Donna Scott
@wishusdonna.bsky.social
530 followers 380 following 530 posts
Writer. Editor of Best of British Science Fiction and other things. Chief word wrangler at The Slab Press. Occasionally a comedian. www.donna-scott.co.uk
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Donna Scott
queex.bsky.social
The word for this week's #BookQW is STRONG. Eilert is not enjoying his time back "home".
Fulmorn, Maestro Bass, pretended not to notice me as I entered. He had three of his students with him, favoured not for their aptitude with their voice but for their eagerness to share his bed. I did my best to keep my distaste hidden.

Katka, Maestra Soprano, with the face of an angel. It belied her proclivities behind closed doors. She took a special interest in her most talented students, and when they became full cantors they were, without exception, brilliant, disciplined and irreparably broken.

Dieuwke nodded at me. Before she had started drinking in earnest her unusually deep voice had been the most powerful the Cathedral had seen in generations. She had never quite returned to her full strength even after getting her consumption under control.

Athol, Maestro Alto. His thin, expressionless face said that if he had any vices, they were so rarefied as to be almost unrecognisable as such. He had propelled himself into becoming the undisputed first among equals in his twentieth year, and was still going strong a century later. I knew to fear him above all else.
wishusdonna.bsky.social
Ah, Omid, I'm not disappointed, I'm just angry.
Reposted by Donna Scott
naomialderman.bsky.social
feels like yet again time to mention that the *videogames* industry (that's a creative industry, which people do creative degrees in) brings in more than twice the amount to the British economy as the fishing and steel industries *combined*
naomialderman.bsky.social
I cannot understand what these people think the purpose of human life is?

It is *not* "pursue joy, deal justly, love well, try to understand as much and see as much of this beautiful world and of the deepness, richness and variety of human culture and experience as you can before you die"?
outonbluesix.bsky.social
How is this repeatedly made into a policy issue - by *all* parties - when the blunt fact of the matter is that grown adults who are obliged to pay for their own education, and relentlessly pursued to repay their loans, should be able to study whatever the fuck they want.
Reposted by Donna Scott
julietemckenna.bsky.social
Book Quote Wednesday's word is 'strong' #BookQW
Dan Mackmain's physically fit and mentally tough. That means nothing in this situation. Want to find out what happens next?
The Green Man's War is a 99p Kindle UK deal for October.
www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Mans-W...
Cover art by Ben Baldwin shows a lethal, pale-scaled serpent-dragon or wyrm lurking in woodland. It looks straight at you as its forked tongue flickers between open, sharp-toothed jaws.

Book extract reads:  The man by the door with the mattock said something I didn’t catch, but he was obviously warning the others. Sledgehammer guy looked around again. His mate with the pickaxe took a couple of steps towards a jewellery seller at the other end of the barn. She was tiny, wearing a long black dress, with purple hair that matched her lipstick and eyeshadow. If she was next on their list, there was nothing I could do.
I’d have to take that sledgehammer off the short-arse in front of me, then get past his mate with the mattock. No chance. My mother’s a dryad, but that doesn’t give me superpowers, not really. A dryad’s daughters take after their mothers and live for centuries in the unseen world alongside normal life. I’m tall and strong and hardly ever get ill, but I’ll grow old like my dad.
Billhook guy called out. I realised I hadn’t misheard mattock man guarding the door. Whoever these thieves were, they weren’t speaking English between themselves
wishusdonna.bsky.social
More places to pre-order this title coming soon. Meanwhile check out this #BookQW extract by @epiphanyferrell.bsky.social
theslabpress.bsky.social
It's Book Quote Wednesday and the word is STRONG. #BookQW #BookSky
Hiding Under the Leaves is launching at World Fantasycon on Friday 31st October. Release date 3rd November. Pre-order now Amazon/Barnes and Noble: ISBN 9781738426867
“What the fuck, man, what are you doing in my house?”
Mateo roared, his voice scratchy and raw.
He sprang out of the bed straight at Jimmie, fast as a
coiled snake. Mateo caught Jimmie at the waist, his strong
arms holding him in a bear hug. Jimmie beat him with the
dead rabbit, pummelling so hard with it for a moment he
thought it, too, had come back to life.
The two men crashed to the floor. Mateo was bigger and
stronger, but Jimmie was meaner. And Mateo’s legs were
tangled up in bed sheets. Jimmie rolled away from Mateo,
got to his knees and swung the rabbit at Mateo again and
again. He’d forgotten what he held in his hand, only feeling
that it was a weapon. He lost his grip on the rabbit, and it
smacked against the wall. Mateo reached up with his hands
for Jimmie’s throat. He was on his back, Jimmie with a knee
on either side of him. Jimmie dropped down onto Mateo’s
stomach. Mateo grunted, the air driven from his lungs and
his grip on Jimmie weakened.

Epiphany Ferrell - Muddy Water  - Hiding Under the Leaves.
Forthcoming from theslab.press 3rd November 2025


Book details: Black cover with red leaves and white badger skeleton
Reposted by Donna Scott
kitwhitfield.bsky.social
#booksky #bookqw word: STRONG.

Fairy-smith John meets Toby, a boy considered by his neighbours to be 'touched' because of a fey encounter.

In other news, I come from a neurodiverse family.

Buy here: tinyurl.com/nvvetupj
John drew forward again. He was listening hard now, trying to feel the air. There was something around Toby, a – what was it? A fluster, a tumbling disorder. The boy was fast and strong, there was no question about it, but it was as if the normal pull of the earth didn’t operate on him. Something was blowing him about, gusting him this way and that faster than a common man could follow.
wishusdonna.bsky.social
I just realised, autocorrect did it here too. AmBAGious tactics!
Reposted by Donna Scott
mklitfest.bsky.social
Tories: The End of an Error is the final volume in Russell Jones’ satirical trilogy tracing 14 years of the Torygeddon circus. Join us in-person/online, 26/11 to hear more:https://www.mklitfest.org/endofanerror

@bylinetimes.bsky.social
@russincheshire.bsky.social
#theweekintory
Reposted by Donna Scott
kathyburke.bsky.social
Yes, yes I know I keep banging on about my fucking book! However, if you want one repost this and I’ll do a random winner pick thing by the end of the week because I’m great like that. ♥️📚
#amindofmyown
wishusdonna.bsky.social
robinince.bsky.social
Hey chums , don’t forget that tomorrow is a special day for a free speech warrior & surprise masturbator to join hands at Riyadh comedy festival (& Jack Whitehall will be there for some splashback) - & they’ll still be on your TV all the time because these values are more acceptable than socialism
Reposted by Donna Scott
solarisbooks.bsky.social
Now on Netgalley: 3 spectacular SciFi Titles for Spring 2026...

🪐 THE MANY: a new standalone from @neuvel.net!
🌍 THE MISHEARD WORLD by Aliya Whiteley: the queen of literary spec fic returns
🍩 INTERGALACTIC FEAST: @lavanya.bsky.social's FLAVOUR HACKER duology concludes

geni.us/SolarisNG
wishusdonna.bsky.social
In fact this will be the very first book launch of the convention!
theslabpress.bsky.social
📖🚀🦡🦴🦴🍂 - Book rocket badger bones leaves... What could it mean?

What if I said it's at World Fantasycon on Friday at noon in the Balmoral panel room?
Why, it is only the launch of Hiding Under the Leaves!
Quite a few of the authors will be there. Readings, books, drinkies, nibbles. Come! 🍷
Book cover of Hiding Under the Leaves. Black Background, red leaves, and a white badger skeleton.
Reads: Hiding Under the Leaves, edited by Donna Scott, with stories by Tim Major, Emma Coleman, LJ McMenemy, Liam Hogan, Gary Couzens, Frazer Lee, Emma Levin and many more...
wishusdonna.bsky.social
Still on Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch. If I have time, I'll dip into Ronald Dahl's Ghost stories. They're not by Dahl, they're just picked by him.
wishusdonna.bsky.social
You are really good at narration! Another 🧵to your 🏹!
wishusdonna.bsky.social
Older Google Maps suggest so.

Pretty breezy down here in Fampton, too. Just had to rescue my bins and it sounded like my gutters were trying to escape.
Google Maps view 2008 61 Broomielaw Glasgow
Reposted by Donna Scott
nionwomen.bsky.social
We expect to hit 55k signatures in support of our open letter this week, perhaps even today. Thank you to everyone who has signed or shared. Let’s keep this going:

notinourname.org.uk
Home - Not in our name
As women we reject the narrative that trans+ people are a threat.
notinourname.org.uk
wishusdonna.bsky.social
This is my contributor's copy of Ambiguous Tactics celebrating 50 years of Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt's Oblique Strategies. Isn't it gorgeous! Read more about it here. fruishon.co.uk
White box on a table Brown box on a table A small booklet in someone's hand.
wishusdonna.bsky.social
Happy birthday! Dishoom for breakfast sounds amazing!
Reposted by Donna Scott
zamashort.bsky.social
The ZamaShort Bundle Special is Live! All our stories one time. Save 24% off the retail price for the individual stories. You will be supporting our future, our authors, African literature, and read excellent stories! selfany.com/s/ZamaShort

#AfricanSFF #AfricanLit #booksky 🪐📚💙
Image showing the books in the ZamaShort Bunble:
ZamaShort #1 'Piss Corpse' by Muthi Nhlema
ZamaShort #2 ‘Summer’ by Nerine Dorman
ZamaShort #3 'The Last and Final Battle' by Zainab Omaki 
ZamaShort #4 'The Clarity of Ice' by Carmelo Rafalà
ZamaShort #5 ‘The Smell of Rain’ by Libby Young
ZamaShort #6 'Sindi Fair' by Dare Segun Falowo
wishusdonna.bsky.social
I try, I try so hard. I fail.
wishusdonna.bsky.social
Loved her Dear Kitty skits.

I also live in the town where lots of Keeping Up Appearances was filmed. The car showroom was still a car showroom until very recently.