Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Imogen Robertson/ Marina Palmer @imogenrobertson.bsky.social · 21h

Ooh, this looks fascinating...

Head of Zeus @headofzeus.bsky.social · 21h

The Book of Kells by Victoria Whitworth - Out Today!

The Book of Kells is probably the most famous manuscript in the world – and Victoria Whitworth's masterly treatment offers something new.

Get your copy here! - https://bit.ly/48HEVnQ

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Bloomsbury Books UK @bloomsburybooksuk.bsky.social · 23h

🚨 Only one day left to submit your entry to the Bloomsbury Fiction Mentorship Programme! 🚨

Find out more: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/connect/bloomsbury-mentorship-programme-2025/?utm_content=1760007375&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky

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Hallie Rubenhold @hallierubenhold.bsky.social · 23h

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be at #Clivedenlitfest2025 this weekend and in conversation with Ian Rankin and Anthony Horowitz. Please join us!

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Tom Dark @darkpublisher.bsky.social · 15d

Really pleased we could make this happen.

Manchester University Press @manchesterup.bsky.social · 15d

We are delighted to announce that we will publish @sachacoward.bsky.social’s Queer as Folklore in paperback and ebook editions in December 2025.

Initially published by Unbound, it was longlisted for the 2025 Polari Prize and has been shortlisted for the British Fantasy Society awards. #booksky

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Curtis Brown Creative @cbcreative.bsky.social · 20d

So exciting to see so many CBC alumna on the @historia-hwa.bsky.social Debut Crown longlist! Congrats to @adberginwriter.bsky.social, @rachloudriscoll.bsky.social, @joannamillerauthor.bsky.social & Rosanna Pike! 👏

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Imogen Robertson/ Marina Palmer @imogenrobertson.bsky.social · 22d

Oh, and follow @historia-hwa.bsky.social !

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Imogen Robertson/ Marina Palmer @imogenrobertson.bsky.social · 22d

So delighted to see these fantastic longlists for the HWA Crown Awards. Debuts, fiction and non-fiction to transport and inspire. A feast for curious minds...
historiamag.com/2025-hwa-cro...

Covers of: The Wicked of the Earth by A. D. Bergin (Northodox Press)

Costanza by Rachel Blackmore (Renegade Books)

The Instrumentalist by Harriet Constable (Bloomsbury)

Nephthys by Rachel Louise Driscoll (Harvill Secker)

Murder in Constantinople by A.E. Goldin (Pushkin Press0

Winter of Shadows by Clare Grant (Black Spring Crime)

A Poisoner's Tale - Cathryn Kemp (Bantam)

Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis (Doubleday)

The Eights by Joanna Miller (Fig Tree)

A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike (Fig Tree)

They Dream in Gold by Mai Sennaar (Picador)

A Case of Mice and Murder by Sally Smith (Bloomsbury)

Covers of: The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry (Canongate Books)

Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

The Small Museum by Jody Cooksley (Allison & Busby)

Man of Bones by Ben Creed (Mountain Leopard Press)

Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans (Doubleday)

Arthur by Giles Kristian (Bantam)

The Maiden of Florence by Katherine Mezzacappa (Fairlight Books)

Hold Back the Night by Jessica Moor (Manilla Press)

The Map of Bones by Kate Mosse (Mantle)

The Stolen Daughter by Florence Olájídé (Bookouture)

The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin (Dialogue Books)

Time of the Child by Niall Williams (Bloomsbury)

Covers of: Lionessheart - Catherine Hanley (The History Press)

The Scapegoat by Lucy Hughes-Hallett (Fourth Estate)

The Endless Country by Sami Kent (Picador)

Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson (William Collins)

Naples 1944 by Keith Lowe (William Collins)

Storm's Edge by Peter Marshall (William Collins)

Agent Zo by Clare Mulley (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

Moederland by Cato Pedder (John Murray)

Every Living Thing by Jason Roberts (riverrun)

The Women’s Orchestra of Auschwitz: A Story of Survival by Anne Sebba (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)

The Many Lives of James Lovelock by Jonathan Watts (Canongate)

The Grammar of Angels by Edward Wilson-Lee (William Collins)

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Katherine Mezzacappa @katmezzacappa.bsky.social · 22d

Oh what a great day this is! The Maiden of Florence has made the last 12 on the @historia-hwa.bsky.social Gold Crown award #longlist! #historicalfiction #renaissance #Firenze @fairlightbooks.bsky.social

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Sharon Bennett Connolly @thehistorybits.bsky.social · Aug 28

New! A Triumvirate of English Earls
@derekbirks.bsky.social and I discuss the 3 great Anglo-Saxons earls of 11th century England: Godwin, Leofric and Siward. How influential were they?
#podcast #kingandconqueror
@penandswordbooks.bsky.social @historia-hwa.bsky.social

soundcloud.com/user-1425259...

A Triumvirate of English Earls | A Slice of Medieval #74

Historian, Sharon Bennett Connolly and historical author, Derek Birks discuss the three powerful English Earls of the Eleventh Century, established by King Cnut: Godwin of Wessex, Leofric of Mercia an

soundcloud.com

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Sarah Freethy @sarahfreethy.bsky.social · 26d

Really loved writing this - The Seeker of Lost Paintings, out now!

Historia – the HWA @historia-hwa.bsky.social · 27d

New in Historia!
Sarah Freethy reveals the extraordinary story of Syndrome K, the supposedly deadly disease that saved lives in German-occupied Rome in 1943.
It helped inspire her new book, The. Seeker of Lost Paintings
Find out more at historiamag.com/syndrome-k
@sarahfreethy.bsky.social

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Ned Palmer @cheesetastingco.bsky.social · 26d

This month's Cheese of the Month: Single Gloucester: bit.ly/SingleGloucester

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Martin Robbins @mjrobbins.com · Aug 11

On LLMs:

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Amy @lolennui.bsky.social · Aug 5

John mulaney saying, “When a horse is loose in a hospital you gotta stay updated. The updates, they're not always bad, sometimes they're just odd.”

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Angus Main @angusmain.bsky.social · Jul 6

The Pinch of Salt Path

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Imogen Robertson/ Marina Palmer @imogenrobertson.bsky.social · Jul 4

Hard agree!

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Laura Shepherd-Robinson @laurasrobinson.bsky.social · Jun 26

In my new novel, THE ART OF A LIE, Hannah Cole is struggling to run her confectionery shop in 18th C London after her husband's murder, and she believes an Italian delicacy called 'iced cream' might be the answer to her problems. So yesterday I made ice cream the Georgian way!🍦A thread...

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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · Jun 19

I am finally reunited on a podcast with @rostaylor.bsky.social, where I basically just gibber away about what it's like to get stoned and lose decades of your life

morejamtomorrow.com/episode/cann...

Cannabis

Cannabis. It’s illegal in the UK without a prescription – and despite decriminalisation abroad, it’s likely to stay that way. When did people start smoking...

morejamtomorrow.com

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Pwnallthethings @pwnallthethings.bsky.social · Jun 14

Genie: ok what do you want for your birthday
Trump: a military parade, oh, and also millions of people on the street chanting my name
Genie: okie dokie

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Abir Mukherjee @radiomukhers.bsky.social · Jun 12

I'll be interviewing two of the finest and funniest writers in the business - Cally Taylor and Mark Billingham - about their new books, in Wantage on Fri 20th June. Come along if you're in the area. Scan the QR code or call the number below for tickets. It's going to be great!

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Imogen Robertson/ Marina Palmer @imogenrobertson.bsky.social · May 29

Please do!

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Kit de Waal @kitdewaal.com · May 27

Writers from around the world can submit scripts for BBC Audio Drama with cash prize, and attendance at an award ceremony in the UK to participate in the recording of their dramas for a world premiere. Flight and accommodation expenses are covered by the BBC.

Details in link.

Please share :)

BBC World Service - BBC World Drama - The International Audio Drama Competition 2026: How to enter

How to submit your play for the International Audio Drama Competition 2026

www.bbc.co.uk

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Thor Benson @thorbenson.bsky.social · May 25

Darth Vader: And now the Death Star is complete. It cannot be stopped

Imperial officer: Yeah, pretty much

Darth Vader: Why did you say pretty much

Imperial officer: It's like so crazy unlikely that it's really not worth mentioning

Darth Vader: Now I'm angry. You're making me angry

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Nick Harkaway @nickharkaway.com · May 22

Tickets go on sale today for the stage play of The Spy Who Came In From The Cold at the Soho Place theatre. First time a le Carré novel has come to the West End, and Spy is a zinger :)

spyonstage.com

Screencap of the spy onstage.com website landing page - red background, white title text on the diagonal low left to top right. Two figures casting shadows top left: a man and a woman in long coats. Bottom right: a broken bicycle.

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amy brown @amybrown.xyz · May 20

planning a child's birthday party for *next* saturday? this man's never done an ounce of domestic labor in his life and is already dreaming of how to outsource it

Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · May 20

Wouldn't do this in a million years

Fascinating
@benthompson
vision of the future of the Internet—i.e., "The Agentic Web"

Scenario: Before I go to sleep, I tell ChatGPT “Plan my 5-year-old’s birthday next Saturday, budget $500. When you've made the reservation, email these 20 ppl a printable invitation to attend. Also my wife wants to go to England in mid-July. Find 5 plausible flights for the family and make several distinct itineraries. Finally, pls edit this work memo."

When I go to sleep, the AI agent negotiates slots with two bowling alleys, buys a cake, emails printable invites, plans the trip, copy-edits, etc.

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Imogen Robertson/ Marina Palmer @imogenrobertson.bsky.social · May 9

Probably true, dammit.

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