’t too tired just trying to exist.
October 18, 2025 at 12:29 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Today, I became one of those people in all the news articles who turned up for their covid and flu jabs, as booked, as told to book, as told my eligibility was my the infernal NHS app, and was denied a covid jab.

This is my face while I was waiting for staff to confer and confirm.
Polly, a white woman in 40s with blue and brown hair, leaning on hand and rolling eyes in medical room with ffp3 mask on, and her jumper hunched up a bit round her neck suggesting she still has her arm out for jabs.
October 18, 2025 at 12:18 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Paperback publication day for these owls! Get them now, tell owl your friends! Now approx 1/3 more pocketable and affordable and still just as adorable. #BookSky #NatureWriting #Owls #TheCompanyOfOwls
October 16, 2025 at 1:11 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Spotlight on #TheCompanyOfOwls paperback - officially out tomorrow - though if you know anything about these tawnies, you'll know they do what they want when they want to do it, so no surprise some of them have branched early. Let me know if you spot one roosting near you! #BookSky #NatureWriting
Paperback of the company of owls held up in front of oak-crowned hill, with autumn sun just falling below it, casting light on moss on dry stone wall under book, and hand holding it, and reflecting off camera lens, to make a peculiar spotlight effect on the face of the owl print by Matt Underwood on the cover. sunlight through yellow acer leaves on the ground the company of owls paperback held up to catch evening sun in front of autumnal oak and beech trees
October 15, 2025 at 9:28 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Are you a @societyofauthors.bsky.social member? Remember to vote in the management committee elections! Follow me as I go to post my ballot voting for Jen Calleja, Mohamed Tonsy & Matt Abbott.
October 8, 2025 at 4:28 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
lovely! leaves here turning now and looking lovely - hope the forecast sun arrives later in week to light it all up.
st oswalds church tower grasmere with yellow orange maple leaves in front of it, jackdaw resting on perch on tower above window
October 6, 2025 at 9:32 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
And here's me trying to be dignified and serious whilst recording in my pyjamas. #BeMoreOwlet #Owls #TawnyOwls #NatureWriting #BookSky
Very soggy tawny owlet in profile against tree root, with dripping long grass in front of them. They are looking up slightly and look very heroic.
October 3, 2025 at 2:16 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Which turned out to be my author copies of the paperback of #TheCompanyOfOwls! #Booksky #NatureWriting #Owls
October 3, 2025 at 2:07 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Actual footage of me a little bit ago when I opened the door for a delivery ...
Close up of tawny owlet's head peeking over grassy bank in rain. The owlet is very soggy, their down all matted, and eyes half closed agains the rain.
October 3, 2025 at 2:01 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
On October 16th the paperback of #TheCompanyOfOwls is out - approx 30% more pocketable and more affordable than the beautiful hardback - but just as iconic thanks to Matt Underwood's #TawnyOwl print. Get an early copy at my (free!) talk in Ambleside, Oct 7th. #BookSky #NatureWriting #BookTalk
October 1, 2025 at 1:34 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Absolutely beautiful September weather for #AppleDay at Hutton in the forest today and all the autumn flowers heaving with butterflies and bees.
September 28, 2025 at 4:04 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
My favourite Tony Harrison story (other than a slightly alarming secondhand one about him making someone interview him when he was in the bath) is that he was allowed to etch his name into Dove Cottage window, next to the pencilled line written in 1891 he includes in his poem 'Remains'.
Dove Cottage shutter with pencilled lines from W Martin Paperhanger, July 1891 on them
September 27, 2025 at 5:30 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
#LakeLight this evening. #Swims #LakeSwimming #FreshwaterAlmanac #SwimmingTheSeasons
September 25, 2025 at 9:25 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
As if in response, the tawnys who live directly across the road now (one of 2023's owlets from the book and her partner I think) were really giving it some welly right outside the house just after midnight last night. #Owls #TawnyOwls #AutumnVibes #OwlWitchAutumn #TheCompanyOfOwls
September 25, 2025 at 1:33 PM
pollyrowena.bsky.social
Yesterday brought the October issue of The Simple Thing magazine through my letter box, including words on #Owls by me, with a beautiful illustration by Zuza Misko, to mark the paperback release of #TheCompanyOfOwls from @eandtbooks.bsky.social on October 16th. #TawnyOwls #NatureWriting #Booksky
The simple things October 2025 issue laid flat on grass and surrounded by orange yellow and burgundy beech leaves. It has the word HUG on the cover, and a picture of the back of a woman with long hair wearing a flannel jacket and orange beanie, carrying a small orange and white dog that is looking over her shoulder, standing amongst brown bracken. In the list of things included is acorn ink and tawny owls. Simple Things magazine on grass folded open on magical creatures page with beautiful illustration of tawny owl, autumn beech leaves on page, and Mikle the tabby cat in front of it like he is reading it, the back of his head at front of frame.
September 25, 2025 at 1:18 PM