iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

The land moves, and the Winter Knight rides… Throne Questoris has been a long time coming & I’m so excited to see it announced! I hope you enjoy spending time in the strange, bleak, icy wastes of Bayoux as much as I did :-) 💀🖤❄️

The cover of Throne Questoris, a Warhammer 40,000 book by Victoria Hayward

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Authors on tour! If you're in Lancaster on 18th Oct I'll be in town with my Black Library colleagues @gavthorpe.co.uk & @squintywitch.bsky.social for a panel on building fantasy worlds chaired by the wonderful @oliverklangmead.bsky.social for @litfest.bsky.social. Hope to see you there! 🖤

Poster with the following text:
Author Panel:World-Building in fantasy
How do fantasy authors go about building their worlds? We discuss different approaches to constructing original, fantastical worlds.

Gav Thorpe: Award-winning game designer & Warhammer author
Victoria Hayward: Warhammer, Grimdark Magazine & Darktide 40K writer
Jude Reid: Award-winning writer for Warhammer & Zombies, Run!
Inés Gregori Labarta: Queer, migrant storyteller. Speculative fiction, horror and magic realism
Oliver K. Langmead: Hugo & British Fantasy award nominated speculative fiction writer

Sunday 18th October
Atkinsons Upper Hall, 8.80pm Tickets @ The Dukes, Lancaster

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

It is an honour to have been eliminated by Durham Red this week - thank you @agentofweird.bsky.social! 🖤💀 2000 AD was a formative text I read as an impressionable 11 year old after finding a stash of Halo Jones & covertly reading it in between music lessons - so this is a very meaningful privilege!

Victoria's hand holding the latest 2000AD

An image of the top panels of a page from 2000AD. It shows a swat team member with a badge that says 'Hayward' dead in the foreground with Durham Red in the background.

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

🔮 Marketh your diaries welle! 🔮 @gavthorpe.bsky.social & myself will be out and about on Saturday 24th October at various locations as part of the Fair Realms British Academy / Arts Council England Project. Come and say hi and let us know your thoughts on fantasy worlds!

Fair Realms Author Visit
Informal drop-in

We are researching how to write new fantasy worlds and we'd like to hear your thoughts on fantasy!

Gav Thorpe & Victoria Hayward

Saturday 24 October 2026
10.00 - 11.30: Geeks Headquarters
3 High Street, Chesterfield, S40 1PS

14.00 - 15.30: Wargames Emporium
31 Leeming Street, Mansfield, NG18 1NA

16.00 - 17:30: Sanctuary Gaming Centre
Forest Street, Sutton-in-Ashfield, NG17 1BE

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Please consider it. And I'm sorry to say - chameleonic life forms - no thanks 🙏

A wood pigeon sits on a fence post on which someone has written 'give quiche a chance'

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

We’re researching fantasy settings for science! Thanks to support from @britishacademy.bsky.social & @artscouncilengland.bsky.social, @gavthorpe.bsky.social & I will be visiting local gaming clubs on 24th October with our mini postbox where you can share your thoughts on fantasy settings :-)

Author visit - informal drop-in

We are researching how to write new fantasy worlds & we’d like to hear your thoughts on fantasy!

Gav Thorpe
Gav is an award-winning game designer, New York Times best-selling author, David Gemmell Legend Award recipient and Warhammer author.

Victoria Hayward
Victoria has written for Grimdark Magazine, Black Library, AAN and Anthem Press and the award-winning Warhammer 40,000: Darktide game.

24 October 2026 14.00 - 15.30, The Games Emporium, 31 Leeming Street, Mansfield, NG18 1NA

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Also bonus gannet chicks because they are SO lovely

A very fluffy white gannet chick with a parent sits on a pale cliff overlooking the sea

A white fluffy gannet chick stretches out its wings which are very much a work in progress as a parent looks on proudly

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Gorgeous gannet at @rspb.bsky.social Bempton Cliffs this weekend! First visit to the site and it's absolutely amazing. The RSPB volunteers were fantastic on site and on the boat trip run aboard the Yorkshire Belle. Strong recommendation if you would like to see a LOT of gannets!! 🖤

A northern gannet gives a piercing stare. It is a striking bird with a pure white body with a gradient into a soft golden yellow head and neck with vivid blue eyelids. There are no visible nostrils - these are internal to withstand the force with which the bird strikes the water when diving.

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

He is beauty. He is grace 👑 You may not like it, but this is what peak bird performance looks like 🪶

A grey and yellow budgie lands in a very upright pose, his wings outstretched, his little pink claws dangling in front of him

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Important update: bebe pigeon is fledging 🖤

A beautiful young wood pigeon sits on a branch

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Got a nice camera and all of my pics are birds now 🖤🐦 These lovebirds just raised their third chick this season and are working on another nest already!

Two wood pigeons grooming each other and looking in love

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

Good selection of Warhammer books in Games Workshop Brussels! Spotted yours @squintywitch.bsky.social 🖤

A French version of Jude Reid's Fulgrim Black Library book

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

I've been lucky to write diff 40K factions - all fab but Tyranids = 💯 obvs 😎🖤 ⚔️ Astra Militarum:Deathworlder, Nightsider Imperialis, Blood Sands 🛡 Imperial Knights:The Feast of Saint Luthera 💀 Inquisition:The Carbis Incident 🕵‍♀️ Crime:No City for Heroes, Siege of Ismyr ✈️ Imperial Navy:Wings of Faith

Black Library author Victoria Hayward stands outside the Games Workshop headquarters beside the Warhammer 40K Space Marine statue

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

It's grim. It's dark. It's MONDAY! Starting the week with big writing plans & grateful for the support of my BL author crew to get there 💪 @robertrath.bsky.social @jonathandbeer.bsky.social @squintywitch.bsky.social @richmcc.bsky.social @notsosilentrobb.bsky.social @mikevincent-author.bsky.social

A black and white photo of Black Library author Victoria Hayward leaning on the car park Rhino tank at Warhammer World. She is wearing a black shirt and trousers and smiling.

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

NEIGH! My annual painting session has occurred and I have done a little more on the classic Warhammer green knight! Beautiful mini but complicated so taking it slowly 🖤

Tory holds a work in progress miniature - the Warhammer Green Knight model against a background of green wallpaper with parrots on it

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

In the glam darkness of the 40K sequin mines there is only wa(utho)r! 💀 Tbt a special evening at Warhammer World 🖤

Author Victoria Hayward wearing a sequined evening dress in front of the the Warhammer World tank at Games Workshop headquarters

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 25/03/2026

Northern Finland was absolutely magical - but my favourite part was being befriended by the wonderful kuukkeli (Siberian jay) birds during daily walks through the pine forests! 🖤❄️🌲

A kuukkeli bird lands on Victoria's hand in a snow covered forest

A photo of a kuukkeli bird some hikers have left treats for on a bench

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Aurora & Stars. Arctic Circle, Finland. March 2026.

An astrophotography image taken of the night sky during the aurora borealis. A wash of colour - pink, green and purple - sweeps across the dark of the night sky sprinkled with the bright pinpoints of stars.

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Stomping around in the snow in Finland for a few days! 🖤❄️

Victoria wears a burgundy velvet dress and stands in front of trees and snow

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

As soon as I see @newedgeswordmag.bsky.social has had @premeemohamed.com @margaret.bsky.social @decassette.bsky.social & Michael Moorcock producing work for them do I immediately sign up to the 2026 crowd funder?? Yes. Yes I do 🖤 ...Plus I immediately ordered a back issue to tide me over 😅

Victoria holds up a copy of issue 3 of New Edge Sword and Sorcery Magazine

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

Happy International Women's Day! Celebrating all women in SFF & in particular my pioneering sisters in Warhammer 40,000 💀 Thank you for creating & inspiring - it's an honour to be working in this setting with you 🖤 @skullqueen.bsky.social @danacea.bsky.social @squintywitch.bsky.social #IWD2026

Cover images of women characters from Black library Warhammer 40,000 stories by Sarah Cawkwell, Rachel Harrison, Danie Ware, Victoria Hayward and Jude Reid

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

BRB battling deadlines 4 the Emperor rn 🙏💀

Victoria wields a giant bolt gun and wears a black and red floral dress

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Had a fabulous time at the Sisters & Allies of Battle at Warhammer World at the weekend! Organised by the wonderful @eldarexarch it was lovely to chat all things hobby with such fab folk 📚🖌🖤

A group of around 40 people stand in front of the Rhino and Space Marine statue
at Warhammer World, Games Workshop HQ

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

Thesis writing essentials. It is absolutely *not safe* to commence PhD work without wine and a small parrot 🖤🦜🍷

A small yellow budgie jauntily grasps the edge of a glass of red wine with one claw

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Good morrow fellow bulwark admirers! May your weekend be fortified with rest & relaxation ✨️🧱

Tory stands in front of the Warhammer World space marine at Games Workshop HQ. She wields a sword and an Imperial Fists Soace Marine helmet

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

It's PLR statement day! In the UK authors receive payment every time you borrow one of their books from a library 🖤 This includes Warhammer books which you can certainly find if your local library is in Nottingham! 📚💀

Tory holds a copy of her Black Library novel Deathworlder in from of library shelves

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

Just picked up my first Warhammer read of the year - @andyclarkauthor.bsky.social's Black Library book Demolisher! It's a sequel to Steel Tread which I absolutely loved so am excited to crack in!

Victoria stands in front of the Warhammer World 40K tank. She is a woman with long blonde hair and a purple velvet dress

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

✨️His✨️Eyelashes*✨️ *exquisite modified feathers belonging to Leonard the budgerigar

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 07/01/2026

Please enjoy this nuthatch hatching a whole nut 🖤

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

Meet Lobelia, a magnificent Eurasian Griffon Vulture at World of Wings in Cumbernauld! She's currently in training & doing very well at not eating people's welly boots (mostly). It was a pleasure to meet her - she was very boisterous & playful. Vultures are always fabulous & she is especially so 🖤

Lobelia, a magnificent Eurasian Griffon Vulture at World of Wings in Cumbernauld walking along the top of a fence with her rings slightly raised

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 03/01/2026

My New Year read was @adamroberts.bsky.social very clever & very scary Lake of Darkness which gave me the mega creeps by chapter 2 but which I couldn't stop reading. It's beautiful & horrible and I recommend/don't recommend reading it in a remote forest depending or not whether you value sleep...

Victoria holds up a copy of Adam Roberts' book Lake of Darkness against a snowy backdrop and lichen-covered trees

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

A brisk and bright start to the New Year aboard a Victorian steamship on Loch Katrine (whisky compulsory, it was gorgeous but very cold! ❄️) ...Then home for some writing! 🖤✍️

Victoria is aboard a boat looking out at the Scottish scenery

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

Grateful to reflect on a busy author year! ✨️ 💀2 x Warhammer anthos 💀 1st translations of my work 💀 Buying Joe Haldeman a drink at WFC 💀 Signing books at Warhammer Tokyo 💀 Working on more Darktide 💀 Deathworlder in 2024's top 10 Black Library books 💀 Year 1 of PhD done 💀 Chatting 40K stories on WHTV

A grid of 9 images:
1. Victoria Hayward and Gav Thorpe at World FantasyCon Brighton grinning having stolen Mike Brooks' author badge
2. The Darkness Eternal anthology cover
3. The Death and Duty anthology cover
4. Image of the French Deathworlder translation
5. Victoria at Lancaster University
6. An advert for Victoria Hayward speaking to Alex Doddy on the WHTV show Scribes and Scrivener
7. Advert for the Warhammer 40K Darktide Arbites Character
8. Victoria outside of the Warhammer Games Workshop Tokyo store
9. An image of the rankings for the top ten Black Library novels of 2024

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

This was my Warhammer festive read - an absolute banger from Dan 🖤 Lovely character work & super evocative. It kept me guessing until the end and chomping through a *lot* of Christmas chocolate as the tension ramped up 😂 🍫

Victoria holds up a copy of Dan Abnett's Black Library Interceptor City Warhammer 40K book

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

PSA - if you're in the Nottingham city centre Warhammer store you can pick up a signed copy of @robertrath.bsky.social's The Fall of Cadia (while supplies last! ;-) ) in the Black Li rary section :-) 🖤

Tory holds a photo of Robert Rath's Warhammer book, The Fall of Cadia

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

It's officially Christmas in Nottingham now! 😎🖤🥂 @zylaia.bsky.social

A glass of prosecco in front of a cinema screen saying Die Hard

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

A veritable Exterminatus of Black Library Authors descended upon Warhammer World today! You may find that a few Black Library books in the store have now been signed ✍️ @notsosilentrobb.bsky.social @squintywitch.bsky.social @robertrath.bsky.social @noahvannguyen.bsky.social @johnfrench.bsky.social

Black Library Authors Rob Young, Jude Reid, Victoria Hayward, Rob Rath, Noah Nguyen, John French, Rich McCormick, Gav Thorpe, Jon Beer, Marc Collins, Mike Vincent, Robbie MacNiven and Mike Brooks

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

Happy 50th Birthday to Games Workshop! 💀🎉 Lovely retrospective in White Dwarf including staff memories & the fun detail behind the first ever store gaming table! What's your earliest memory of GW? Here are two of mine - my first miniature and my first ticket to Games Day from ~20 years ago! :-)

Tory holds a Games day coach ticket and a High Elf Archer

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 22/11/2025

And if you're a Warhammer+ subscriber you can see me talking (and gesticulating!) all things Tyranid for a good 40 minutes with the very patient @alexdoddy.bsky.social on the Warhammer TV Scribes and Scriveners show :-) warhammertv.com/details/25794

A black and white photo of Victoria sitting on the Warhammer World Car Park Space Marine plinth with her arms folded

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 15/11/2025

Thank you for the review of my Warhammer 40K short story Nightsider Imperialis @goonhammer.com & @lenoongh.bsky.social! It's in the Darkness Eternal Black Library anthology & features some of the characters from my novel Deathworlder. So if you want more Adair, this is where you can find her;-) 🖤

Screengrab of Goonhammer review for the Games Workshop 40,000 anthology Darkness Eternal

'I really enjoyed this one. I like a good Catachan badass, I like the Kroot as enemies, I like anything dealing with the Imperium's population of abhumans and, most of all, I like well written and evocative landscapes and environments. They're all here, present and correct, giving us a kind of escort mission meets cannibal predator story where the good of the imperium comes from disobeying orders - which it always does when the Catachan are involved. There's a craft in a short story that's variably achieved in most Black Library collections, one of creating a world, stakes, characters and plot all within a page or two and then letting them play out - Hayward pulls it off and I think this is the other great story in Darkness Eternal.'

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Beautiful post just arrived from @decassette.bsky.social! A reading treat to have for the dark nights now the winter is closing in 🖤

A photo of work by Linnea Sterte including a Gaeden of Spheres and Stages of Rot

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Tank u for taking the time to review my stories! 🖤🙏 It is a much appreciated way of supporting authors and means a great deal - plus is of course a welcome motivator to hop into the ol' Black Library Rhino carpool to work and keep typing grim tales 💀

A black and white photo of Victoria outside Warhammer World with the car park Rhino and Space Marine

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 08/11/2025

Tbt a seasonal homage to our greatest living author, dreamweaver, visionary plus actor and the reason I NEVER use subtext in my own oeuvre (it is of course for cowards) 🙏🖤💀

Victoria is dressed as Garth Marenghi. She wears a dark wig and leather jacket plus purple tie. She is lit in green with a ram skull in front of her.

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

All of the Warhammer stories I've written! When I wandered into my local Games Workshop store as a kid more than 20 years ago I'd never have believed I'd get the chance to do this! It's so fun & there's just as much wonder in the great, grimdark world of Warhammer as when I first encountered it 🖤

A collection of Black Library books on a shelf including Death and Duty, Darkness Eternal, Emperor's Finest, Sanction and Sin, Deathworlder, Galaxy of Horrors, Once a Killer and Inferno Presents the Inquisition

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 05/11/2025

Picked up some goodies from Kim's Bookshop in Arundel over the weekend including a vintage Nebula & British Science Fiction Magazine 😍 I highly recommend visiting if you're passing through Arundel - there are many floors of good stuff! Thank you to @hormannalex.bsky.social for putting me onto it!

Tory holds up a copy of two vintage Science Fiction magazines - British Science Fiction and Nebula

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 04/11/2025

Grateful to have picked up numerous fab reading recommendations from *every* panel at @worldfantasy2025.bsky.social but am now intimidated by the state of my reading pile (anyone else?? 😅) Tbt Tokyo as I'm currently starting on my sub-pile of Japanese fantasy 🖤 📸 Hiroyuki Okawara @hero_nightwalker

Tory stands in Tokyo outside a brightly lit, neon store with a hand on one hip, looking away from the camera

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 03/11/2025

Dr Phibes budgie wishes everyone an extremely fresh Monday 🐤🚿

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Victoria Hayward @writervh.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

Had a super interesting time at World Fantasy Con - all of the panels have been bangers! Now at Gods & Faith in Fantasy - skillfully chaired by @theodoragoss.bsky.social with fascinating discussion from @johngwynneauthor.bsky.social @joannechocolat.bsky.social @gavthorpe.bsky.social & Willow Woods

A photograph of the Gods and Faith in Fantasy
Panel participants at World FantasyCon Brighton
John Gwynne
Willow Woods
Joanne Harris
Gav Thorpe
Chair:
Theodora Goss

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