Ricky Monahan Brown
@rickyballboy.bsky.social
Writer. PRE-ORDER NOW: Poetry pamphlet Drawer of Letters from Broken Sleep Books – "Wonderfully audacious" 🖤 Terminal and Other Stories 🖤 Little Apples (novella) 🖤 Stroke: A 2% chance of survival (memoir)
Pinned
Ricky Monahan Brown - Drawer of Letters | Broken Sleep Books
Drawer of Letters by Ricky Monahan Brown is a wry, elegiac and formally varied collection that navigates illness, grief, intimacy and reinvention with intelligence and bite. Mixing elegy, haiku, lyric...
brokensleepbooks.com
My debut poetry pamphlet is available for pre-order from the mighty @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social.
Advance praise calls Drawer of Letters “wonderfully audacious”.
Find out more and order a copy: brokensleepbooks.com/product-page...
Advance praise calls Drawer of Letters “wonderfully audacious”.
Find out more and order a copy: brokensleepbooks.com/product-page...
Logged my nominations for Richard Shaw’s poll for the best debut albums of 1970-74:
1. Neu! – Neu! (1972)
2. Musik von Harmonia – Harmonia (1974)
3. Faust – Faust (1971)
4. Lou Reed – Lou Reed (1972)
5. Kraftwerk – Kraftwerk (1970)
1. Neu! – Neu! (1972)
2. Musik von Harmonia – Harmonia (1974)
3. Faust – Faust (1971)
4. Lou Reed – Lou Reed (1972)
5. Kraftwerk – Kraftwerk (1970)
December 12, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Logged my nominations for Richard Shaw’s poll for the best debut albums of 1970-74:
1. Neu! – Neu! (1972)
2. Musik von Harmonia – Harmonia (1974)
3. Faust – Faust (1971)
4. Lou Reed – Lou Reed (1972)
5. Kraftwerk – Kraftwerk (1970)
1. Neu! – Neu! (1972)
2. Musik von Harmonia – Harmonia (1974)
3. Faust – Faust (1971)
4. Lou Reed – Lou Reed (1972)
5. Kraftwerk – Kraftwerk (1970)
Just saw a mutual posting about favourite Christmas songs.
So, I guess it’s time for Nerd Bait* to ruin Christmas…
*RIP
on.soundcloud.com/B2PEZzINAh7N...
So, I guess it’s time for Nerd Bait* to ruin Christmas…
*RIP
on.soundcloud.com/B2PEZzINAh7N...
The Birds Fate Ruins Christmas EP
The 2016 Christmas EP
soundcloud.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Just saw a mutual posting about favourite Christmas songs.
So, I guess it’s time for Nerd Bait* to ruin Christmas…
*RIP
on.soundcloud.com/B2PEZzINAh7N...
So, I guess it’s time for Nerd Bait* to ruin Christmas…
*RIP
on.soundcloud.com/B2PEZzINAh7N...
Ok. *Now* it’s Christmas!
December 7, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Ok. *Now* it’s Christmas!
On 2nd ***January***, I’ll be reading from Drawer of Letters at an online launch event with other poets who have work upcoming from the award-winning Broken Sleep Books.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/broken-sle...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/broken-sle...
Broken Sleep Books December 2025 Launch
Readers: Liza Costello ,Patrick Davidson Roberts, Katie Hale, Stuart McPherson, Christopher Horton, Róisín Ní Neachtain,and Eleni Philippou
www.eventbrite.co.uk
December 4, 2025 at 12:04 PM
On 2nd ***January***, I’ll be reading from Drawer of Letters at an online launch event with other poets who have work upcoming from the award-winning Broken Sleep Books.
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/broken-sle...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/broken-sle...
My debut poetry pamphlet is available for pre-order from the mighty @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social.
Advance praise calls Drawer of Letters “wonderfully audacious”.
Find out more and order a copy: brokensleepbooks.com/product-page...
Advance praise calls Drawer of Letters “wonderfully audacious”.
Find out more and order a copy: brokensleepbooks.com/product-page...
Ricky Monahan Brown - Drawer of Letters | Broken Sleep Books
Drawer of Letters by Ricky Monahan Brown is a wry, elegiac and formally varied collection that navigates illness, grief, intimacy and reinvention with intelligence and bite. Mixing elegy, haiku, lyric...
brokensleepbooks.com
December 3, 2025 at 11:02 AM
My debut poetry pamphlet is available for pre-order from the mighty @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social.
Advance praise calls Drawer of Letters “wonderfully audacious”.
Find out more and order a copy: brokensleepbooks.com/product-page...
Advance praise calls Drawer of Letters “wonderfully audacious”.
Find out more and order a copy: brokensleepbooks.com/product-page...
It wouldn’t be too far out of bounds to suggest that discovering the radio adaptation of Stoppard’s Arcadia – utilising the cast of the original National Theatre production – as a teenager was a life-altering experience for me.
November 29, 2025 at 7:04 PM
It wouldn’t be too far out of bounds to suggest that discovering the radio adaptation of Stoppard’s Arcadia – utilising the cast of the original National Theatre production – as a teenager was a life-altering experience for me.
Just posted my nominations for Richard Shaw’s poll for the best debut albums of 2010-14:
1. Parquet Courts: American Specialties (2011)
2. Run the Jewels: Run the Jewels (2013)
3. Sleigh Bells: Treats (2010)
4. Alvvays: Alvvays (2014)
5. Chvrches: The Bones of What You Believe (2013)
1. Parquet Courts: American Specialties (2011)
2. Run the Jewels: Run the Jewels (2013)
3. Sleigh Bells: Treats (2010)
4. Alvvays: Alvvays (2014)
5. Chvrches: The Bones of What You Believe (2013)
November 21, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Just posted my nominations for Richard Shaw’s poll for the best debut albums of 2010-14:
1. Parquet Courts: American Specialties (2011)
2. Run the Jewels: Run the Jewels (2013)
3. Sleigh Bells: Treats (2010)
4. Alvvays: Alvvays (2014)
5. Chvrches: The Bones of What You Believe (2013)
1. Parquet Courts: American Specialties (2011)
2. Run the Jewels: Run the Jewels (2013)
3. Sleigh Bells: Treats (2010)
4. Alvvays: Alvvays (2014)
5. Chvrches: The Bones of What You Believe (2013)
Eagle-eyed readers of the material from @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social quoted in my last post may deduce that further announcements are imminent… 🔍
November 13, 2025 at 11:30 AM
Eagle-eyed readers of the material from @brokensleepbooks.bsky.social quoted in my last post may deduce that further announcements are imminent… 🔍
Proud to have my poetry included in the Broken Sleep Books Anthology 2025, which gathers together standout, risk-taking writing from the award-winning independent press.
Support vibrant, compelling contemporary literature and discover your new favourite writers now!
Support vibrant, compelling contemporary literature and discover your new favourite writers now!
The Broken Sleep Books Anthology 2025 gathers standout, risk-taking writing from every publication of the year, spanning poetry, non-fiction and fiction.
www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page...
www.brokensleepbooks.com/product-page...
November 13, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Proud to have my poetry included in the Broken Sleep Books Anthology 2025, which gathers together standout, risk-taking writing from the award-winning independent press.
Support vibrant, compelling contemporary literature and discover your new favourite writers now!
Support vibrant, compelling contemporary literature and discover your new favourite writers now!
Happy RLS Day to those who celebrate. Why not mark the day by picking up a copy of 274 Miles from Tantallon Tìr?
It includes my short homage to Stevenson's gnomic Fables.
tantallontir.com/shop/
It includes my short homage to Stevenson's gnomic Fables.
tantallontir.com/shop/
Shop – Tantallon Tìr
This is where you can browse products in this store.
tantallontir.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Happy RLS Day to those who celebrate. Why not mark the day by picking up a copy of 274 Miles from Tantallon Tìr?
It includes my short homage to Stevenson's gnomic Fables.
tantallontir.com/shop/
It includes my short homage to Stevenson's gnomic Fables.
tantallontir.com/shop/
This @natlibscot.bsky.social event at the Kelvin Hall on 12 Nov should be a cracker.
www.nls.uk/whats-on/lib...
www.nls.uk/whats-on/lib...
Libraries that shaped me | National Library of Scotland
An in-conversation event for students with authors Louise Welsh and Damian Barr about how libraries shaped their lives.
www.nls.uk
November 6, 2025 at 11:14 AM
This @natlibscot.bsky.social event at the Kelvin Hall on 12 Nov should be a cracker.
www.nls.uk/whats-on/lib...
www.nls.uk/whats-on/lib...
Rightly lauded from Poland to Brazil. If you want vital new Scottish music, support vital new Scottish music.
New album from Gutterblood* 👇
gutterbloodband.bandcamp.com/album/good-dog…
*I don’t know the band, I’m not involved in anyway; just a fan who wants vital new Scottish music.
New album from Gutterblood* 👇
gutterbloodband.bandcamp.com/album/good-dog…
*I don’t know the band, I’m not involved in anyway; just a fan who wants vital new Scottish music.
October 25, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Rightly lauded from Poland to Brazil. If you want vital new Scottish music, support vital new Scottish music.
New album from Gutterblood* 👇
gutterbloodband.bandcamp.com/album/good-dog…
*I don’t know the band, I’m not involved in anyway; just a fan who wants vital new Scottish music.
New album from Gutterblood* 👇
gutterbloodband.bandcamp.com/album/good-dog…
*I don’t know the band, I’m not involved in anyway; just a fan who wants vital new Scottish music.
Very much hoping his 8yo son tied him up in the trunk and went looking for Sissy Spacek, a Lee Jean jacket, and a mansion to knock over.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/m...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/m...
I Tried to Toughen Up My Son. Things Didn’t Go as Planned.
www.nytimes.com
October 25, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Very much hoping his 8yo son tied him up in the trunk and went looking for Sissy Spacek, a Lee Jean jacket, and a mansion to knock over.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/m...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/19/m...
Just submitted my votes for Richard Shaw’s poll for the best 5 debut albums of 1980-84:
1. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions: Rattlesnakes (1984)
2. Billy Bragg: Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy (1983)
3. Violent Femmes: Violent Femmes (1983)
4. The Smiths: The Smiths (1984)
5. R.E.M.: Murmur (1983)
1. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions: Rattlesnakes (1984)
2. Billy Bragg: Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy (1983)
3. Violent Femmes: Violent Femmes (1983)
4. The Smiths: The Smiths (1984)
5. R.E.M.: Murmur (1983)
October 24, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Just submitted my votes for Richard Shaw’s poll for the best 5 debut albums of 1980-84:
1. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions: Rattlesnakes (1984)
2. Billy Bragg: Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy (1983)
3. Violent Femmes: Violent Femmes (1983)
4. The Smiths: The Smiths (1984)
5. R.E.M.: Murmur (1983)
1. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions: Rattlesnakes (1984)
2. Billy Bragg: Life's a Riot with Spy vs Spy (1983)
3. Violent Femmes: Violent Femmes (1983)
4. The Smiths: The Smiths (1984)
5. R.E.M.: Murmur (1983)
My nominations for Richard Shaw’s poll of the best best debut album of 2000 to 2004 are:
1. Gravenhurst: Internal Travels (2001)
2. The Strokes: Is This It (2001)
3. Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand (2004)
4. The Libertines: Up The Bracket (2002)
5. Röyksopp: Melody A.M. (2001)
1. Gravenhurst: Internal Travels (2001)
2. The Strokes: Is This It (2001)
3. Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand (2004)
4. The Libertines: Up The Bracket (2002)
5. Röyksopp: Melody A.M. (2001)
October 4, 2025 at 7:49 AM
My nominations for Richard Shaw’s poll of the best best debut album of 2000 to 2004 are:
1. Gravenhurst: Internal Travels (2001)
2. The Strokes: Is This It (2001)
3. Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand (2004)
4. The Libertines: Up The Bracket (2002)
5. Röyksopp: Melody A.M. (2001)
1. Gravenhurst: Internal Travels (2001)
2. The Strokes: Is This It (2001)
3. Franz Ferdinand: Franz Ferdinand (2004)
4. The Libertines: Up The Bracket (2002)
5. Röyksopp: Melody A.M. (2001)
You wait ages for an RMB reading... (sic)
Come! Offer moral support! Enjoy writing by people who aren’t me!
274 Miles launch: Grosvenor Cafe, Glasgow, 1 Oct at 6pm; Poetry on the Links premiere, Les Bijou (on the Links) Bistro, Leith, 3 Oct at 6:30pm
Come! Offer moral support! Enjoy writing by people who aren’t me!
274 Miles launch: Grosvenor Cafe, Glasgow, 1 Oct at 6pm; Poetry on the Links premiere, Les Bijou (on the Links) Bistro, Leith, 3 Oct at 6:30pm
September 27, 2025 at 5:23 PM
You wait ages for an RMB reading... (sic)
Come! Offer moral support! Enjoy writing by people who aren’t me!
274 Miles launch: Grosvenor Cafe, Glasgow, 1 Oct at 6pm; Poetry on the Links premiere, Les Bijou (on the Links) Bistro, Leith, 3 Oct at 6:30pm
Come! Offer moral support! Enjoy writing by people who aren’t me!
274 Miles launch: Grosvenor Cafe, Glasgow, 1 Oct at 6pm; Poetry on the Links premiere, Les Bijou (on the Links) Bistro, Leith, 3 Oct at 6:30pm
Via new Scottish publisher Tantallon Tìr:
“Book launch:
We’ll be having our 274 Miles book launch on the 1st of October at The Grosvenor Café on Ashton Lane in their Mezzanine area. We’ll have author readings and books available to buy.
18:00-20:00.”
I’m one of the contributors. Do come along.
“Book launch:
We’ll be having our 274 Miles book launch on the 1st of October at The Grosvenor Café on Ashton Lane in their Mezzanine area. We’ll have author readings and books available to buy.
18:00-20:00.”
I’m one of the contributors. Do come along.
September 13, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Via new Scottish publisher Tantallon Tìr:
“Book launch:
We’ll be having our 274 Miles book launch on the 1st of October at The Grosvenor Café on Ashton Lane in their Mezzanine area. We’ll have author readings and books available to buy.
18:00-20:00.”
I’m one of the contributors. Do come along.
“Book launch:
We’ll be having our 274 Miles book launch on the 1st of October at The Grosvenor Café on Ashton Lane in their Mezzanine area. We’ll have author readings and books available to buy.
18:00-20:00.”
I’m one of the contributors. Do come along.
I’ve posted my selections for the final of Richard Shaw’s polls for the best 5 albums of the 50s and 60s:
1. Scott Walker – Scott 4
2. Scott Walker – Scott
3. Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home
4. Townes Van Zandt – Townes Van Zandt
5. Simon & Garfunkel – Sounds Of Silence
1. Scott Walker – Scott 4
2. Scott Walker – Scott
3. Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home
4. Townes Van Zandt – Townes Van Zandt
5. Simon & Garfunkel – Sounds Of Silence
September 12, 2025 at 6:39 PM
I’ve posted my selections for the final of Richard Shaw’s polls for the best 5 albums of the 50s and 60s:
1. Scott Walker – Scott 4
2. Scott Walker – Scott
3. Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home
4. Townes Van Zandt – Townes Van Zandt
5. Simon & Garfunkel – Sounds Of Silence
1. Scott Walker – Scott 4
2. Scott Walker – Scott
3. Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home
4. Townes Van Zandt – Townes Van Zandt
5. Simon & Garfunkel – Sounds Of Silence
Melvyn Bragg’s In Our Time has been a towering achievement in British broadcasting. Right now, it’s hard to imagine someone steeping into his shoes.
Might have to make a regular Thursday appt to dip into the archives…
Might have to make a regular Thursday appt to dip into the archives…
September 5, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Melvyn Bragg’s In Our Time has been a towering achievement in British broadcasting. Right now, it’s hard to imagine someone steeping into his shoes.
Might have to make a regular Thursday appt to dip into the archives…
Might have to make a regular Thursday appt to dip into the archives…
Reposted by Ricky Monahan Brown
Scottish PEN has issued a statement regarding the arrest of award-winning Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty and calling on the authorities to respect the legitimate right of people to protest in support of the ideal of one humanity living in peace in one world 👇
scottishpen.org/statement-on...
scottishpen.org/statement-on...
August 26, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Scottish PEN has issued a statement regarding the arrest of award-winning Scottish screenwriter Paul Laverty and calling on the authorities to respect the legitimate right of people to protest in support of the ideal of one humanity living in peace in one world 👇
scottishpen.org/statement-on...
scottishpen.org/statement-on...
My picks for SF5 of Richard Shaw’s 50s-60s albums polls:
1. Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home
2. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin
3. Leonard Cohen – The Songs Of Leonard Cohen
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy And The Poor Boys
5. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica
1. Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home
2. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin
3. Leonard Cohen – The Songs Of Leonard Cohen
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy And The Poor Boys
5. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica
August 22, 2025 at 6:33 PM
My picks for SF5 of Richard Shaw’s 50s-60s albums polls:
1. Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home
2. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin
3. Leonard Cohen – The Songs Of Leonard Cohen
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy And The Poor Boys
5. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica
1. Bob Dylan – Bringing It All Back Home
2. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin
3. Leonard Cohen – The Songs Of Leonard Cohen
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival – Willy And The Poor Boys
5. Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band – Trout Mask Replica
Je parle un peu français seulement, mais La Promesse Brel avec Arnaud Askoy et ses partenaires musicaux à l'Institut Français Écosse, c'était magnifique
August 20, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Je parle un peu français seulement, mais La Promesse Brel avec Arnaud Askoy et ses partenaires musicaux à l'Institut Français Écosse, c'était magnifique
Via new Scottish publisher Tantallon Tìr for 274 Miles, a collection of work by some of the most exciting contemporary writers in Scotland (and me):
‘Finish something. Stare at its imperfections, fix them, expunge them, do whatever you need to do, but finish it.’
tantallontir.com/author-spotl...
‘Finish something. Stare at its imperfections, fix them, expunge them, do whatever you need to do, but finish it.’
tantallontir.com/author-spotl...
Exploring the Works and Writing of Ricky Monahan Brown
Explore the literary world of Ricky Monahan Brown, a Scottish writer inspired by Stevenson and known for his captivating stories and poetry.
tantallontir.com
August 18, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Via new Scottish publisher Tantallon Tìr for 274 Miles, a collection of work by some of the most exciting contemporary writers in Scotland (and me):
‘Finish something. Stare at its imperfections, fix them, expunge them, do whatever you need to do, but finish it.’
tantallontir.com/author-spotl...
‘Finish something. Stare at its imperfections, fix them, expunge them, do whatever you need to do, but finish it.’
tantallontir.com/author-spotl...
The legal people have insisted that Morrissey will now have to stand in for Terence Stamp
August 17, 2025 at 6:29 PM
The legal people have insisted that Morrissey will now have to stand in for Terence Stamp
