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The Paperback Psychologist

@thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social

6.3K followers 1.8K following 230 posts

Stuart Cooney A book blog from the perspective of a Clinical Psychologist🧠 Taking psychology out of the therapy room and into the pages of books. 📚 Edinburgh🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Read my psychological exploration of fiction and character: https://thepaperbackpsychologist.com

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The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · Nov 13

Hello BlueSky! I'm Stuart, a Clinical Psychologist who loves reading. These past few years I've started to write about the books I've been reading & use a psychological approach to explore my favourite characters. You can find all of my writing here on my website:

thepaperbackpsychologist.com

The Paperback Psychologist

A book blog from the perspective of a Clinical Psychologist. Using psychological formulation to explore character & story.

thepaperbackpsychologist.com

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The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 11h

Book III takes us deeper into Tara's journey through an endless repeating November day. Here's my thoughts on Tara after reading Book I earlier this year.

@faberbooks.bsky.social
@thebookerprizes.com

thepaperbackpsychologist.com/2025/05/01/o...

On The Calculation of Volume, Solvej Balle. A Psychological Portrait of Tara Selter.

What would you do if each morning, when you wake up, the day has reset, and you are forced to relive the 18th of November again and again? A seemingly endless time loop. You confide in …

thepaperbackpsychologist.com

Reposted by The Paperback Psychologist

Faber Books @faberbooks.bsky.social · 1d

Looking for something new for your TBR? We’ve brought together a collection of our new and upcoming releases for October to December 2025 to help you choose.

faber.co.uk/journal/new-books-preview-october-to-december-2025

New Books Preview: October to December 2025

Explore our collection of new and upcoming releases from Faber for October to December 2025.

www.faber.co.uk

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The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 11h

Just finished part III of On The Calculation of Volume. So good! A unique series that has me excited for next year and part IV. It comes out November 18th and I'll share more thoughts closer to then. Thanks @faberbooks.bsky.social for the proof copy.

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The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 4d

Read my full post on Instagram: www.instagram.com/p/DPq-bSpDGC...

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 4d

A small book with 8 essays, it fit snuggly into my jacket pocket. I’ve carried this around with me the last couple of weeks, dipping into the world of Andrew and his friends. A highlight was taking On Friendship on a train ride from Edinburgh to Glasgow as I travelled to meet up with old friends.

The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 4d

On Friendship is a collection of personal reflections and essays exploring friendship. The book touches on childhood friendships, friendships that inspired Andrew O’Hagan’s writing, in particular Mayflies, and friendships with the literary greats of Seamus Heaney and Edna O’Brien.

The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 4d

A new Andrew O’Hagan release is always a highlight in my literary calendar. Some of my favourite psychological portraits I’ve written have been explorations of his characters. So with the release of On Friendship this week from Faber, I was thrilled to once again step into his wonderful writing.

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The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 20d

Edinburgh International Book Festival 2025

This summer I had the chance to attend the Edinburgh International Book Festival. I've been numerous times over the years but this time was my first with a media/ press pass. With this golden ticket, I was able to take in some wonderous events. This has…

Edinburgh International Book Festival 2025

This summer I had the chance to attend the Edinburgh International Book Festival. I've been numerous times over the years but this time was my first with a media/ press pass. With this golden ticket, I was able to take in some wonderous events. This has truly been a highlight of my bookish journey so far and one of my favourite things to come from my writing as The Paperback Psychologist.

thepaperbackpsychologist.com

The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 20d

Thanks so much!

The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 20d

Good luck! 🤞🏻

The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 20d

Vote here:

www.thebookparty.co.uk/uk-book-blog...

UK Book Blogger Awards | The Book Party

www.thebookparty.co.uk

The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 20d

I’m nominated for two UK Book Blogger Awards

Thank you so much for the nominations for Creative Excellence and the Book Blogger of the Year for the UK Book Blogger Awards 2025. I pride myself on trying to bring something different to the book review and blogging community - combining my love of…

I’m nominated for two UK Book Blogger Awards

Thank you so much for the nominations for Creative Excellence and the Book Blogger of the Year for the UK Book Blogger Awards 2025. I pride myself on trying to bring something different to the book review and blogging community - combining my love of psychology and books. I love taking a deep dive into well written books and complex characters, writing up a psychological formulation as a snap shot of what makes them who they are.

thepaperbackpsychologist.com

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The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 20d

Vote for me here:

www.thebookparty.co.uk/uk-book-blog...

UK Book Blogger Awards | The Book Party

www.thebookparty.co.uk

Reposted by The Paperback Psychologist

Damian Barr @damianbarr.bsky.social · 21d

I'm curating a show about the Two Roberts for Charleston in Lewes. Currently unwrapping artworks being loaned to us by incredibly generous individuals and institutions - it's like Christmas! 'Artists, Lovers, Outsiders' opens Oct 15: www.charleston.org.uk/exhibition/r...

Charleston — Robert MacBryde and Robert Colquhoun: Artists, Lovers, Outsiders

Explore the lives and work of the 'Two Roberts'

www.charleston.org.uk

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The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · 20d

Im nominated for two
UK Book Blogger Awards!
Thank you so much for the nominations for Creative Excellence and the Book Blogger of the Year.

It's been so nice to see your messages and thanks for your votes so far. There's still time to get your votes in. Voting closes tomorrow on Friday 26th Sep’

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Reposted by The Paperback Psychologist

Laura Cooney *Motherbunnet* on sale @lozzawriting.bsky.social · Sep 4

Once I drop this parcel of ten books off at my new stockist @typewronger Typewronger Books on Leith Walk, I'll only have 4 copies left.

It's a bit like the Elves and The Shoemaker. If three people buy one. I can order 25 more. They call this ... bookselling.

Help me out, eh? 😂

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Reposted by The Paperback Psychologist

The Portobello Bookshop @portybooks.bsky.social · Sep 2

As the Summer winds down, we’re heading into Autumn with a truly amazing line up of events to keep you busy this month after festival season!

You can sign up — and find details about who, where and when — here: www.theportobellobookshop.com/events

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Reposted by The Paperback Psychologist

Damian Barr @damianbarr.bsky.social · Sep 1

I’ve written about making art when it feels like the world is ending, about living truthfully in a homophobic world, about the Two Roberts in the 1940s. And a lot of it feels very…now.

Damian Barr @damianbarr.bsky.social · Aug 31

"The world is burning. Fascism is rising. Countries are falling. And we’re on the brink of incredible technological change, which will either be the end of everything or a new beginning. So, who needs artists?"

I've written about what it takes to make art & live bravely.

tinyurl.com/bdfjszbu

‘They had everything, then nothing’: the prodigies the art world forgot

Robert Colquhoun and Bobby MacBryde were once the golden boys of London’s art scene – photographed in Vogue, filmed by Ken Russell and lauded by Francis Bacon. So why did they vanish into obscurity?

tinyurl.com

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The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · Aug 18

This is something that I will change for myself, with my pile of James Kelman books growing on the shelf. I'm eager to read more and seeing him today has only reinforced to me James Kelman's importance within Scottish literature and beyond.

#jameskelman
#scottishliterature

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The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · Aug 18

It's a shame that despite such accolades his work is not more widely read and real barriers are in place that prevent younger audiences finding his work.

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The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · Aug 18

It's paradoxical that @thebookerprizes.com winning author (for his 1994 novel, How Late it was, How Late), who has been lauded as "the greatest British novelist of our time" by the Sunday Herald, finds his recent works not published in the UK and older works falling out of print.

The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · Aug 18

He then launched into an example of one of these stories, capturing speech of everyday real Scottish people, which featured what must be the finest example of swearing ever witnessed on stage at the Edinburgh International Book Festival!

The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · Aug 18

Reading an extract from his new book, he recalled absorbing the life around him whilst working his first job in a printing factory: "people told stories all the time. I listened, agog."

The Paperback Psychologist @thepaperbackpsych.bsky.social · Aug 18

The conversation explored Kelman's love of visual art & the parallels between his writing and art. I was fascinated by discussions on how he writes. He spoke about capturing real people and Scottish voices.