iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Helen Marshall

U of T Centre for Medieval Studies @uoftcms.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Congratulations to CMS Alum Helen Marshall (@manuscriptgal.bsky.social), whose "The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death" (Titan Books) has been longlisted for Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic! www.sunburstaward.org/node/147

colourful book jacket with stylized images of two figures, and a tiger

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

A circus where illusion and power collide. A girl who must choose between serving those in power — or defying them. 🎪 On sale now! kobo.com/p/may-the-books-be-with-you #DarkFantasy #KoboSale

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

I have invented a game for four year olds called wombat combat. On their hands and knees, two kids have to try to knock each other out of a ring using only their butts. It’s going to catch on, I swear!

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Reposted by Helen Marshall

Joanne Anderton @joanneanderton.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Just finished reading this gorgeous magical heartbreaking book by @manuscriptgal.bsky.social Been on my to read pile since the launch in, when was it, July last year (?) Anyway, far too long. But worth the wait.

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Reposted by Helen Marshall

Solaris Books @solarisbooks.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

February 2026 brings a new standalone novel from the Queen of Speculative Fiction: Arthur C. Clarke award-nominated Aliya Whiteley! Here's what @oliverklangmead.bsky.social @manuscriptgal.bsky.social @timjmajor.bsky.social & @catamaroon.bsky.social thought of it! Preorder geni.us/misheardw

Preorder Now! February 2026
“Riveting, weird, unpredictable, and magnificent.” - Oliver K. Langmead
“Whiteley never puts a foot wrong... another triumph to add to her list of many.” - Tim Major
“Taut and surprising...A stunning achievement.” - Helen Marshall
“Artfully woven and humming with the power and possibilities of the spoken word.” - E. J. Swift

Against a black sandy background white and lilac text surrounding a 3D Hardback of THE MISHEARD WORLD by Aliya Whiteley.

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

Christmas is coming and I'm officially on leave! Taking a break from socials to enjoy the season. But one last book post before I go: if you're looking for some dark fantasy reading over the holidays, try a story with teeth!

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 21/11/2025

Just finished "When There Are Wolves Again" by E. J. Swift and I'm still thinking about it. Fierce, gorgeous climate fiction that somehow manages to be genuinely hopeful—not in a naive way, but in a way that feels earned and necessary. This is the kind of story we need right now.

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Reposted by Helen Marshall

Angela Slatter 📚 @angelaslatter.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

World Fantasy Con 2015, Saratoga Springs, Kelly Link, me, and Helen Marshall. @manuscriptgal.bsky.social reposted this today and it is a gleeful thing. @kellylink.bsky.social A DECADE AGO.

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

Davey: “What’s that rattling sound in my ear? Is it my adult teeth?”

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Reposted by Helen Marshall

Leeman Kessler @leemankessler.com · 23/10/2025

I was looking up some old horror business and stumbled across this fun interview I did with @manuscriptgal.bsky.social a decade ago! youtu.be/WMdYdLF5w8E?...

youtu.be

Interview with Helen Marshall

YouTube video by Arkham Horror Book Club

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 15/10/2025

In honour of getting the chance to attend World Fantasy in Brighton, I’ve been reading up on my fellow authors. There are some brilliant resonances between the work of Amal El-Mohtar and my own. #StoriesAboutStories #LyricalProse

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

Just received Monsters in the Archives: My Year of Fear with Stephen King by Caroline Bicks in the mail! Really looking forward to diving into this one. I had my own experience researching King's archive, which I wrote about here: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

Like Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita? The Lady, The Tiger, and the Girl Who Loved Death weaves together magic, political spectacle, and the power of storytelling in a world where reality and illusion blur dangerously together. Out from @titanbooks.bsky.social now! #DarkFantasy #CircusBooks

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

Catch me Thursday at the Brisbane Writers Festival for “Dark Imaginings”! Fairytales and historical myths are often readers’ first encounter with the darkness of human nature. In these stunning novels, fable and archetype are reworked in dazzling ways. brisbanepowerhouse.org/events/dark-... #BWF

brisbanepowerhouse.org

Dark Imaginings - Brisbane Powerhouse

Fairytales and historical myths are often readers’ first encounter with the darkness of human nature. Explore more at Brisbane Writers Festival.

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

ICYMI: We're hiring a Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in #CreativeWriting at UQ! -looking for literary fiction, poetry, graphic novels, comics, digital storytelling, new media, or games! -international applications welcome Apply: uq.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/uqcareers/jo... #HigherEd #AcademicJobs

uq.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing

School of Communication and Arts – Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Full-time (100%), Permanent position Position can be offered at Level B or C: Academic level B will be in the ...

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Fire as cleansing, fire as transformation. The Bulgarian fire festivals—where dancers walk barefoot across burning coals—shaped how I imagined ritual and renewal in THE LADY, THE TIGER, AND THE GIRL WHO LOVED DEATH. #Fantasy #Folklore #Inspiration #AmWriting

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 26/09/2025

Life is just one tiny fright after another, isn't it?

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

"Why can't AI just do my research?" Because creative research isn't information retrieval. I'm working on a new academic article showing how research methods produce the distinctive textures of literary prose, looking at Octavia Butler, William Gibson, Kim Stanley Robinson and Andy Weir.

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

Thinking about Octavia Butler's #writingadvice in Furor Scribendi today: "Forget talent. If you have it, fine. Use it. If you don't have it, it doesn't matter. As habit is more dependable than inspiration, continued learning is more dependable than talent."

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

While writing The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death, I found myself captivated by haunting photographs of abandoned circuses across Eastern Europe. #WritingInspiration #DarkFantasy #EasternEurope #Circus #AuthorLife #FantasyFiction #WritingProcess

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 19/09/2025

uq.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

HUGE news! We're hiring in Creative Writing at UQ! Looking for an amazing writer working in literary fiction, poetry, graphic novels, comics, digital storytelling, new media, or games! International applications welcome. This is going to be AWESOME uq.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/uqcareers/jo...

uq.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com

Lecturer/Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 18/09/2025

“Toward the end of a book, the state of composition feels like a complex, chemically altered state that will go away if I don’t give it what it needs. And what it needs is to write all the time.” I feel that, William Gibson — is this universal among writers?

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 17/09/2025

Alexievich's The Unwomanly Face of War inspired my writing by revealing the erased stories of women in conflict. A masterpiece. #TheUnwomanlyFaceOfWar #Alexievich #WritingInspiration #UntoldStories (The Lady, The Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death is out now from @titanbooks.bsky.social !)

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Reposted by Helen Marshall

British Fantasy Society @britfantasysoc.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

A beautifully written Slavic fantasy featuring the circus and a tiger from @titanbooks.bsky.social. The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death by Helen Marshall #BFSReview britishfantasysociety.org/review/the-l...

The cover of The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death is bright, with many colours and the three titular characters represented in a modern almost pop art style

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 11/09/2025

Romanian bear dancers inspired the haunting folklore in my novel THE LADY, THE TIGER AND THE GIRL WHO LOVED DEATH--ancient rituals of rebirth and demons bleeding from bear skins. Now out from @titanbooks.bsky.social (edited by the brilliant @cathtrechman.bsky.social) #DarkFantasy #FolkHorror

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Brilliant Guardian piece on how Big Tech is systematically stealing books, music & films to train AI without consent or payment. This isn't innovation. It's digital colonialism threatening our entire creative ecosystem. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

theguardian.com

Tech companies are stealing our books, music and films for AI. It’s brazen theft and must be stopped | Anna Funder and Julia Powles

If we don’t refuse and resist, not just our culture but our democracy will be irrevocably diminished

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 09/09/2025

These are some of my favorite films and if you love them too, my novel is absolutely made for you! THE LADY, THE TIGER AND THE GIRL WHO LOVED DEATH has all the magic, drama, and political edge you crave🔥 Out from @titanbooks.bsky.social (and thanks to @cathtrechman.bsky.social for the fab edits!)

Featuring The Death of Stalin, The Prestige, La Strada and Moulin Rouge!

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 08/09/2025

Thinking about wildness today and why it matters to us. 🐅 94-year-old Peggie remembers the last thylacine's cries at Hobart Zoo—a loneliness that still haunts her decades later. "We didn't realise it was the last one until it was too late." www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...

abc.net.au

Peggie saw a thylacine as a child. She wouldn't ever want to 'go back and see it'

Even after a long life, Peggie Bassett can still remember the guttural growl and striking scent of the last known thylacine as it prowled its concrete enclosure.

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 06/09/2025

Best birthday ever! 🎂 Friends, Blood on the Clocktower, and live sketching by the talented @tanaudel.bsky.social . Special shoutout to the masterpiece of Leah reading her character notes while tiny Spiderman creeps around. We all survived the night! #BirthdayGames #BloodOnTheClockTower

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Reposted by Helen Marshall

Adam Roberts @adamroberts.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

Samuel Hume's graph: words that indicate a document is more likely to be written by AI .

Words include "Chatgtp", "showcasing" "underscore" "excels" "grappling" "aligning". But not, or not yet, "clench" or "futtock".

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

Putin & Xi caught on hot mic discussing immortality & living to 150. Writing my 2067 novel about AI & eternal life and thinking about when power seeks permanence how high the cost can be www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/...

aljazeera.com

Putin and Xi caught on hot mic talking about living to 150

Putin confirms the conversation, saying modern medicine gives hope for longer, healthier lives.

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

A reader told me they want more book clubs discussing The Lady, The Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death and debating whether Irenda is a good person in a bad system or should be first against the wall when the revolution comes. This is exactly the kind of moral chaos I live for.

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 03/09/2025

Life imitating art: Reading about Moscow’s surreal detachment from war while people live in carefully constructed unrealities reminds me why I wrote The Lady, The Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death—a story about power, illusion, and the lies we tell ourselves www.nytimes.com/2025/08/30/w...

nytimes.com

Croquet, Anyone? Making Moscow a Vast Fun Zone to Divert Minds From War.

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 19/07/2025

🐅 Join me July 24 at Avid Reader (6:30pm) as Angela Slatter & I dive into The Lady, The Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death - a dark tale of grief, revenge & the dangerous allure of the circus. Can't wait to share this story! avidreader.com.au/pages/11648-... ✨

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

After today's technical difficulties, this lovely review from Corey Redekop is exactly what I needed to see. Thank you, Corey! 🙏

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

Apologies to everyone who was expecting my r/Fantasy AMA today! Technical difficulties and timing mix-ups derailed things. We're going to reschedule for next week when we can do it properly. Will post the new date soon--thanks for your patience!

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

We're LIVE! AMA happening now on r/Fantasy! Ask me about Putin's theater director, revenge-plotting tigers, twenty drafts, circus magic, or anything else about The Lady, The Tiger, and the Girl Who Loved Death! www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/co... #RedditAMA

reddit.com

From the Fantasy community on Reddit: I'm Helen Marshall, author of The Lady, The Tiger, and the Girl Who Loved Death - a dark fantasy about circus magic, political spectacle, and the stories we tell ...

Posted by Prestigious_Crab_310 - 1 vote and 0 comments

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

📚 Join my Reddit AMA on July 11 at 5pm EST / 8am AEST! Happy to chat about The Lady, The Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death, the writing process, or anything else on r/Fantasy. Looking forward to your questions! 🎭

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

🐅 Doing a Reddit AMA about my fantasy novel "The Lady, The Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death" 📅 July 11th, 5 PM EST 🌍 (July 12th, 8 AM Brisbane time) r/Fantasy Come ask me anything about world-building, writing process-indeed, anything! #FantasyBooks #AMA #WritingCommunity

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Reposted by Helen Marshall

The Skiffy and Fanty Show @skiffyandfanty.com · 08/07/2025

A few weeks ago, we interviewed the wonderful @manuscriptgal.bsky.social on her newest novel, The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death. If you do nothing else, buy the book. But also: listen to the interview! It's delightful. Audio and video version right here: skiffyandfanty.com/p...

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

After years of writing this story close to my heart, The Lady, The Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death launches Thursday! Join Angela Slatter & me at Avid Reader 6.00pm for circus magic, dark fantasy & hopefully some great conversation. See you there! avidreader.com.au/pages/11648-...

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Anytime I hear from a reader that a copy of my book has arrived, a fairy gets their wings.

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

Had a great chat with The Nerd Daily about The Lady, The Tiger & The Girl Who Loved Death - from my family's history to Putin's theatrical politics to how it took 20 drafts to untangle that narrative puzzle box of frame stories & multiple timelines! thenerddaily.com/helen-marsha...

thenerddaily.com

Q&A: Helen Marshall, Author of 'The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death' | The Nerd Daily

We chat with author Helen Marshall about The Lady, the Tiger and the Girl Who Loved Death, which follows a young woman who is seduced by the glamour of the circus and drawn into a dangerous world of v...

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Helen Marshall @manuscriptgal.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

The Sydney Morning Herald calls The Lady, The Tiger and the Girl Who Loved death 'grand in ambition,' and 'a song of brutality and mystery' while noting it's 'tough going'. I'll take that as high praise for pushing boundaries. www.smh.com.au/culture/book...

smh.com.au

Looking for something new to read? Here are 10 of the latest books

Our reviewers cast their eyes over new fiction and non-fiction books

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