Overview
- Scott announced Monday that she will publish an about 80,000-word novel titled Last Days in Two Nations (A History in Eighteen Minds) in instalments across August.
- Before the serialisation began she posted the title page, table of contents, character list and epigraphs but revealed little about plot or characters.
- The book is being released free on Substack rather than through a publisher or major retailer, a choice that puts her among established writers using direct-to-reader platforms.
- The project marks Scott’s first novel in 13 years and recalls her literary training under Toni Morrison and her earlier books, The Testing of Luther Albright (2005) and Traps (2013).
- The release comes as Scott remains a major philanthropist who has given away tens of billions and recently made a $20 million gift to Active Minds, a pattern that shapes public interest in her return to fiction and may influence how high-profile authors choose to publish.