David Aitken
@davidaitken.bsky.social
Wordsmith, lost deep in the word mines, collecting acceptable adverbs and credible similes. Keen to surface and present my findings to an astonished world.
Pinned
David Aitken
@davidaitken.bsky.social
· Dec 10
Great to finally have the anthology in my hands. Seven 5star reviews so far from readers loving our creepy vibes. Paperback £7.99, free on Kindle Unlimited.
tinyurl.com/54u8uxpr
#booksky
#ghoststories
tinyurl.com/54u8uxpr
#booksky
#ghoststories
Reposted by David Aitken
In 2020, Jim Ratcliffe moved his fortune to Monaco, saving himself an estimated £4 billion in tax.
In the same year, immigrants in the UK contributed around £20 billion in tax.
That says it all.
In the same year, immigrants in the UK contributed around £20 billion in tax.
That says it all.
Guardian view on Sir Jim Ratcliffe: Britain does not need political lectures from a billionaire tax exile | Editorial
Editorial: Comments on the ‘colonisation of the UK’ by the co-owner of Manchester United were erroneous, crass and a gif
www.theguardian.com
February 13, 2026 at 5:16 PM
In 2020, Jim Ratcliffe moved his fortune to Monaco, saving himself an estimated £4 billion in tax.
In the same year, immigrants in the UK contributed around £20 billion in tax.
That says it all.
In the same year, immigrants in the UK contributed around £20 billion in tax.
That says it all.
Reposted by David Aitken
GenAI users are just another in the long line of people who want an easy path to creative success, so they target art, because they think the work of creation is unimportant in regards to the product
It’s the “I could do that” guy in the modern art museum
It’s why they choose the genres they do
It’s the “I could do that” guy in the modern art museum
It’s why they choose the genres they do
February 8, 2026 at 3:11 PM
GenAI users are just another in the long line of people who want an easy path to creative success, so they target art, because they think the work of creation is unimportant in regards to the product
It’s the “I could do that” guy in the modern art museum
It’s why they choose the genres they do
It’s the “I could do that” guy in the modern art museum
It’s why they choose the genres they do
Great piece from Mike on the crumbling shit show that is the country still currently known as the United Kingdom...
The deep problems of British public life: its entrenched hierarchy, clandestine politics, and centralisation of power, all conducted under a semi-feudal structure, seem to be bubbling to the surface and coming to the boil.
open.substack.com/pub/fiftysix...
open.substack.com/pub/fiftysix...
February 3, 2026 at 4:20 PM
Great piece from Mike on the crumbling shit show that is the country still currently known as the United Kingdom...
Reposted by David Aitken
What we're seeing with different elements of civic society creeping around with Farage is very much what I call the 'shadow election' - the way in which elites try to anticipate an election and change of power, which in some ways they see as a rubber stamp on their own choices. (1/2)
February 2, 2026 at 9:19 AM
What we're seeing with different elements of civic society creeping around with Farage is very much what I call the 'shadow election' - the way in which elites try to anticipate an election and change of power, which in some ways they see as a rubber stamp on their own choices. (1/2)
Reposted by David Aitken
New to Dunfermline High Street. This is Twice Told Tales, second-hand bookshop & cafe: “We have been absolutely blown away by the response we've had. Thank you so much to everyone who's visited and for all the encouraging comments. It has far exceeded our wildest expectations.”
Via Dunfermline Press
Via Dunfermline Press
February 2, 2026 at 6:54 AM
New to Dunfermline High Street. This is Twice Told Tales, second-hand bookshop & cafe: “We have been absolutely blown away by the response we've had. Thank you so much to everyone who's visited and for all the encouraging comments. It has far exceeded our wildest expectations.”
Via Dunfermline Press
Via Dunfermline Press
Reposted by David Aitken
Blink and you'll miss it - another Labour manifesto promise broken.
February 2, 2026 at 7:16 AM
Blink and you'll miss it - another Labour manifesto promise broken.
Reposted by David Aitken
And this mistake has led to the narrowing of sitcom. Every sitcom now has to be set in a recognisable fixed space. When the genius of the form is you can put your characters anywhere. Tudor England. Deep space. On the buses. Doesn’t matter. The recognition is the character dynamics, not the set.
February 2, 2026 at 8:22 AM
And this mistake has led to the narrowing of sitcom. Every sitcom now has to be set in a recognisable fixed space. When the genius of the form is you can put your characters anywhere. Tudor England. Deep space. On the buses. Doesn’t matter. The recognition is the character dynamics, not the set.
Reposted by David Aitken
Peter Cook on “those wonderful Berlin cabarets which did so much to stop the rise of Hitler and prevent the outbreak of the Second World War,” notwithstanding, fascists hate artists because empathy highlights their hatefulness & renders them ridiculous.
I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Stay free
Stay free
Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis (Official Audio)
YouTube video by Bruce Springsteen
youtu.be
January 28, 2026 at 6:03 PM
Peter Cook on “those wonderful Berlin cabarets which did so much to stop the rise of Hitler and prevent the outbreak of the Second World War,” notwithstanding, fascists hate artists because empathy highlights their hatefulness & renders them ridiculous.
Thoroughly recommend Alan's writing classes. I'm near completion of the first draft of a novel, with an idea born from a prompt in a thi wurd class. Subsequent extracts have since been critiqued by an array of talented readers and writers from this group.
#amwriting
#booksky
#writingcommunity
#amwriting
#booksky
#writingcommunity
This session takes place next week. Create some new writing with us. And it's only a fiver! Book your place here: www.thi-wurd.com/thi-wurd-hou...
thi wurd hour – Monday 2nd Feb 2026 - thi wurd
thi wurd hour, creative writing fiction class. Improvised writing with prompts. Online, 2nd Feb 2026, 7-8pm (GMT). £5. thi-wurd.com
www.thi-wurd.com
January 26, 2026 at 10:39 AM
Thoroughly recommend Alan's writing classes. I'm near completion of the first draft of a novel, with an idea born from a prompt in a thi wurd class. Subsequent extracts have since been critiqued by an array of talented readers and writers from this group.
#amwriting
#booksky
#writingcommunity
#amwriting
#booksky
#writingcommunity
Reposted by David Aitken
Much though I have enjoyed all of my many trips to the USA over forty or so years I have realised that I cannot go there any more until there is what we might call ‘regime change’ Like Iran they are killing their own citizens. Tragic
January 25, 2026 at 10:59 AM
Much though I have enjoyed all of my many trips to the USA over forty or so years I have realised that I cannot go there any more until there is what we might call ‘regime change’ Like Iran they are killing their own citizens. Tragic
Reposted by David Aitken
If you're living somewhere outside the USA, one thing you can do is pressure your leaders to boycott World Cup and Olympic events here.
January 24, 2026 at 8:29 PM
If you're living somewhere outside the USA, one thing you can do is pressure your leaders to boycott World Cup and Olympic events here.
Reposted by David Aitken
“We’ve invented a magic computer. It uses all of the earth’s resources, we’ve spent trillions on it and it’s the sole growth area of the US economy.”
“What does it do?”
“We were hoping you could tell us.”
“What does it do?”
“We were hoping you could tell us.”
Delicious to me
January 22, 2026 at 7:36 AM
“We’ve invented a magic computer. It uses all of the earth’s resources, we’ve spent trillions on it and it’s the sole growth area of the US economy.”
“What does it do?”
“We were hoping you could tell us.”
“What does it do?”
“We were hoping you could tell us.”
Reposted by David Aitken
The sad thing is that social media is a lifeline for a lot of young people and shouldn't require anything close to a ban but Big Tech has been so rapacious, reckless and amoral that it has legitimised authoritarian solutions. It's not the tech, it's the monsters who control it
January 19, 2026 at 3:06 PM
The sad thing is that social media is a lifeline for a lot of young people and shouldn't require anything close to a ban but Big Tech has been so rapacious, reckless and amoral that it has legitimised authoritarian solutions. It's not the tech, it's the monsters who control it
Come on @johnswinney.bsky.social get off X, man.
You're sullying yourself remaining there. It's now a vote loser to remain on that platform.
Disconnect.
@rosscolquhoun.bsky.social get him telt, will you?
There's no good reason to be on there anymore.
You're sullying yourself remaining there. It's now a vote loser to remain on that platform.
Disconnect.
@rosscolquhoun.bsky.social get him telt, will you?
There's no good reason to be on there anymore.
I'm sorry, 'writing on X', have you not a clue what's happening most of you. A platform controlled by Trump allies where you won't get a hearing, your opinion will be de-rated and suppressed and the hate directed at you monetised? UK politicians just don't understand the moment.
January 18, 2026 at 4:46 PM
Come on @johnswinney.bsky.social get off X, man.
You're sullying yourself remaining there. It's now a vote loser to remain on that platform.
Disconnect.
@rosscolquhoun.bsky.social get him telt, will you?
There's no good reason to be on there anymore.
You're sullying yourself remaining there. It's now a vote loser to remain on that platform.
Disconnect.
@rosscolquhoun.bsky.social get him telt, will you?
There's no good reason to be on there anymore.
Congratulations @gentleman-of-west.bsky.social you must be chuffed to bits.
Powerful and emotive recollections of your mum's life in Dani's article.
Nice wee mention for @thiwurd.bsky.social too.
Powerful and emotive recollections of your mum's life in Dani's article.
Nice wee mention for @thiwurd.bsky.social too.
It's the centenary of the wonderful Agnes Owens' birth this year. Her books are being reissued & a satellite archive has officially opened within the Alasdair Gray archive. I spoke to her son, John, & wrote about this "most unfairly neglected of Scottish authors" in the @heraldscotland.bsky.social.
Finally, recognition for 'unfairly neglected' Scottish author Agnes Owens
Writer Agnes Owens was once seen as “part of a golden age of Scottish literature,” and influenced younger writers, including Janice Galloway,…
www.heraldscotland.com
January 17, 2026 at 1:34 PM
Congratulations @gentleman-of-west.bsky.social you must be chuffed to bits.
Powerful and emotive recollections of your mum's life in Dani's article.
Nice wee mention for @thiwurd.bsky.social too.
Powerful and emotive recollections of your mum's life in Dani's article.
Nice wee mention for @thiwurd.bsky.social too.
Reposted by David Aitken
Scotland will expand free school breakfast clubs and support former Mossmorran workers.
It will be paid for by taxes on private jets, shooting estates, and million pound homes.
The Scottish Green proposals were accepted by the Scottish Government and announced in today's budget.
It will be paid for by taxes on private jets, shooting estates, and million pound homes.
The Scottish Green proposals were accepted by the Scottish Government and announced in today's budget.
January 13, 2026 at 9:13 PM
Scotland will expand free school breakfast clubs and support former Mossmorran workers.
It will be paid for by taxes on private jets, shooting estates, and million pound homes.
The Scottish Green proposals were accepted by the Scottish Government and announced in today's budget.
It will be paid for by taxes on private jets, shooting estates, and million pound homes.
The Scottish Green proposals were accepted by the Scottish Government and announced in today's budget.
Reposted by David Aitken
It’s a bargain at full price. Get extra copies now and give them to your friends.
Got my royalty statement for Saltburn. It sold 24 copies in last six months. Selling books is tough.
You can get it now for 50% off in Renard Press’s Books of 2025 promotion. Yours for £5.
#SupportIndiePublishing
renardpress.com/books/saltbu...
You can get it now for 50% off in Renard Press’s Books of 2025 promotion. Yours for £5.
#SupportIndiePublishing
renardpress.com/books/saltbu...
Saltburn – Renard Press
May the residents of the real Saltburn-by-the-Sea and neighbouring towns forgive my mermaids, my nuclear power stations, my foetus museums and so on and so on. They were written with love. Welcome to ...
renardpress.com
January 11, 2026 at 8:45 AM
It’s a bargain at full price. Get extra copies now and give them to your friends.
Look at the figures, it's a no brainer, @johnswinney.bsky.social
Political class are addicted to the platform, and vastly over exaggerate its reach with voters.
Coming off is a vote winner.
cc: @rosscolquhoun.bsky.social
Political class are addicted to the platform, and vastly over exaggerate its reach with voters.
Coming off is a vote winner.
cc: @rosscolquhoun.bsky.social
January 10, 2026 at 12:02 PM
Look at the figures, it's a no brainer, @johnswinney.bsky.social
Political class are addicted to the platform, and vastly over exaggerate its reach with voters.
Coming off is a vote winner.
cc: @rosscolquhoun.bsky.social
Political class are addicted to the platform, and vastly over exaggerate its reach with voters.
Coming off is a vote winner.
cc: @rosscolquhoun.bsky.social
Reposted by David Aitken
The principal of Edinburgh University Sir Peter Mathieson will earn close on £ half a million this year. He proposes allowing (!) Scottish students to pay fees. Why not seek out Scots who’d be content with modest salaries to run public services instead?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Scottish students should pay towards tuition, says Edinburgh uni principal
Prof Sir Peter Mathieson said that Scotland could adopt a
www.bbc.co.uk
January 9, 2026 at 8:47 AM
The principal of Edinburgh University Sir Peter Mathieson will earn close on £ half a million this year. He proposes allowing (!) Scottish students to pay fees. Why not seek out Scots who’d be content with modest salaries to run public services instead?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Fantastic classes. Really help you to focus on improving your craft, but also great for generating ideas for new work. All done in a supportive and collegiate atmosphere, and surprisingly good fun, given it's on Zoom. Want to write? All abilities nurtured and encouraged.
Starts next Tuesday. We are based in Glasgow. Writers from around the world are welcome. Details on our website www.thi-wurd.com
January 6, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Fantastic classes. Really help you to focus on improving your craft, but also great for generating ideas for new work. All done in a supportive and collegiate atmosphere, and surprisingly good fun, given it's on Zoom. Want to write? All abilities nurtured and encouraged.
Reposted by David Aitken
Scotland, Caracas and the Trump Corollary
open.substack.com/pub/fiftysix...
open.substack.com/pub/fiftysix...
Scotland, Caracas and the Trump Corollary
It has the same feeling as reporting the loss of the Titanic with the apocryphal headline attributed to the Aberdeen Press and Journal: “North-east man lost at sea”, to report on events in Caracas in ...
open.substack.com
January 6, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Scotland, Caracas and the Trump Corollary
open.substack.com/pub/fiftysix...
open.substack.com/pub/fiftysix...
Reposted by David Aitken
It is November 2025 Martin O’Neill is simultaneously the former, current, and future manager of Glasgow Celtic Football Club.
January 5, 2026 at 8:49 PM
It is November 2025 Martin O’Neill is simultaneously the former, current, and future manager of Glasgow Celtic Football Club.
Reposted by David Aitken
The Carrying Stream is a new podcast for Scottish words and ideas – long-form conversations with writers, scholars, poets and artists. 🎙️🏴
Episode 0 is now live, alongside the first three full conversations.
pod.link/1865430519
Episode 0 is now live, alongside the first three full conversations.
pod.link/1865430519
January 4, 2026 at 11:23 AM
The Carrying Stream is a new podcast for Scottish words and ideas – long-form conversations with writers, scholars, poets and artists. 🎙️🏴
Episode 0 is now live, alongside the first three full conversations.
pod.link/1865430519
Episode 0 is now live, alongside the first three full conversations.
pod.link/1865430519
Reposted by David Aitken
Fascist US President 🤝 Fascist Social Media Platform
The UK Government thinking everything is A-OK to keep continuing on as before with them.
Never in my lifetime has there been such a gaping moral void at the heart of this state than right now. What a grim world we're now in.
The UK Government thinking everything is A-OK to keep continuing on as before with them.
Never in my lifetime has there been such a gaping moral void at the heart of this state than right now. What a grim world we're now in.
January 3, 2026 at 5:50 PM
Fascist US President 🤝 Fascist Social Media Platform
The UK Government thinking everything is A-OK to keep continuing on as before with them.
Never in my lifetime has there been such a gaping moral void at the heart of this state than right now. What a grim world we're now in.
The UK Government thinking everything is A-OK to keep continuing on as before with them.
Never in my lifetime has there been such a gaping moral void at the heart of this state than right now. What a grim world we're now in.
Reposted by David Aitken
“Well, we must face a new reality. No more carefree days of chasing squirrels, running through the park, or howling at the moon. On the other hand, no more ‘Fetch the stick, boy,
fetch the stick.’”
fetch the stick.’”
January 3, 2026 at 3:04 PM
“Well, we must face a new reality. No more carefree days of chasing squirrels, running through the park, or howling at the moon. On the other hand, no more ‘Fetch the stick, boy,
fetch the stick.’”
fetch the stick.’”