Gill Thompson had "a shock of surprise" when she first saw her novel, The Oceans Between Us, listed under ‘Historical Fiction’, she tells Historia. Was she really a historical fiction writer? I’m not sure I ever intended to be – although perhaps I should have had an inkling. As a child I was obsessed by … Continue Reading
Features
‘Paedo Hunter Turns Prey!’ The ironic fate of the father of tabloid journalism
In the past few years, amateur paedophile hunters have rarely been far from the headlines of Britain’s tabloid newspapers, writes author Carolyn … Continue Reading
The HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition 2019
The HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition for 2019 is now open for entries. This historical fiction competition is for unpublished short … Continue Reading
International trade in the early Middle Ages
After the fall of the Roman Empire, trade in Europe declined, roads fell into disrepair and commerce was centred on small towns and local … Continue Reading
Matilda: The greatest king England never had
The Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England and his chosen heir to the throne, seemed ideally qualified to succeed him. For International … Continue Reading
Interviews
Historia interviews: Diarmaid MacCulloch
Professor Diarmaid MacCulloch, author of the new biography Thomas Cromwell: A Life, is speaking at the Yorkshire Museum, York, on Friday, 14 December 2018. Tickets are £12 and available on their … Continue Reading
Historia interviews: Leanda de Lisle
White King, Leanda de Lisle's biography of Charles I, won the 2018 Historical Writers' Association Non-fiction Crown at an awards ceremony earlier this month. Historia talks to the author of this "quietly … Continue Reading
Reviews
Review: The Fire Court by Andrew Taylor
"All lines converged on the Dragon Yard case and the Fire Court at Clifford’s Inn." But in Andrew Taylor's second book in the James Marwood and Cat Lovett series, set in London just after the Great Fire, those lines … Continue Reading
Review: The Almanack by Martine Bailey
“She thought of time as like a ribbon unspooling; the present moment was the only inch of the stuff you could grasp as it cascaded past you, framed by the diamond buckle of now.” I shall confess to two things … Continue Reading