Newsletters
I currently write two newsletters:
Fieldwork: Fieldwork is my eco-comedy podcast project, which aims to engage people with the climate and biodiversity crises by making them laugh and then stealthily slipping in a bit of science whilst they're not looking. This newsletter keeps supporters up-to-date with the project's progress and explores related topics. Some of my most popular posts include:
- Lessons from the Sycamore Gap: What happened when the Sycamore Gap tree was illegally felled was illuminating, showing just how much people care about environmental stories when they feel an emotional connection.
- Introducing ‘the sit’, rewilding and illegal lynx releases: Rewilding and illegal animal releases in fiction and real life.
- Why hawfinches? The chonkiest and most elusive of the UK's finches, the hawfinch is as enigmatic and mysterious as they come.
Word Count: This is my newsletter for writers and people interested in my creative work, in which I share my own writing progress, and occasionally write essays about related topics. The three most read posts from this newsletter are:
- Can publishing survive the oncoming AI storm? From 2023: Short stories and novellas are easy marks for AI-generated literature, but how will publishing cope with an influx of AI-generated books?
- Word Count 53: The state of AI and the Goodreads fiasco. Just two main topics this week but one is important and the other is mindboggling.
- Word Count 102: The Salt Path controversy, Unbound was doomed from start. Plus a weird alphabet that hampered children learning to read.
As an aside, Why Aren't I Writing is a newsletter about writer's block which is currently on hiatus because I'm too busy with other projects at the moment. There's lots of good tips there, though, if you're trying to write and are feeling a bit stuck.
Journalism
I have worked as a freelance journalist since the late 90s, and am currently reviving that part of my career. In November 2025, I had my first piece published in a while: Our precious island of biodiversity in the city looks at the importance of small green spaces to biodiversity, and was commissioned by the Friends of Brompton Cemetery Magazine.
Past work
Music Journalism
Linux User & Developer
- A problem of curves
- Challenging data retention
- Digital rights abuse in your back garden
- Oh, what big eyes you have!
- Opposing copyright term extension
- Reviewing the Gowers Review
- Telling stories
- The Gowers Review: more fun than a sack of ferrets
- The politicians and the database
- When politicians rush in
- Whose Net is it anyway?