Donald Winchester

Women Who Ruled the World: 5000 Years of Female Monarchy with Elizabeth Norton Podcast Episode · The 15 Minute Book Club · 17/12/2025 · 18m

New episode drop!

Today @enortonhistory.bsky.social has 15 mins to tell you why you need her book on a global history of female rulers! As ever, Patreon members get 15 minutes more on how the book was written!

@donaldwin.bsky.social @boneyabroad.com

a woman in a purple shirt is saying i can hear the voices in my head again ALT: a woman in a purple shirt is saying i can hear the voices in my head again

Calling #LiteraryFiction writers! The following #Agent121 dates are available to chat about your stories shaped by voice, interior lives and quiet tension. www.iaminprint.co.uk

8 Jan - Sarah Williams
13 Jan - @donaldwin.bsky.social
19 Jan - Imogen Pelham
23 Jan - Ciara McEllin

#LitFic #Literary

Impact of Generative AI on the Novel A report examining how literary creatives being affected by GenAI and what measures they want see implemented by the government to protect the UK’s literary scene.

Here's the original report: www.mctd.ac.uk/impact-of-ge... @clemicollett.bsky.social

Published novelists believe AI will 'entirely replace' their work – Cambridge University study More than half (51%) of published novelists in the UK believe AI is likely to end up replacing their work, says a new survey of 258 authors from the University of Cambridge.

Being part of the research and discussion behind this report was so interesting - and the picture continues to change almost daily. www.thebookseller.com/news/publish...

Lots of interesting comment activity..!

I'm on the front page of The Scotsman today with my article about why we still love to go ghost-hunting. All front pages should always have a designated spooky corner, I think.

Huge thanks to the organisers, the judges, our fellow nominees, the excellent host Bex Lindsay, all the wonderful people we met, our brilliant publishers @wfhowes.bsky.social and @walkerbooksuk.bsky.social, my agent @donaldwin.bsky.social, and everyone who has supported the book along the way

I am thrilled that Kandake Amanishakheto of Kush has sent me this photograph of her and her friends enjoying my new book, Women Who Ruled the World: 5000 Years of Female Monarchy at their weekly book club. Thanks Amanishakheto!
@wearefootnote.bsky.social #womenwhoruledtheworld #bookclub

A double page spread in the Daily Express! As well as looking at the life and legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, I also discuss some other reigning queens, including Ranavalona I of Madagascar and Margrete I of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

#womenwhoruledtheworld

Looking forward to reading this new tome from Elizabeth Norton - it looks like a great global history of women in power

Learn more about Bev, the haunted doll @alicevernon10.bsky.social bought on Ebay in my newest episode with her! We talk about her new nonfiction book GHOSTED too, about ghost hunting, the historical and cultural context of poltergeists, and more! She was so fun to talk to 😁

ChatGPT has its uses, but I still hate it – and I’ll tell you why | Imogen West-Knights It’s bad for the planet and could make many jobs – including mine – obsolete. But my loathing runs deeper than that, says writer Imogen West-Knights

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Today is the day! 😁The official release of Ring of Fire in the United States! @alexchurchill.bsky.social and I are super excited, and hope you'll all enjoy it! And if you are able to come, we will be in Kansas City on the 23rd to celebrate it! Details blow!😁

@donaldwin.bsky.social

YouTube video by International Spy Museum Queen of Codes with Dr. Jackie Uí Chionna

This terrific talk by Jackie Uí Chionna on the incomparable Emily Anderson (as featured in QUEEN OF CODES) to the International Spy Museum is free to view - and absolutely riveting www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8yu... @watsonlittle.bsky.social @headlinebooks.bsky.social

Very excited about this! @watsonlittle.bsky.social

Female kings have always been a rarity, an oddity, or an undesirable outcome. Across the globe a male ruler was preferred to a woman, with female inheritance vanishingly rare and frequently disputes. In spite of this, women have secured crowns - or fought for them - over several millennia
Out 4 Sept

Amazing review of RING OF FIRE in The Observer! @watsonlittle.bsky.social @alexchurchill.bsky.social @pikegrey1418.bsky.social @headofzeus.bsky.social

In the Observer today! @theguardian.com Thank you @alexlarman.bsky.social 🥰 @pikegrey1418.bsky.social @iainmacgregor1.bsky.social @donaldwin.bsky.social @headofzeus.bsky.social @watsonlittle.bsky.social

You can buy from a variety of outlets (or preorder in US for August) here: geni.us/RingOfFire

Great to see RING OF FIRE featured in Edinburgh Waterstones! @waterstones.bsky.social @alexchurchill.bsky.social @pikegrey1418.bsky.social @watsonlittle.bsky.social @headofzeus.bsky.social

Congratulations, Ian!

Read early reviews here:

www.netgalley.com/catalog/book...

Order from multiple vendors here:

geni.us/RingOfFire

@iainmacgregor1.bsky.social @pikegrey1418.bsky.social @thehistoryguy.bsky.social @donaldwin.bsky.social @headofzeus.bsky.social @watsonlittle.bsky.social @drlindseyfitz.bsky.social

Don’t forget our Saturday keynotes come from self and @pikegrey1418.bsky.social as we celebrate the release of our book “Ring of Fire” and we will also be signing copies @iainmacgregor1.bsky.social @headofzeus.bsky.social @donaldwin.bsky.social

Looking forward to reading the pitches today for #scotwriterpitch2025 !

We are disappointed but not surprised that Meta has used millions of pirated books to develop its AI systems.

As a matter of urgency, Meta needs to compensate the rightsholders of all the works it has been exploiting.

But what can authors do? Read here:
societyofauthors.org/2025/03/21/t...

And if you'd like to know what you can do about it, read this invaluable article from @societyofauthors.bsky.social
societyofauthors.org/2025/03/21/t...

Search LibGen, the Pirated-Books Database That Meta Used to Train AI Millions of books and scientific papers are captured in the collection’s current iteration.

The Atlantic's report on LibGen, the pirated book database which Meta has used without permission from authors, is essential reading. See if your book is included here:
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

Also, anyone who is registered with Netgalley can request to review an early copy… @pikegrey1418.bsky.social @iainmacgregor1.bsky.social @donaldwin.bsky.social @watsonlittle.bsky.social @headofzeus.bsky.social

www.netgalley.co.uk/catalog/book...

A call to AI action The government's consultation on AI and copyright must inspire action from everyone in publishing.

I've written a piece for The Bookseller on the AI and Copyright consultation, discussing why the opt-out model is completely unsuitable for protecting our creative industries and calling people to action through three simple steps! Please take a read!

www.thebookseller.com/comment/a-ca...

It was a fascinating, invigorating morning, exploring the possibilities and dangers of AI to the future of the novel. And lots of excellent company there too!

This feels absolutely spot on www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...