Dr Jean Menzies
@jeansthoughts.bsky.social
750 followers 150 following 56 posts
PhD in Ancient History 🏺 Nonfiction author for children with DK; YA/Teens with Wren & Rook; and adult with 404 Ink. Debut medieval fantasy retelling for adults coming May 2025 with Michael Joseph, Penguin. Agent: Emily Glenister
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Hi, I’m Jean! 👋

I’m a historian with an interest in ancient women, their sex lives & political rhetoric.

I’ve always been obsessed with mythology & folklore so (surprise) I’ve written a bunch of books on the subject.

I’ll read anything but particularly love fantasy, romance, horror, & nonfiction.
It’s sapphic September so allow me to recommend to you some of my favourite sapphic books in every genre: youtu.be/2jEQQHAW0ww?...
I couldn’t stop thinking about Femgore aka Feminist Body Horror in books and films… so, I filmed an entire video exploring the genre: youtu.be/943MmUuMr2U?...
New YouTube Video 🧚

This one is for fans of fantasy academia, fairy scholars, and magical libraries: youtu.be/dqg5Wo22q7c?...
Oh wow what an honour! Thank you so much for stocking The Lady of the Lake 😭♥️
This gorgeous sapphic retelling of Arthurian myth by @jeansthoughts.bsky.social sold out so fast when it came out last week, but now it's back!

Magic, enchantment, power and politics, and two women at the heart of it all: Lady Viviane and Morgan Le Fay...

💙📚🪐
#LGBTQReads
#NewBooks
A copy of the book in a bookshop. On the cover, two women swirl in luminous blue as if underwater. They reach for a sword suspended in a beam of light between them.
The Lady of the Lake is officially out!

Think medieval fantasy, Arthurian legend, courtly drama, female rage, and sapphic romance.

If that sounds like your cup of tea check it out: scifier.com/the-lady-of-...
Reposted by Dr Jean Menzies
This was waiting for me when I got home today ☺️ happy publication day @jeansthoughts.bsky.social !
#booksky #reading
NEW VIDEO!

Let’s talk about the ancient story that bears a striking resemblance to Cinderella: youtu.be/OUwWN7amSx4?...
It’s genuinely heartbreaking to discover multiple of the books you poured your heart & soul into writing have been stolen in order to train generative AI.

Seriously, if you support gen AI you do not support authors. End of.

This has left a pit in my stomach:
www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...
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.
www.theatlantic.com
New YouTube Video! 💃

I thought I’d give you a tour of my office and desk setup - aka where all the writing happens: youtu.be/fnTcRFELPnc?...
Super cool news #BookSky!

For this weekend only @waterstones.bsky.social are running their first ever 25% off preorder event on a wide range of titles INCLUDING The Lady of the Lake. So if you were thinking of preordering from Waterstones… now is the time 😜

Preorder link: tidd.ly/4h5rgYO
Ooh I’ll give it a shot but still dang that’s ridiculous you have to add an extra step for every search and not just disable it!
You probably don’t need me to tell you this but do not trust Google AI (I need them to make this feature optional cause I hate it).

And here is a ‘fun’ demonstration of why - these results are from two different searches made back to back:
Reposted by Dr Jean Menzies
Lot of British folks thinking that what’s happening in the US couldn’t possibly happen here and I want you all to pay close attention to how people like Wes Streeting are already dog whistling for ‘anti-DEI’ shit.
Reposted by Dr Jean Menzies
Labour could decide to fend off discontent by actually addressing the crises core to it or they can deflect attention on the far right like so many have before

It's lazy, cowardly and dangerous and that's the status we are asked to support blindly
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Group of Labour MPs urge No 10 to be tougher on migration to fend off threat from Reform
Exclusive: Pressure group of MPs from constituencies where Reform came second at last election call for Labour to ‘shout louder’ about action on immigration
www.theguardian.com
There is something in the air this February I swear, because there are so many exciting books coming out that I cannot wait to read!

What’s on your anticipated release list? These are mine.

#BookSky
Reposted by Dr Jean Menzies
I will forever take issue with this kind of flippant assessment of sexual violence in Ancient Greece - nowhere else is this logic used even in jest. The gods did heinous, violent, and just absurd things all of the time - yet do we extrapolate that the Greeks considered those things sanctioned? No.
Reposted by Dr Jean Menzies
"If you're interested in antiquity and mythology ... this is really important background to have."

Is it dead white men all the way down? Not quite. Thank you,
@jeansthoughts.bsky.social, for featuring Donna Zuckerberg's Not All Dead White Men in your latest video!

Read: tinyurl.com/2ur6chs2
Do you know what you need?

Some niche aka super specific nonfiction books!

And luckily for you I’ve got some recommendations: youtu.be/Rb-CLo4Q6H0?...
Sylvanian fans obviously have the best taste aha! I loved Night Terrors so much. Thank you for writing it ☺️