Francesca's Thoughts

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Keep the arts in the government’s 10-year plan for the UK

29/07/2026

Taking action while the kettle’s boiling | Petitions worth your time, July 2026

I don’t know about you, but I’ll see a very worthwhile petition in a WhatsApp group, or in my email inbox and I’ll click it and sign it and then open up WhatsApp or suchlike to send it to people who might also find it worthwhile and then… get distracted. And while I am under… Continue reading

Activism

Amnesty International, anit-Palantir, anti-spytech, Campaign for the Arts petition, Defend the right to healthcare for trans youth, Francesca’s Thoughts, get Palantir out of the NHS, is Palantir in your NHS service, Keep the arts in the government’s 10-year plan for the UK, NHS, quick action activism, The Good Law Project

Let’s close the door on the rest of the internet.

Francesca Astraea here.

When I began this blog in 2009, I was a teenager. That’s why you’ll find some posts have been hidden behind a paywall. I was an incredibly different, less eloquent person when I was a teen, so if you want to read the thoughts of that teenager, you can join the No. 1 Readers’ Club for access.

What will you find here now?

This blog continues to evolve with me. My favourite topics are books and reading, travel adventures, the extensive works of up and coming rock band My Chemical Romance and the occasional update about my life and work as an author and scriptwriter. I’m also interested in digital minimalism, how we can solve environmental issues and why it’s probably a better idea to make a cup of tea than it is to shout at people you disagree with.

Speaking of tea… Make a cup and settle in.

Leave a comment on posts to continue the conversation and tell me your favourite MCR song! Oh, and while you’re here: this is a no-gen-AI household. You may not put any of my posts through an LLM. If you’re going to email me or write a comment, do it yourself.

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Keep the arts in the government’s 10-year plan for the UK

Taking action while the kettle’s boiling | Petitions worth your time, July 2026