Substacks recommended by Kenny Farquharson

Recommended by Kenny Farquharson

Slugger Confidential

Editor of Slugger O'Toole, the longest continuously running political blog in Ireland and Britain.

Small Finds

By Peter Ross

Wandering and wondering in Glasgow and beyond.

North Sea Poets

We are a group of experienced poets based near the Scottish east coast. We run online masterclasses, and post here on poetry, poetics and the writing life.

Mike Small

Writer on Scottish and international politics, climate change. Interested in deep citizenship, generalism and collaboration. Cautiously pessimistic.

The Alasdair Gray Archive

The Alasdair Gray Archive is a free, public resource. We reflect the collaborative way in which Alasdair worked by sharing the stories of others and making the archive a reflection of who he was as a person and practitioner.

Michael Ignatieff

Professor CEU Vienna

Darren McGarvey

Goodall and Good Luck

By Lewis Goodall

Politics.

Fraser Nelson's notebook

Observations, out-takes and my data library

Cultural Capital

By James Marriott

A newsletter about ideas, literature and the arts

The Handheld Diaries

By Kate Macdonald

We published 48 books in seven years to recover forgotten fiction and lost authors. This is how we did it.

Ottolenghi

By Yotam Ottolenghi

Recipes, ideas and behind the scenes at Ottolenghi. Fresh off the grill or straight from the oven, topped with a sprinkle of dukkah or a spoonful of chilli sauce.

How to Survive the Broligarchy

By Carole Cadwalladr

Girl power vs Tech bros

The Pyjama Monologues

By Eva Wiseman

Short, sweet - interviews, essays and stories

Cinetopia Recommends

Cinetopia's regular round-up of film-related happenings, opportunities, and insights - helping the film community stay connected!

Lloyd Cole - Writing, etc

Excuse me, could I use your pen?

Sophy Ridge

Mission Economics by Mariana Mazzucato

Reflections on the theory and practice of an economy that delivers for people and planet.

BlairMail

By Blair McDougall

An occasional newsletter with political commentary and analysis from Blair McDougall MP.

FRESH HELL Tina Brown's Diary

By Tina Brown

Tina Brown's observations, rants, news obsessions, and human exchanges.

The Will Hayward Newsletter

By Will Hayward

Helping you understand Wales and Welsh politics

Everything you need to know about politics in Wales, with substantial read-across to Scottish politics.

- Kenny Farquharson

Progressive Realism

By David Lammy

Foreign Secretary David Lammy writes about his approach to UK foreign policy.

Don't Call Me Stupid. A Wild Ride Through American Democracy

By Lawrence Donegan

Lawrence Donegan hits the road as the 2024 Presidential election begins , a journey will take him from California to Florida in search of the country he thought he knew.

Human stories and humour on the 2024 presidential election trail, by one of the best colour writers you could hope to read.

- Kenny Farquharson

My personal Substack

Iain Martin and the team make sense of the news, providing commentary and analysis on the stories that matter in politics, geopolitics, economics and culture.

Clear-eyed, level-headed and insightful. Political analysis from a centre-right perspective from my old friend and fellow Times columnist Iain Martin.

- Kenny Farquharson

Jan Patience

You’re only as good as your last trick. I’ve typed millions of words since becoming a journalist in 19Canteen. Writing Book Two (slowly).

The doyenne of Scottish arts journalism.

- Kenny Farquharson

Miranda July

Off the cuff MJ writing/videos/picts/audio for paid subscribers and an ongoing All Fours Group Chat for everyone (not a book club! A place to talk about your own life.)

Nonfiction Storytelling with Jon Ronson

How to write narrative nonfiction books and podcasts, plus a place for all my work that won't be a book or a podcast.

Cerys' Substack: Food Action Music Books

By Cerys Matthews

My personal Substack

The wonderful Cerys Matthews shares her wanderings.

- Kenny Farquharson

UNTOPIA

A Land Free From Fictions - Ewan Morrison's Substack

In tandem with being a damn fine novelist, Ewan Morrison is one of the nation's most provocative thinkers.

- Kenny Farquharson

What’s Left: Alastair Osborne

Sometimes witty, always left, totally Labour. Archive at alastairosborne.weebly.com

The Fitbatweets Diaries

By Keith Wallace

Football, sports and pop culture cartoons and thought bubbles from Scotland’s most prolific cartoonist.

Cartoon commentary on sport, often drawn live. Done with down-to-earth humour and an eye for absurdity.

- Kenny Farquharson

The Hairy Eyeball

By anna burnside

The place to find Anna Burnside's journalism, criticism, archive pieces and other delights.

Sass Central.

- Kenny Farquharson

Whig by Hunter Schwarz

Politics in the front, pop culture in the back.

Knowing Ius

By Michael Foran

Writing and podcasting about law for a public audience. Quite a bit about discrimination law, sex, and gender identity. Sometimes about other areas of law.

Clarity on the most contentious issues of our age.

- Kenny Farquharson

Chorley Not

By Matt Chorley

The best thing about political journalism is the snark between the boring bits. Matt understands this.

- Kenny Farquharson

Fish Sticks

By Rickie Lee Jones

A journal of my far away heart...

The actual Rickie Lee Jones in all her unmatched glory.

- Kenny Farquharson

Nutmeg FC

Brilliant football stories, made in Scotland

The preeminent Scottish football magazine: intelligent, sharp and empathetic. Now expanding into a veritable media empire with podcasts, events and newsletters.

- Kenny Farquharson

Patterns in Repeat

By Laura Marling

Around and about songwriting and what causes it.

Crafty Green Poet

By Juliet Wilson

Mostly nature and green living, sometimes poetry and crafts.

The East Lothian Current

Welcome to "The Current," your go-to source for community and events in East Lothian 🌊

No More Trumpet Blowing

By Alan Taylor

Dispatches from the Literary Frontier

Scottish cultural polymath Alan Taylor in full flow. The man's a force of nature.

- Kenny Farquharson

Henry Winter's Goal Posts

My personal Substack on football

Edinburgh Sketcher

By Mark

My sketching life in the Scottish capital, doodles, events and happenings in the city with my family and my creative process. Plus My Wedding Sketcher.

A New Politics

By Stephen Noon

Scottish devolution came with the promise of a "new politics", but what is the reality almost 25 years on? Some reflections from my PhD project.

Stephen Noon is one of the most consequential thinkers in contemporary Scottish politics.

- Kenny Farquharson

Gayle's Guide

Edinburgh's free weekly newsletter for family friendly stuff to do. Go on, get out of the house!

I wish Gayle's Guide had been around when my kids were little.

- Kenny Farquharson

New Bands for Old Heads

By Gabbie

New music recommendations for people who don't keep up with new music.

Solidarity Not Charity

By Jim Slaven

Thoughts on activism, culture, politics, and Edinburgh, from a working class perspective. Regular newsletter of curated links to material I have found interesting to read, listen and watch.

The Gutter Press

By Gutter Magazine

A monthly newsletter from the editors of Gutter, Scotland's leading literary journal. Fiction, essays, poetry, book reviews and more.

The Good Egg Project newsletter

A place to play with words and hatch new ideas