Tom Holland, who as an author worked for years with the BBC, has written several well-received works of fiction before publishing, in 2003, the non-fiction Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic, which managed to make the final 60 years of the dying Roman Republic, the deaths of the Gracchi to the rise (and death) of Julius Caesar, as exciting as if it was today's news. The book immediately became the nearest thing possible to an international best-seller for an historian dealing with Republican Rome! Holland has just published his second major non-fiction work, Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West, which is available in Britain (next year, in the U.S.), to equally delighted reviews. After taking on ancient Rome, Holland now provides all the background and all the detail of the Persian invasions of Greece in the late 5th century, and its impact on both warring parties and on our world to this day.

Tom Holland will visit AncientWorlds beginning this Sunday, November 20, through Sunday, November 27, with a live chat for interested AW members on the final Sunday. Questions on ancient Rome, Greece or Persia, or on any of Mr. Holland's novels, are welcomed and wide-open to our citizens. So look out for the "where, when and how" and participate! We hope that Mr. Holland will be the first of several 'visiting authors' for AW in the coming year, dealing with any subject within the parameters "ancient" and "our eight worlds." If you have a suggestion for a future speaker, please mention it to your world scribes or to any of the visiting demis! (and special thanks to Alerissa Nestor for the lovely "Symposion Series" graphic!)

The uniquely four-worlds GOLDFEST '05 Celebrations began its "Magical Mystery Tour" on October 20, and in four short days crammed a remarkable amount of action into the combined celebrations of Germania, The Orient, Hellas, and Mesopotamia! All agreed that The Wizard of AwZ (now permanently archived and awarded Gems Status) was an educational hoot. Few of us will imagine Jot otherwise than sunk behind a desk heaped with coding manuals! Special thanks to author Sankira Qin, but many hands built the Jade City, and the illustrations (togas off for Graphics Supervisor Alerissa Nestor) were to die for. The Golden Tour did with history what AwZ did with fun - its devotees traveled all over much of the same ancient world, but seen with a purely historical flair. Also now an AW Gem, many thanks to Anna Hippon and her team of writers and researchers. But there was much more going on - haunted houses, Victorian vampires, quizzes-a-plenty from gods to demons, and a "genuinely ancient" banquet to end the lot. Now, while the four Goldfest teams finally relax, we'll all have a rest until Springfest, when Rome, The Americas, Celtia, and Egypt show off!

Right after Goldfest, both Celtia and The Americas geared up with their own celebrations, variously celebrating (between east and west) ancient traditions for Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Samhain, The Day of the Dead - or all of the above. For two weeks, you couldn't find a 'normally' ancient domus, oikos, or per at AW for all the ghosts and ghouls prowling about. Check the World News for specifics about the celebrations, but any world or group at AW is encouraged to come up with its own festival ideas! Do share your ideas with your world scribes (to make sure we avoid conflicts) and don't forget putting it on the AW Calendar so everyone knows when to show up, dressed as a bear, wearing holly in your hair, or otherwise just there!

Established citizens know that, from the first year of AncientSites in 1997, we all shared the holiday traditions of Saturnalia during the Christmas holidays, and over the years the list has expanded. Rome, Celtia, Germania, and other worlds usually prepare special celebrations for December through New Year's Day. So for our newcomers especially, keep your eyes open for holiday announcements beginning soon after Thanksgiving; pick which world you want, but share the virtual holiday experience with us. You can eat without stinting, drink in 8 languages, never need Pepto-Bismol, and don't have to worry about clearing up all the discarded paper and ribbons! Rome is already planning for Saturnalia '05, or you can voyage to the land of the fir trees to share Yule 05 in Germania. Americas is also planning festivities, more word on that to come. Start planning those virtual gifts now!