Helen Macdonald
@hjm.bsky.social
Writer. One half of a dynamic duo. H is for Hawk, Vesper Flights. PROPHET with Sin Blache. Rep by the Clegg Agency. Non-binary. They/she
Have just been reminded that my friend Christina once overheard the following in Waitrose: it’s perfect.
“Mummy, does Lego have a silent T on the end like Merlot?”
“Mummy, does Lego have a silent T on the end like Merlot?”
December 10, 2025 at 10:38 AM
Have just been reminded that my friend Christina once overheard the following in Waitrose: it’s perfect.
“Mummy, does Lego have a silent T on the end like Merlot?”
“Mummy, does Lego have a silent T on the end like Merlot?”
Good morning from Getting A Flu Jab At ASDA
December 10, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Good morning from Getting A Flu Jab At ASDA
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
more from the "interest in birds" subsection in Flannery O'Connor's personal life en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanner...
November 30, 2025 at 3:42 AM
more from the "interest in birds" subsection in Flannery O'Connor's personal life en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flanner...
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
You used to have to do a layer or two of analysis to arrive at "Generative AI is fascist, don't use it."
jesus christ
December 9, 2025 at 8:56 PM
You used to have to do a layer or two of analysis to arrive at "Generative AI is fascist, don't use it."
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
Jesus Christ okay I will
December 8, 2025 at 2:09 AM
Jesus Christ okay I will
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
A quick and dirty way to start sussing this out is to ask yourself, “Is this person really trying to help a group of people or does it look like they’re trying to punish someone right now, in this moment?”
Yeah. Sometimes, behind all the bellowing and bluster and fluency in social justice verbiage, you might observe a person’s behavior and realize their vision of justice is just “When is it my turn at the top? When is it my turn to do the violence?”
December 8, 2025 at 6:18 PM
A quick and dirty way to start sussing this out is to ask yourself, “Is this person really trying to help a group of people or does it look like they’re trying to punish someone right now, in this moment?”
Spineless appeasers. I'm so tired
December 8, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Spineless appeasers. I'm so tired
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
Again I am remined that Children of Men is set in 2027.
December 7, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Again I am remined that Children of Men is set in 2027.
never not reposting this one
December 7, 2025 at 1:01 PM
never not reposting this one
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
my great-grandparents arrived in the UK in the 1890s with nothing.
they sold pickles from the front room window, took in laundry, worked as tailors.
their children were nurses, teachers, salesmen.
their grandchildren were professors, designers, opticians, doctors, magistrates, entrepreneurs.
they sold pickles from the front room window, took in laundry, worked as tailors.
their children were nurses, teachers, salesmen.
their grandchildren were professors, designers, opticians, doctors, magistrates, entrepreneurs.
December 7, 2025 at 8:59 AM
my great-grandparents arrived in the UK in the 1890s with nothing.
they sold pickles from the front room window, took in laundry, worked as tailors.
their children were nurses, teachers, salesmen.
their grandchildren were professors, designers, opticians, doctors, magistrates, entrepreneurs.
they sold pickles from the front room window, took in laundry, worked as tailors.
their children were nurses, teachers, salesmen.
their grandchildren were professors, designers, opticians, doctors, magistrates, entrepreneurs.
By Wednesday afternoon the wind has dropped
and there can be a shakedown. When I tap
the stems, black seeds jump off onto the snow
and fix themselves, Jack says, according
to the disposition of the stars. It's
Alexander's dust, he says. It smells of
myrrh. It's Macedonian parsley and
(1/2)
and there can be a shakedown. When I tap
the stems, black seeds jump off onto the snow
and fix themselves, Jack says, according
to the disposition of the stars. It's
Alexander's dust, he says. It smells of
myrrh. It's Macedonian parsley and
(1/2)
Which lines of poetry live rent-free in your head?
December 6, 2025 at 6:52 PM
By Wednesday afternoon the wind has dropped
and there can be a shakedown. When I tap
the stems, black seeds jump off onto the snow
and fix themselves, Jack says, according
to the disposition of the stars. It's
Alexander's dust, he says. It smells of
myrrh. It's Macedonian parsley and
(1/2)
and there can be a shakedown. When I tap
the stems, black seeds jump off onto the snow
and fix themselves, Jack says, according
to the disposition of the stars. It's
Alexander's dust, he says. It smells of
myrrh. It's Macedonian parsley and
(1/2)
LOVE LOVE LOVE
Our gorgeous #WakeUpDeadMan end credit portraits, painted from life by Isabella Watling. We’re still in theaters, see my pinned post for a theater finder!
December 6, 2025 at 4:50 PM
LOVE LOVE LOVE
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
ABSOLUTELY FUCK OFF
December 6, 2025 at 1:22 PM
ABSOLUTELY FUCK OFF
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
Why did a BBC journalist need to ask a chatbot to identify the bits of this image which were edited? Surely it’s bleeding obvious? Do they think the chatbot adds more credibility to their story?
December 6, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Why did a BBC journalist need to ask a chatbot to identify the bits of this image which were edited? Surely it’s bleeding obvious? Do they think the chatbot adds more credibility to their story?
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
[Werner Herzog voice] He is monstrous, but in a more profound sense, Cookie Monster is also a victim
December 5, 2025 at 4:43 AM
[Werner Herzog voice] He is monstrous, but in a more profound sense, Cookie Monster is also a victim
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
just at the end of a snow squall you'll see for maybe ten seconds the weirdest and most beautiful light on earth. thats what you tell an old person when they ask you why you always have your phone
December 4, 2025 at 8:42 PM
just at the end of a snow squall you'll see for maybe ten seconds the weirdest and most beautiful light on earth. thats what you tell an old person when they ask you why you always have your phone
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
(Leading him to the Sphinx) Yeah, it’s like a trivia night
April 26, 2024 at 7:31 PM
(Leading him to the Sphinx) Yeah, it’s like a trivia night
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
Furious at this. TERFs and Gender Critical people are a loud, radicalized, wealthy minority, forcing groups who've done the right thing for years into horrible positions that none of them want. Stop buying Harry Potter. Fight for your trans brothers and sisters. They'll come for you next.
i hope every single person who still buys harry potter merch or engages with that franchise is happy that they're literally making girl guides cry
girl guides uk have been forced very much against their will to exclude trans girls. full statement is here: www.girlguiding.org.uk/information-...
girl guides uk have been forced very much against their will to exclude trans girls. full statement is here: www.girlguiding.org.uk/information-...
December 2, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Furious at this. TERFs and Gender Critical people are a loud, radicalized, wealthy minority, forcing groups who've done the right thing for years into horrible positions that none of them want. Stop buying Harry Potter. Fight for your trans brothers and sisters. They'll come for you next.
Fancy hotel update:
Having coffee. Two men next to me let out a VAST YELL OF JOY. I asked what happened. “We’re watching the racing” they said. “Oh!” I said. Did you make some money?”
“Darling, we own the horse. Would you like some champagne?”
Having coffee. Two men next to me let out a VAST YELL OF JOY. I asked what happened. “We’re watching the racing” they said. “Oh!” I said. Did you make some money?”
“Darling, we own the horse. Would you like some champagne?”
December 2, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Fancy hotel update:
Having coffee. Two men next to me let out a VAST YELL OF JOY. I asked what happened. “We’re watching the racing” they said. “Oh!” I said. Did you make some money?”
“Darling, we own the horse. Would you like some champagne?”
Having coffee. Two men next to me let out a VAST YELL OF JOY. I asked what happened. “We’re watching the racing” they said. “Oh!” I said. Did you make some money?”
“Darling, we own the horse. Would you like some champagne?”
In a fancy hotel. American next to me is complaining about having to go on LGBT lessons on his first day back from Switzerland
December 2, 2025 at 9:00 AM
In a fancy hotel. American next to me is complaining about having to go on LGBT lessons on his first day back from Switzerland
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
Good morning to LEGO Timothy Olyphant and LEGO Timothy Olyphant only
December 2, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Good morning to LEGO Timothy Olyphant and LEGO Timothy Olyphant only
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
I'm so mad that I understand this
Edward is a long Thomas but Gordon isn't a long Edward. He's blue Henry.
December 2, 2025 at 1:51 AM
I'm so mad that I understand this
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
it's advent you know what that means
December 1, 2025 at 8:04 AM
it's advent you know what that means
Britain’s most bravely altitudinous magpie observed behind Regent Street
December 1, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Britain’s most bravely altitudinous magpie observed behind Regent Street
Reposted by Helen Macdonald
every trans person i see post about the OU suspension knows that the suspended target is trans & a grad student, & has an innate awareness that this is about purging trans employees. every cis person i see thinks the target is a rando professor & that this is about giving conservatives good grades
December 1, 2025 at 12:04 AM
every trans person i see post about the OU suspension knows that the suspended target is trans & a grad student, & has an innate awareness that this is about purging trans employees. every cis person i see thinks the target is a rando professor & that this is about giving conservatives good grades