In 19th-century Wales, when medical cures were hit-or-miss, people were just as likely to go to one of the cunning folk as to a qualified doctor. Alis Hawkins, whose new book, Not One Of Us, features one such astrologer and healer, writes about the real wizards of west Wales. One of the reasons I love […]
A Beautiful Spy by Rachel Hore
It all began in the summer of 1928… Minnie is supposed to find a nice man, get married and have children. The problem is it doesn’t appeal to her at all. She is working as a secretary, but longs to make a difference. Then, one day, she gets her chance. She is recruited by the […]
The Royal Game by Anne O’Brien
England, 1444. King Henry VI’s grip on the crown hangs by a thread as the Wars of the Roses starts to tear England apart. And from the ashes of war, the House of Paston begins its rise to power. Led by three visionary women, the Pastons are a family from humble peasant beginnings who rely […]
Sands of the Arena and Other Stories by Ben Kane
A collection of short stories by Ben Kane. Sands of the ArenaCan a wet-behind-the-ears gladiator survive a bloody contest ordered by Emperor Caligula? The ShrineCenturion Tullus discovers that Fate will always hold him in her grip. The ArenaLegionary Piso’s much anticipated payday plays out very differently from what he expected. Eagles in the EastCaught up […]
The HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition 2021 longlist
We’re delighted to announce the longlist for the 2021 Historical Writers’ Association Dorothy Dunnett Society Short Story Competition. This impressive list shows “not just talent, but passion and sensitivity and an ability to bring the past and its people to life in rich and vivid prose”. The HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition 2021 longlist: […]
The Sins of the Father by Annie Whitehead
AD658. The sons of Penda of Mercia have come of age. Ethelred, the youngest, recalls little of past wars while Wulf is determined to emulate their father, whose quest to avenge his betrayed kinswomen drew him to battle three successive Northumbrian kings. Ecgfrith of Northumbria is more hostile towards the Mercians than his father was. […]
Historia giveaway! Sands of the Arena by Ben Kane
Historia’s giveaway for September is for five copies of Ben Kane’s new collection of stories, Sands of the Arena and Other Stories, which is published on 16 September, 2021. Entries open at 9am on 12 September, 2021, and close at 11.59pm on 21 September, 2021. Five winning entrants will each receive one copy of Sands […]
Cawnpore by Tom Williams
In 1857 John Williamson, a gay man from a humble background, does not fit in amongst the British rulers of India. When mutiny erupts he finds his loyalties torn between the Europeans he despises and the Indians he loves. How can he be true to himself and still survive the massacre that will follow the […]