Lucy Holland

A dream to be working with @headofzeus.bsky.social & @bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social to bring you THE LAST VERSE OF THE HARP LORD in 2027. I'm coming for your hearts... In 2028 you get my GWYDION, a tale of the Mabinogi’s trickster-magician in his own charmed words & as you've never heard it before.

Happy Harp Day! I began teaching myself to play the Celtic Harp in 2024 and it has enriched my life immeasurably. Hundreds of hours of joy, new tunes, new people, new creative and intellectual avenues. I love it so much.

Come see my bright red harp at my fcon reading! 11am Hebrides @britfantasysoc.bsky.social

Good morning Fantasycon! @britfantasysoc.bsky.social Busy day today starting with a BTGS 10th anniversary special where we're joined by one of the podcast's inspirations @julietemckenna.bsky.social! We're talking about the ups & downs of the last decade in sff publishing. 1-2pm, Rockall

Heading off on first leg of journey to Glasgow for @britfantasysoc.bsky.social fantasycon! Here's where I'll be at: 💫Breaking the Glass Slipper LIVE SAT 1-2pm, Rockall 💫Fairytale Retellings SAT 2-3pm, Orkney 💫Updating Myths for Modern Audiences SAT 7-8pm, Panel 3 💫Reading SUN 11am-12pm, Hebrides

Who is going to Fantasycon Glasgow? Here's where to reliably find me! Don't miss my reading on Sunday at 11am - not only am I reading from HARP LORD, I'm performing some ancient Welsh poetry composed by the Old North's most famous bard, Taliesin. Here I am at his monument, Llyn Geirionydd, Cymru.

Planning to get some art cards printed to send out with ARCs. Can anyone rec an environmentally friendly UK based printing company that doesn't autofeed the art you upload into some AI model?

Little bit of practice before I attempt a recording. Anyone recognise this folk tune? (I realise I never post harp videos here because they're always too long).

Just finished the first two Hyperion books. Sad not to have read Simmons before the year of his passing, but how terrifying and vindicating that our current reality so uncomfortably resembles his science fiction.

Mixed feelings about my ATOMFALL novel. Delighted that it's out, less so that it was published four months ago and I only found out today. That aside, I think I did good work with this and, considering its less than barnstorming release, It's got nice reviews. ATOMFALL: THE SECRETS OF WINDSCALE

Would you like to hear a story told in a 13th century church? Here's a clip from last week's event where I got to perform with a bard - the marvellous David Yardley. This is my retelling of The Herlathing, a British variant of the Wild Hunt myth, which inspired my novel, Song of the Huntress.

My name twinned in any context whatsoever with Rosemary Sutcliff's is the highest honour 🥹

If after death I walk as a shade across an English ghostscape, I shall choose the old paths, the ancient ways. I will navigate by hollow hills, tread a haunted hodology. My living map of folklore will be the territory I'll tread. Harrowhounds shall pad beside me. – #CLNolan

I’ll take any excuse to recirculate this

Been a while since I read an unputdownable book - maybe this one just found me at the perfect time. What a place to end on, @clhellisen.com!

Amazing day at Fantasy Forest Libertalia. Thank you weather gods! Everyone was nice and dressed so amazingly. Even spotted a whole table of @ravenswordpress.com books!

100%. Must protect the libraries. Crucially something not for profit but social good...and where books can be books rather than product.

There are moments when time becomes uncertainty. It could be now, it could be two centuries back or more. Moments when we walk a landscape that feels more constant and reliable than the chaos of our own lives. How can I not feel this as an enfolding of ghosts? – #DAKilroy

Thanks to @jonathanlhoward.bsky.social for flagging my extremely cool feature in Private Eye recently. Am now the proud owner of the original Simon Pearsall cartoon :) An honour to be tossed onto the floor of a bookshop by George R R Martin 😂

For those interested in yr Hen Ogledd (the Old North) a few words about one of its most powerful realms, Rheged. This was the territory of Uryen, a figure drenched in legend but who almost certainly did rule Cumbria during the 6th century. Patron of Taliesin! open.substack.com/pub/silvanhi...

Emailing the Scottish Waterstones buyer this morning to ask if they’ll consider stocking “Black Doe”. By coincidence she’s based in Inverness, which is both where I was born and a key setting in the book, and is also called Angela…keep your fingers crossed for me. 🩵📚 🤞🤞🤞Quoting this thread for luck.

Pre-orders are now open for The Kirk, the Deil and the Grue Atween by Orkadian scholar Barbara Stevenson 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 What defines Scottish Gothic, specifically, what separates it from traditional Gothic fiction yet keeps it in that mould? @booksfromscotland.bsky.social

Back at @uofgfantasy.bsky.social for day 2 of the European Conference on the Fantastic. Which this morning means that I have to perform. Talking about you @mayadeane.bsky.social @rozkaveney.bsky.social @silvanhistorian.bsky.social and many others.

NEWS VERY SOON 😱

Put this one on your TBRs!

Hopefully have official publishing announcement news for you soon, but THE LAST VERSE OF THE HARP LORD drops next spring and it's a story reimagining the lives of the early medieval Welsh bards Aneirin & Taliesin ❤️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🪉

COPYEDITS DONE This is the last time my book will look like an MS Word document! It's a kind of malady, when you've lived with a story for years but no one has read it - stories are meant to be read. Today marks one step closer to HARP LORD being out in the world & I could not be more excited!

On the strange and beautiful music of the Robert ap Huw manuscript open.substack.com/pub/silvanhi...

My name, and yours, and the true name of the sun, or a spring of water, or an unborn child, all are syllables of the great word that is very slowly spoken by the shining of the stars. There is no other power. No other name.

I am SO EXCITED to reveal the cover of my new novella! WE, THE DROWNING is about a drowning death-cult at the end of the world and the boy who'll do anything to find out why his mother joined it. (Plus, it has a pink fairy armadillo ✨)

I have now finished SONG OF FHE HUNTRESS by @silvanhistorian.bsky.social. What an absolutely incredible book. Full of drama, emotion, poetic prose, and brilliantly described action. Utterly magical.

Come write fantasy with me this summer!

'Build in limitations because magic can be plot-breaking' 🔮 We caught up with bestselling fantasy author Lucy Holland @silvanhistorian.bsky.social to discuss what first sparked her love for the fantasy genre, how she incorporates magic into her worldbuilding and our Writing Fantasy course.

Not long left to apply for Writing Fantasy! ⚔️ Learn from @silvanhistorian.bsky.social and attend a masterclass with author of bestseller #TheLastStarbornSeer @venetiaconstantine.bsky.social & Editorial Director at Aria, Aubrie Artiano. Apply by 20 Apr: www.curtisbrowncreative.co.uk/course/writi...

Running my fantasy course again this May and there's still time to apply!