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I had a good rant about this on twitter/X last week. (@realraelaw if you're curious). I didn’t mean to rant. (Ha! Right!) But sometimes, frustration just spills over — especially when it comes to accessibility, and the irony of how inaccessible so many “dyslexia resources” are. If you’ve ever tried to help a child with dyslexia, ADHD, or another learning difference, you’ll know this story. You spend hours searching online for strategies, printable resources, or books that act

Actually, we prefer the term "Reading Level Neutral". Stay with us, and we'll explain. Someone recently asked about The Curse of the Fart Witch. Of all our books, this one was our biggest labour of love, as it had been written initially at a reading level suitable for 10- 12-year-olds. We wanted to make it suitable for struggling readers, so we rewrote it to make it accessible at an 8-9-year-old reading level. The Curse of the Fart Witch was designed from the outset to be ac

A note before we begin I've been banging this drum for a long time. Long enough that I'd rather not still be doing it. In my day job, I work with machine learning and statistics, and from the first wave of AI detectors it was clear to me that the maths didn't support the way these tools were being used, and continue to be used. Being right about that gives me no pleasure, because the damage is now well documented. There is no joy in saying "I told you so". Freelance writers h

As some of you may know, I (Rae) have spent over two decades in software development, and have established myself as a machine-learning expert. Machine-learning is a subset of AI, and in modelling, we look very hard on the local and global model quality and associated error/uncertainties. I work closely with colleagues who are developing LLMs for generative chemistry. Based on this background, I have a lot to say about the statistical irrelevance of AI detection software and

Last month during QuestPit, Dapple Grey Press announced that it has acquired The Curse of the Fart Witch, a riotously silly illustrated novel for readers aged 8–12. There is one slightly unusual detail: I own Dapple Grey Press—and I wrote the book. That makes this announcement deserving of a little more explanation. Building the publisher I wanted my children to have I took over Dapple Grey Press when one of my partners was preparing to close it. Rather than allowing the pres

At Dapple Grey Press, we believe every child deserves books they can finish, enjoy and feel proud to have read. The Curse of the Fart Witch is a funny, illustrated adventure created for readers aged 8–12. It has been written accessibly without sacrificing story, excitement or gloriously ridiculous humour. After extensive editing, development and review, we are delighted to welcome the Fart Witch to Dapple Grey Press. Coming October 2026—as we proudly support the National Year

There is a serious problem with AI detectors, and too many people are pretending otherwise. I have been speaking out about this issue on social media for some time now, leveraging the domain experience in machine learning/AI gained through my day job. AI detectors are being marketed as if they can deliver a definitive answer to the question of whether text was AI- or Human-generated. They're being used as if they can "prove" misconduct, and being trusted in situations where

World Book Day is one of my favourite days in the calendar. Schools fill with costumes, book tokens appear in school bags, and children talk excitedly about the characters they love. For many families, it’s a joyful celebration of stories. But for some children, World Book Day can feel a little stressful. If reading is difficult — because of dyslexia, ADHD, or simply because words on a page refuse to behave — a day dedicated entirely to books can sometimes bring mixed emotion

In short: this isn’t just our story. It’s the story of every family who’s sat beside a struggling reader and hoped for the day the words finally click. That day will come — and when it does, it’s pure magic.