Feby Idrus

New post on Substack! I had a good think about feedback in this one. open.substack.com/pub/feby235636…

I can’t imagine why this has to be answered again, but here goes. Because there are Islamic scholars who professionally use the library. Muslims pray five times a day on a very strict schedule. They do not just pray sitting down quietly. They have physical gestures to do and words that need to be spoken out loud. The scholars asked if there would be a room that they could go to where they could privately do their thing without interrupting any of the other library patrons. The Vatican said yes, and provided them with a small space.

The 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize shortlist is here! Meet this year’s cohort of 25 standout writers, selected from 7,806 entries. Five of these writers will be named regional winners on 13 May, before the overall winner is announced in late June. For now, meet our shortlisted writers and learn about their stories 👇 commonwealthfoundation.com/short-story-pr…

You might be familiar with ‘déjà vu’: déjà vu = the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time But have you met the other members of Vu-Tang Clan? 🧵⬇️

@aldbera Hi Sarah! (Boo!) (Not really.)

Dear lit mags. I'll treat any rejection you send me today as an April fool's joke...

@arvofart Happy birthday Mo (bows heads submissively, in compliance with Mo's wont)

You’d better say happy birthday Mo (he is 5)

1/ Are you a historian with cool facts you couldn't use for your dissertation? Are you a writer with an interest in obscure history? If so, I invite you to pitch me for American Artifacts, a series by @thedispatch.

New post on Substack! I thought I'd discuss how I track my short story submissions. Among other things. Here's the link: feby235636.substack.com/p/whan-that-ap…

Why does the thought of writing bring a wave of exhaustion before you've typed a single word? You're likely experiencing writer burnout, and learning to recognize the warning signs can help you intervene before it takes hold. Learn more: buff.ly/pPs6Y4v

Beware the Idus Martiae! It's a new month, and a new Substack post: open.substack.com/pub/feby235636…

My story is out now in the newest issue of Luna Station Quarterly! lunastationquarterly.com/issues/065/

Ok, still plugging away with Kafka on the Shore. I'm picking up on the Oedipus/Jocasta thing, so I guess those creepy scenes earlier in the book had their narrative significance. Still bothers me how shallow the characterisation of women are...

February post is up! But really, I continue to be somewhat puzzled by the reputation Kafka on the Shore has. I am certainly interested in the murder mystery aspects...but otherwise, there's some quite obvious problems. open.substack.com/pub/feby235636…

Here's a peek at our community favorites of the day... Feauturing: @effyliterary @matchbooklitmag @takahemagazine @corditepoetry @spectrum_lit @OtagoUniPress #writing #writers #writingcommunity

Statement from the Prime Minister of Denmark 🇩🇰: “I must say this very clearly to the United States: It makes absolutely no sense to speak of any necessity for the United States to take over Greenland. The United States has no legal basis to annex one of the three countries of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom of Denmark — and thus Greenland — is a member of NATO and is therefore covered by the Alliance’s collective security guarantee. We already have a defence agreement between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States that grants the U.S. broad access to Greenland. In addition, the Kingdom has made significant investments in security in the Arctic. I therefore strongly urge the United States to cease its threats against a historically close ally, and against another country and another people who have stated very clearly that they are not for sale.” Mette Frederiksen Prime Minister of Denmark

New post is up! Merry January etc etc open.substack.com/pub/feby235636…

At the risk of igniting a firestorm of rage, invective, death threats etc., may I wish you all a happy new year?

@TheOnion We stand by our decision.

Hilarious to think of David Cohen’s publishers buying this ad space