Oh, Thank you!

Oxford! An unbelievably beautiful place, also full of books. I was given a great tour by the inimitable @slashnburnett.bsky.social

More shots from HMS Warrior. Did I mention I was very impressed? Steam and magic naval warfare… not the main arc but a scene I can’t wait to write 😊 #hmswarrior #epicfantasy

Open breech on an Armstrong gun, 1860; fuel for my next fantasy series. But what I really want to do is praise the historical interpretation aboard #hmswarrior they knew EVERYTHING and were both entertaining and deeply knowledgeable. My hat is off to all of them.

The Ship Anson in Portsmouth UK. Last time I was here was 1990 and I walked off an aircraft carrier. Beer is still good😊 and I did research for my new fantasy series. No, really.

A new favourite author😊 and a good sword and all-around good egg.

World Fantasy Con. Always meet your heroes! The Gwynne family, @marklawrenceauthor.bsky.social and C.L. Clarke.

More glorious fighting! Brighton UK, sword and buckler, sword alone, longsword… thanks for hosting me! #hema #marozzo #brighton

Go Blue Jays! (First Nations art borrowed from CBC)

I met a fantastic sword club in Oxford…

I do give money to Wikipedia, and I recommend it as a cause.

Comicon London today. Great fun, great costumes, and a good #writingfighting

Tonight! 8:30pm! Live in the Discord! With @phokion.bsky.social discord.gg/XBF9sNBnE

My new favourite place in London 😊

I’m very glad anyone is still reading this😊. Also, the role of slavery and slave revolt in the American Revolution is vastly underestimated.

Off to England! See you at MCM Comicon or World Fantasy or in the various HEMA clubs I’m visiting. Or the British Museum 😊

This Sunday! 8:30pm UK time (which will be GMT because hosting a show on the day the clocks change will definitely not cause any issues) With @phokion.bsky.social !! Live in the Discord discord.gg/P3ZZgMXH

I’m doing #writingfighting live at Comicon in London on Sunday October 26th at 11:30-1230 with my friend and co-author @slashnburnett.bsky.social and there will historical martial arts demos and some of me blathering about cultural artifacts, history, fantasy and martial arts. Fun!

I wasn’t going to mention it, but… 😉

The "Drawn by Tolkien on an unused page from a University of Leeds examination booklet" aspect of this REALLY speaks to me. Like, this man just needed to let a map POUR out of him and used whatever piece of paper was closest.

Despite tournaments and wilderness camping, ‘Tge French Ambassador’ is on page 300 this morning. I hope to finish up before #worldfantasy in Brighton 😊

More photos from the Xth running of the ‘Deed of the Red Knight.’ We had more armoured fighters than I could count and some great scenarios as well as individual fighting; music, cooking, wine and good conversation.

Farewell Middle Ages! I had a great duel a la ‘Gladitoria’ an early 15th c. Manuscript with images of fighting with spears, small shields, swords and daggers. My new favourite style!

Morning at the ‘Deed of the Red Knight’

I wrote a story (part one of a 4 part novella) with Emma Burnett for Grimdark Magazine and (not a spoiler) it will eventually reveal a major plotline in the #arcanaimperii universe (and of course Whalesong is coming soon!)

Fly fishing in the last light of day, Lake Chiniguchi

Fascism is bad ⓘ 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘈𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘢. 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳.

'Aure entuluva!’

Eight days in the woods! Here I am with Bridey (not a particularly medieval dog) atop the Elephant on Lake Chiniguchi in Temagami (in mostly medieval kit).

I’m off later today for a week in the woods and waters of Temagami. No cell service, and the worst anxiety is ‘will it rain?’ And ‘do we have enough firewood?’

I’ve deleted fb for a while

Writing today was all about exploring 17th century Padova and the Brenta River and all those magnificent Palladian villas. Digitally. Does anyone in #Venice or #Padova have a writers residency so I can see all this for real? Page 230 of ‘The French Ambassador.’ We’re in Padova😊

I spent a lovely afternoon @bakkaphoenix.bsky.social with my friend and brilliant fantasy author @decastell.bsky.social and we mocked each other, told lies and made up stories. By which I mean we acted out a scene from Sebastien’s latest and I read from ‘French Ambassador’

I can’t wait

Back from vacation and had a 4400 word day on ‘The French Ambassador’ and this book continues to write itself!

Apparently the whole Republican party suffers from chronic venomous insufficiency, a disease common to petty tyrants, bullies and wannabe dictators. It’s caused by an imbalance of the humours and overproduction of yellow bile, at least according to RFK jr.

Leaving the cottage on a beautiful day after a week of cold and rain. Read some great books by CJ Cherryh and @richardswanauthor.bsky.social and painted miniature ships. Fun!

The Shogunate frigate Kaitan and the smaller but much more dangerous Imperial ironclad Kotetsu in 1/1200 with ‘gaming’ paint and rigging. Ships are by Spithead Miniatures for the Boshin War (Meiji Restoration 1868-69). Only 31 more to go😊

That’s most of the Shogun’s navy in 1868 (in 1/1200 scale) and some campaign dress Janissaries for my 1650s Ottoman Army (to fight my 1650 Venetians, obviously) Yes, the Shogun’s navy. With steamships. History is never what you expect.

Please, stop calling yourselves Christians. Make up a new name, like ‘Greedy Authoritarian Grifters’ or ‘Leaders of Patriarchal Repression’

I’m having another good writing day. ‘The French Ambassador’ is almost writing itself. 30k words in 5 writing days!

It’s almost as if GOP men don’t see 14 year old girls as children. At least, that’s the message I’m getting.

The incompetence of Trump’s administration was never more clearly shown than having a summit without clearing all the items on the agenda first. They’re ignorant children playing with fire. They’re not even good at imperialism.

I need help in this "big name authors" vs "ChatGPT 5" contest! On my blog are 8 pieces of flash fiction. All you need to do is rate them & vote which are AI. In a follow up post I will reveal which well-known authors are involved and how you did! mark---lawrence.blogspot.com/2025/08/so-i...

I’m diving deep into gaming the Boshin War in 1868 Japan. Also, I’m pretty sure that I know what inspired CJ Cherryh’s brilliant’Foreigner’ series. But why has no one written an RPG called ‘Steamships and Samurai?’

A blast from the past— teaching a little sabre before fighting on horseback at a revwar event circa 2010

Today I’m starting’The French Ambassador’ 😊 sequel to ‘Venetian Heretic’

For five days I didn’t give the so-called ‘real world’ a second thought. 25-30 km a day in Temagami. Saw eagles, wolves, and beaver. Incredible!

Cover reveal! And lots of other fun!