Sarah Matthews
@sarahmatthews.bsky.social
Reader, Braille tutor, interested in assistive tech, publishing and accessible art.
Trying to use this new place while totally blind so please be patient with me and add alt text to your photos
Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/
Trying to use this new place while totally blind so please be patient with me and add alt text to your photos
Storygraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/profile/
I’ve written a few thoughts on The Artist by Lucy Steeds, 2025, one of the Women’s Prize for Fiction longlisted titles that appealed to me this year 💙📚 #BookSky #BookReview #audiobook https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/89ab9704-f5ff-443b-b401-0de4122b4dc5
Review by sarahmatthews - The Artist
The Artist by Lucy Steeds
Read on audioNarrator: Tanya ReynoldsJohn Murray Press
Pub. 2025, 2...
app.thestorygraph.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:20 AM
I’ve written a few thoughts on The Artist by Lucy Steeds, 2025, one of the Women’s Prize for Fiction longlisted titles that appealed to me this year 💙📚 #BookSky #BookReview #audiobook https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/89ab9704-f5ff-443b-b401-0de4122b4dc5
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
My new blog post on Alexander Baron's brilliant, entertaining boarding-house novel, THE LOWLIFE.
readersretreat2017.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/t...
readersretreat2017.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/t...
The Lowlife – Alexander Baron
I have read some wonderful books published by Faber Editions in the past – The Mountain Lion by Jean Stafford, Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks, and The Glass Pearls by Emeric Pressburger, to name a…
readersretreat2017.wordpress.com
November 16, 2025 at 7:02 PM
My new blog post on Alexander Baron's brilliant, entertaining boarding-house novel, THE LOWLIFE.
readersretreat2017.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/t...
readersretreat2017.wordpress.com/2025/11/16/t...
Unusually for me I’ve got 2 rereads on the go… I fancied reading F Scott Fitzgerald again (for the 1st time in #Braille), so I’m enjoying Tender is the Night + as I’ve just received Colm Toibin’s Long Island I’ve started the #audiobook of Brooklyn, which it follows on from, to refresh my memory
November 17, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Unusually for me I’ve got 2 rereads on the go… I fancied reading F Scott Fitzgerald again (for the 1st time in #Braille), so I’m enjoying Tender is the Night + as I’ve just received Colm Toibin’s Long Island I’ve started the #audiobook of Brooklyn, which it follows on from, to refresh my memory
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
A new project to research and reveal 50 years of stories behind the rise of the disability arts movement has been awarded nearly £250,000 of National Lottery funding.
#DisabilityArts #HeritageFund
www.disabilitynewsservice.com/new-project-...
#DisabilityArts #HeritageFund
www.disabilitynewsservice.com/new-project-...
New project will research and reveal stories behind half a century of the disability arts movement
A new project to research and reveal 50 years of stories behind the rise of the disability arts movement has been awarded nearly £250,000 of National Lottery funding. Disability Arts Online (DAO) i…
www.disabilitynewsservice.com
November 15, 2025 at 7:45 AM
A new project to research and reveal 50 years of stories behind the rise of the disability arts movement has been awarded nearly £250,000 of National Lottery funding.
#DisabilityArts #HeritageFund
www.disabilitynewsservice.com/new-project-...
#DisabilityArts #HeritageFund
www.disabilitynewsservice.com/new-project-...
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
A woman on the Tube tries to open her M&S packet of cashew nuts. She pulls at it with her hands, and tears at it with her teeth. It remains completely impenetrable. With a small sigh, she puts the packet back in her bag.
November 14, 2025 at 5:50 PM
A woman on the Tube tries to open her M&S packet of cashew nuts. She pulls at it with her hands, and tears at it with her teeth. It remains completely impenetrable. With a small sigh, she puts the packet back in her bag.
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
‘Death remains my intimate shadow partner. It has been with me since birth, always hovering close by. I understand one day we will finally waltz together into the ether. I hope when that time comes, I die with the satisfaction of a life well-lived, unapologetic, joyful, & full of love.’
—Alice Wong
—Alice Wong
November 15, 2025 at 6:12 AM
‘Death remains my intimate shadow partner. It has been with me since birth, always hovering close by. I understand one day we will finally waltz together into the ether. I hope when that time comes, I die with the satisfaction of a life well-lived, unapologetic, joyful, & full of love.’
—Alice Wong
—Alice Wong
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
New on my blog - Flat Earth by Anika Jade Levy: A bleakly funny novella alifeinbooks.co.uk/2025/11/flat... #BookSky
Flat Earth by Anika Jade Levy: A bleakly funny novella - A Life in Books
Book reviews, snippets of book news, and alerts about books outside the glare of the publicity spotlight.
alifeinbooks.co.uk
November 14, 2025 at 8:27 AM
New on my blog - Flat Earth by Anika Jade Levy: A bleakly funny novella alifeinbooks.co.uk/2025/11/flat... #BookSky
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation in 2025! "Each of these books arrives in English in expert and accessible translations that honour the art and voice of their original authors."
tinyurl.com/f9sccz4v
tinyurl.com/f9sccz4v
November 11, 2025 at 12:08 PM
We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation in 2025! "Each of these books arrives in English in expert and accessible translations that honour the art and voice of their original authors."
tinyurl.com/f9sccz4v
tinyurl.com/f9sccz4v
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
Blurring the boundaries between prose and poetry, THE BOAT IN THE EVENING by Tarjei Vesaas explores the mysteries of the natural world and man's relationship with landscape. Translated by Elizabeth Rokkan. My new post here:
readersretreat2017.wordpress.com/2025/11/12/t...
readersretreat2017.wordpress.com/2025/11/12/t...
November 12, 2025 at 7:35 PM
Blurring the boundaries between prose and poetry, THE BOAT IN THE EVENING by Tarjei Vesaas explores the mysteries of the natural world and man's relationship with landscape. Translated by Elizabeth Rokkan. My new post here:
readersretreat2017.wordpress.com/2025/11/12/t...
readersretreat2017.wordpress.com/2025/11/12/t...
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
I reviewed Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix tr. Helen Stevenson but mostly just noticed that I interpreted it a little differently that most reading-in-bed.com/2025/11/12/s... #NovNov
Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix, translated by Helen Stevenson
Welcome to Novellas in November 2025, in which I try to catch up on reviews by tackling the novellas I’ve read so far this year. This novella stuck with me, not only because it is so good, but bec…
reading-in-bed.com
November 13, 2025 at 4:23 AM
I reviewed Small Boat by Vincent Delecroix tr. Helen Stevenson but mostly just noticed that I interpreted it a little differently that most reading-in-bed.com/2025/11/12/s... #NovNov
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
Make your voice heard!
This is your chance to speak up, be heard, and make real change happen. The Euan’s Guide Access Survey is the UK’s largest disabled access survey and your voice will help shape a more accessible future.
buff.ly/t338120
This is your chance to speak up, be heard, and make real change happen. The Euan’s Guide Access Survey is the UK’s largest disabled access survey and your voice will help shape a more accessible future.
buff.ly/t338120
November 12, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Make your voice heard!
This is your chance to speak up, be heard, and make real change happen. The Euan’s Guide Access Survey is the UK’s largest disabled access survey and your voice will help shape a more accessible future.
buff.ly/t338120
This is your chance to speak up, be heard, and make real change happen. The Euan’s Guide Access Survey is the UK’s largest disabled access survey and your voice will help shape a more accessible future.
buff.ly/t338120
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
Here’s my review of Frankie and Stankie by Barbara Trapido, her excellent 2003 Booker Prize longlisted novel based on her childhood in Apartheid era South Africa 💙📚 #BookSky #BookReview #audiobook
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/00cfe17d-ddc2-4750-a8ed-37d51d6dd483
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/00cfe17d-ddc2-4750-a8ed-37d51d6dd483
Review by sarahmatthews - Frankie & Stankie
Frankie and Stankie by Barbara Trapido
Read on audioNarrator: Eva Haddon BBC AudioPub. 2003, ...
app.thestorygraph.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Here’s my review of Frankie and Stankie by Barbara Trapido, her excellent 2003 Booker Prize longlisted novel based on her childhood in Apartheid era South Africa 💙📚 #BookSky #BookReview #audiobook
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/00cfe17d-ddc2-4750-a8ed-37d51d6dd483
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/00cfe17d-ddc2-4750-a8ed-37d51d6dd483
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
‘We had never read anything quite like it. It is, in many ways, a dark book but it is a joy to read’
We're delighted to announce Flesh by David Szalay as the winner of the #BookerPrize2025.
We're delighted to announce Flesh by David Szalay as the winner of the #BookerPrize2025.
November 10, 2025 at 9:56 PM
‘We had never read anything quite like it. It is, in many ways, a dark book but it is a joy to read’
We're delighted to announce Flesh by David Szalay as the winner of the #BookerPrize2025.
We're delighted to announce Flesh by David Szalay as the winner of the #BookerPrize2025.
Here’s my review of Frankie and Stankie by Barbara Trapido, her excellent 2003 Booker Prize longlisted novel based on her childhood in Apartheid era South Africa 💙📚 #BookSky #BookReview #audiobook
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/00cfe17d-ddc2-4750-a8ed-37d51d6dd483
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/00cfe17d-ddc2-4750-a8ed-37d51d6dd483
Review by sarahmatthews - Frankie & Stankie
Frankie and Stankie by Barbara Trapido
Read on audioNarrator: Eva Haddon BBC AudioPub. 2003, ...
app.thestorygraph.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Here’s my review of Frankie and Stankie by Barbara Trapido, her excellent 2003 Booker Prize longlisted novel based on her childhood in Apartheid era South Africa 💙📚 #BookSky #BookReview #audiobook
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/00cfe17d-ddc2-4750-a8ed-37d51d6dd483
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/00cfe17d-ddc2-4750-a8ed-37d51d6dd483
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
New episode up now. Transit by Rachel Cusk, and the Outline trilogy as a whole, discussed by Andy, Una and Nicky. @iammilliam.bsky.social @unamccormack.bsky.social @birchos.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/1c43...
Transit and the Outline Trilogy by Rachel Cusk
open.spotify.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:17 AM
New episode up now. Transit by Rachel Cusk, and the Outline trilogy as a whole, discussed by Andy, Una and Nicky. @iammilliam.bsky.social @unamccormack.bsky.social @birchos.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/1c43...
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
'Nature's bounty' by contemporary UK printmaker Sarah Bays #WomensArt
November 9, 2025 at 7:00 PM
'Nature's bounty' by contemporary UK printmaker Sarah Bays #WomensArt
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
The Barbellion Prize celebrates and promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness and disability. Since the re-launch laste week we've raised 10% of our target, so there's still a way to go. Pllease support this unique literary award barbellionprize.org Thank you!
The Barbellion Prize | A prize recognising literary representation of chronically disabled lives.
barbellionprize.org
November 9, 2025 at 12:25 PM
The Barbellion Prize celebrates and promotes writing that represents the experience of chronic illness and disability. Since the re-launch laste week we've raised 10% of our target, so there's still a way to go. Pllease support this unique literary award barbellionprize.org Thank you!
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
Today on the blog, my first contribution to #NovNov25 “Small and growing businesses are the beating heart of our economy and the soul of our communities.” (Mary Portas) madamebibilophilerecommends.co.uk/2025/11/09/s...
“Small and growing businesses are the beating heart of our economy and the soul of our communities.” (Mary Portas)
I’ve finished at work now and my leaving gift was bookshop.org vouchers (to quote my colleague: “Tell me what you want so you don’t get some rubbish you’ll never use” :-D ) which of course I starte…
madamebibilophilerecommends.co.uk
November 9, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Today on the blog, my first contribution to #NovNov25 “Small and growing businesses are the beating heart of our economy and the soul of our communities.” (Mary Portas) madamebibilophilerecommends.co.uk/2025/11/09/s...
I’ve got an unexpectedly quiet afternoon as the boys got last minute tickets to see Crystal Palace…so I’m starting on Loitering With Intent by Muriel Spark for #NovellasInNovember and it’s very amusing so far! #NovNov25 #bookSky
November 9, 2025 at 4:00 PM
I’ve got an unexpectedly quiet afternoon as the boys got last minute tickets to see Crystal Palace…so I’m starting on Loitering With Intent by Muriel Spark for #NovellasInNovember and it’s very amusing so far! #NovNov25 #bookSky
Just watched the final episode of the Girlbands Forever doc on #BBC - what an excellent series! I was a pop fan from All Saints onwards (along with Britpop bands) & didn’t quite appreciate what a brutal industry it was when I was dancing around to their brilliant music on nights out with my mates!
November 8, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Just watched the final episode of the Girlbands Forever doc on #BBC - what an excellent series! I was a pop fan from All Saints onwards (along with Britpop bands) & didn’t quite appreciate what a brutal industry it was when I was dancing around to their brilliant music on nights out with my mates!
Spent the morning fiddling with a book review and at one point did a typo on my #Braille display and discovered that letter “a” followed by the dollar sign is Australian dollars! Fairly useless but it made me smile haha!
November 8, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Spent the morning fiddling with a book review and at one point did a typo on my #Braille display and discovered that letter “a” followed by the dollar sign is Australian dollars! Fairly useless but it made me smile haha!
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
Yay the Guyliner blind date review is back - great for a giggle, and with excellent image descriptions!
In the latest Guardian Blind Date: they go out on a Saturday night, and you know what that means. Plus lots of Jonathan Bailey gifs in my review.
Will and Fred
We’re back! Let’s not make a big thing of it. This week drinking from the poisoned chalice of dating doom that is the Guardian Blind date are: Will, 33, a government officer (left, sans…
theguyliner.com
November 8, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Yay the Guyliner blind date review is back - great for a giggle, and with excellent image descriptions!
Reposted by Sarah Matthews
"May I tempt you?” My review of Transcription by Kate Atkinson #books #bookreviews #historicalfiction #booksky
Book Review – Transcription by Kate Atkinson
About the Book In 1940, eighteen-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathisers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past for ever.
whatcathyreadnext.co.uk
November 8, 2025 at 8:00 AM
"May I tempt you?” My review of Transcription by Kate Atkinson #books #bookreviews #historicalfiction #booksky
I’ve just had a book coincidence… I’m reading a novel set in South Africa that references the Boer war of 1899-1902 several times, and another book set in England in 1900 with a character in it who’s returned injured from the same war #Booksky
November 7, 2025 at 8:21 PM
I’ve just had a book coincidence… I’m reading a novel set in South Africa that references the Boer war of 1899-1902 several times, and another book set in England in 1900 with a character in it who’s returned injured from the same war #Booksky