Frances Quinn's novel The Smallest Man is inspired by the life of Jeffrey Hudson, the ‘court dwarf’ of Henrietta Maria, Charles I's French wife. But who was this spirited woman who was both dearly loved and deeply unpopular? Frances looks at the friendship between a courtier and a queen who has been all but … Continue Reading
Features
Vikings in Georgia: history or myth?
Fans of SJA (Simon) Turney's Roman novels may be surprised to see that his latest book, the first of a new series, is about 11th-century Vikings. … Continue Reading
The uncanny story behind my novel
You might expect a thriller to give you the shivers. But when Alexandra Walsh was writing her latest novel, The Wind Chime, she discovered some … Continue Reading
When the Wars of the Roses got personal
What happens when you discover that an ancestor of yours was involved in the great moments of history which you're writing about? It makes these … Continue Reading
874 and All That: a short history of a small country
Michael Ridpath, the crime novelist, has a deep interest in the history of Iceland. As a change from his usual books, he turned for his newest … Continue Reading
Interviews
HWA Crowns winners interviews: Toby Green
Toby Green is the 2020 winner of the Historical Writers’ Association Non-Fiction Crown Award for his ground-breaking book, A Fistful of Shells. Many years of detailed research culminated in this fascinating … Continue Reading
HWA Crowns winners interviews: Jane Healey
Jane Healey's The Animals of Lockwood Manor won the 2020 HWA Debut Crown Award, which celebrates new voices in historical fiction. In this atmospheric gothic tale of family madness, long-buried secrets and hidden … Continue Reading
Reviews
Review: The White Rajah by Tom Williams
Author Deborah Swift embarks on an adventure in the South China Seas to review Tom Williams's reissued novel, The White Rajah, and finds much to enjoy. I'd never heard of James Brooke before reading Tom … Continue Reading
Review: Fortune’s Soldier by Alex Rutherford
Novelist and historian Richard Hopton reviews Alex Rutherford’s latest novel, Fortune’s Soldier, for Historia. Fortune’s Soldier is Alex Rutherford’s latest Indian historical epic, a successor to the Empire of … Continue Reading