Carolyn O’Brien’s new novel Rose & Renzo is set in 1930s Manchester and is deeply entwined with the radical politics of the time, the backdrop to a passionate coming-of-age story. Carolyn O’Brien talks to fellow novelist Carolyn Kirby about the inspirations for her book. CK: Rose & Renzo is a … Continue Reading
Features
Book theft in Nazi-occupied Paris
Chris Lloyd, author of the Occupation series of crime novels about Nazi-occupied Paris, argues that the widescale looting of books, now largely … Continue Reading
The Festival of Britain, 75 years ago
Julie Anderson looks back at the Festival of Britain, held 75 years ago this summer. Seen as a "tonic for the nation" after the Second World War … Continue Reading
Atlantis and the Aryan Myth
Among the many beliefs that contributed to Nazi racial doctrine, one of the facets of the 'Aryan Myth' was the idea that Aryans were descended … Continue Reading
Faith and love in fiction
Emma Darwin examines the importance of faith during a turbulent period of European history, and how difficult it is to convey the "visceral" … Continue Reading
Interviews
Historia interview: Carolyn O’Brien
Carolyn O’Brien’s new novel Rose & Renzo is set in 1930s Manchester and is deeply entwined with the radical politics of the time, the backdrop to a passionate coming-of-age story. Carolyn O’Brien talks to fellow … Continue Reading
Historia interview: David Gilman
David Gilman's new novel, Rage of Swords, is the latest in his Master of War series and sees Thomas Blackstone in action in Italy. David tells Historia about the ideas and research behind his book, as well as … Continue Reading
Reviews
Review: Wuthering Heights – the film – and Catherine by Essie Fox
February, 2026 has given us the full Bronte with two retellings of Wuthering Heights. Kate Griffin, the author of several Gothic novels and lover of films set in the Victorian era, is the ideal person to review both … Continue Reading
Review: Samurai at the British Museum
Lesley Downer, author of The Shortest History of Japan, visits the Samurai exhibition at the British Museum and discovers that it's "an exhibition of treasures" which show that the samurai were patrons of the arts … Continue Reading