When Neil Daws was asked to work with Historic Royal Palaces on a cosy crime historical novel set in Hampton Court Palace he agreed enthusiastically – well, who wouldn’t? He tells us about some of the unusual places and characters he came across while researching Murder at the Palace, which is set in Hampton Court‘s […]
Five surprising facts about Henry Benedict Stuart
To mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of Henry Benedict Stuart, also known as Cardinal York, on 6 March, 1725, our guest authors Calum E Cunningham and Stefano Baccolo offer five surprising facts about this influential man, now largely unknown outside Italy. You’ll have heard of his elder brother, though: Charles Edward Stuart, better […]
The Secrets of the Rose by Nicola Cornick
In 1715, with the country on the brink of rebellion, Dorothy Forster’s life at Bamburgh Hall is ruled by the men in her life – her feckless brothers stirring up trouble at court, her elderly father with his dangerous secrets and the man she loves who the world seems determined to keep her apart from. […]
Review: Elizabeth Heyrick by Jocelyn Robson
Rachael Tearney reviews the first biography of Elizabeth Heyrick, Quaker, campaigner and abolitionist. The women of the Abolitionist movement are far less well-known than the men, and this timely book highlights one whose advocation of ‘immediate’ rather than ‘gradual’ abolition of slavery put her at odds with better-known figures such as William Wilberforce. The Abolition […]
The Painter’s Daughters by Emily Howes
It’s 1759. In Ipswich sisters Peggy and Molly Gainsborough are the best of friends and do everything together. They spy on their father as he paints, they rankle their mother as she manages the books, they tear barefoot through the muddy fields that surround their home. But there is another reason they are inseparable: from […]
The Blackbirds of St Giles by Lila Cain
It’s 1782, Daniel and his sister Pearl arrive in London with the world at their feet and their future assured. Having escaped a Jamaican sugar plantation, Daniel fought for the British in the American War of Independence and was rewarded with freedom and an inheritance. But the city is not a place for men […]
Letty and the Mystery of the Golden Thread by Penny Boxall
In 1774 12-year-old Lettice Breech is excited to visit Europe with her Pa, who is eternally fascinated by ancient objects. Together they’re going to admire breathtaking French art, astounding Roman ruins, and spectacular Greek carvings. But their plans are dashed when part of a famous statue is exposed as a forgery, and Pa is thrown […]
Historia interview: Luke Pepera
Luke Pepera’s debut Motherland: A Journey through 500,000 years of African Culture and Identity is a ground-breaking exploration of Africa’s uniquely long history and diverse cultures, interwoven with Luke’s experiences of growing up in a Ghanaian family. Luke talks to novelist Carolyn Kirby about the genesis of his remarkable book. CK: Motherland is such a […]