Alastair Horne
@pressfuturist.bsky.social
Lecturer in Publishing at the University of Stirling. Researcher of smartphone storytelling. Author of seven books for Amber on Paris, London, Scotland, cemeteries (twice), chess, & dragons. Erstwhile doer of other things. Baritone. Often mediocre. He/Him
Indeed. If you have the right skills, you won’t just adopt a new technology thoughtlessly because someone wants to sell it to you.
December 5, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Indeed. If you have the right skills, you won’t just adopt a new technology thoughtlessly because someone wants to sell it to you.
I think that may have been deleted from the page you got it from because it’s wrong. If group I provides one of the eight qualifying third place teams, then there are six possible pairings that team could go into, depending on what the make-up of those eight qualifiers is. This is how it’s decided.
December 5, 2025 at 8:50 PM
I think that may have been deleted from the page you got it from because it’s wrong. If group I provides one of the eight qualifying third place teams, then there are six possible pairings that team could go into, depending on what the make-up of those eight qualifiers is. This is how it’s decided.
I took this photo of Porter Anderson precisely ten years ago today, at the end of a FutureBook conference, still hard at work reviewing the day’s live-posting of what was happening in publishing, while everyone else had gone to the bar.
Rest in peace, sir.
Rest in peace, sir.
December 4, 2025 at 9:23 AM
I took this photo of Porter Anderson precisely ten years ago today, at the end of a FutureBook conference, still hard at work reviewing the day’s live-posting of what was happening in publishing, while everyone else had gone to the bar.
Rest in peace, sir.
Rest in peace, sir.
Have been watching Nicolas Le Floch, but am slightly disturbed by Bob Mortimer’s cameos as Nicolas’s boss.
December 3, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Have been watching Nicolas Le Floch, but am slightly disturbed by Bob Mortimer’s cameos as Nicolas’s boss.
Or on the same broom.
December 3, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Or on the same broom.
I won the Bucks County under-18 chess championship in 1990 despite being weaker than the winners of the under-17 and under-16 titles. I’m expecting Murdoch’s Times to come after me by breakfast tomorrow.
December 2, 2025 at 10:21 PM
I won the Bucks County under-18 chess championship in 1990 despite being weaker than the winners of the under-17 and under-16 titles. I’m expecting Murdoch’s Times to come after me by breakfast tomorrow.
Walking through campus on my way to my last lecture of 2025, listening to the calm pastoral sounds of You Made Me Realise.
December 2, 2025 at 10:44 AM
Walking through campus on my way to my last lecture of 2025, listening to the calm pastoral sounds of You Made Me Realise.
Nine years ago today, on a train home from Bath, I prototyped my limerick machine (which is now @limerickbot.bsky.social).
December 1, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Nine years ago today, on a train home from Bath, I prototyped my limerick machine (which is now @limerickbot.bsky.social).
Reacquainted myself with these lovely fellows this afternoon.
November 30, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Reacquainted myself with these lovely fellows this afternoon.
Weirdly, the #DoctorWho sound effects LP is listed as an *audiobook* on Spotify, and as a single track too.
open.spotify.com/show/4Itz6dY...
open.spotify.com/show/4Itz6dY...
November 30, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Weirdly, the #DoctorWho sound effects LP is listed as an *audiobook* on Spotify, and as a single track too.
open.spotify.com/show/4Itz6dY...
open.spotify.com/show/4Itz6dY...
I see your ticks and raise you a rare, limited edition Programme Guide volume 1, updated to include seasons 19-22… :-O
November 24, 2025 at 11:36 PM
I see your ticks and raise you a rare, limited edition Programme Guide volume 1, updated to include seasons 19-22… :-O
Embarrassing typo on the cover of the ebook edition of this title from Harper Perennial.
November 24, 2025 at 11:04 AM
Embarrassing typo on the cover of the ebook edition of this title from Harper Perennial.
If you're on Instagram and are interested in publishing, please follow our student-run University of Stirling Publishing Studies Instagram account, which launched this morning!
www.instagram.com/uospublishing/
www.instagram.com/uospublishing/
November 18, 2025 at 12:34 PM
If you're on Instagram and are interested in publishing, please follow our student-run University of Stirling Publishing Studies Instagram account, which launched this morning!
www.instagram.com/uospublishing/
www.instagram.com/uospublishing/
Really struggling to get my head around where’s where on this map from Stirling Council: the river’s the same shade of black as the road, for starters. A bit more thought could have made this much more comprehensible.
November 17, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Really struggling to get my head around where’s where on this map from Stirling Council: the river’s the same shade of black as the road, for starters. A bit more thought could have made this much more comprehensible.
Over-friendly neighbour.
November 12, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Over-friendly neighbour.
Twelfth anniversary of my greatest ever Twitter typo.
November 11, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Twelfth anniversary of my greatest ever Twitter typo.
Wore my new t-shirt to today’s session on networking via LinkedIn. Received a positive response.
November 10, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Wore my new t-shirt to today’s session on networking via LinkedIn. Received a positive response.
“And the Popish Plot was fake news anyway!”
November 9, 2025 at 6:57 PM
“And the Popish Plot was fake news anyway!”
Four years ago this evening…
November 9, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Four years ago this evening…
This might come in useful later.
November 8, 2025 at 5:36 PM
This might come in useful later.
Because the title is a quotation from William Blake’s Proverbs of Hell. (See image of Blake’s text below.)
November 3, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Because the title is a quotation from William Blake’s Proverbs of Hell. (See image of Blake’s text below.)
I believe they do, but don’t print them on the cover. See www.librarything.com/topic/107708 and
November 2, 2025 at 3:10 PM
I believe they do, but don’t print them on the cover. See www.librarything.com/topic/107708 and
Feeling personally targeted by this pull-quote from last weekend’s Observer.
November 2, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Feeling personally targeted by this pull-quote from last weekend’s Observer.
A new low from @itvpeston.bsky.social: such an embarrassment.
October 27, 2025 at 11:00 PM
A new low from @itvpeston.bsky.social: such an embarrassment.
Oh, a 1, I should imagine.
October 23, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Oh, a 1, I should imagine.