‘… the sufferings of which were dreadful … when I awoke with that horror upon me …’ Charles Dickens had a cold. Man flu? One might wonder when reading the dramatic description of his anguish. But, he was a novelist given to melodrama at times, and, considering the always present possibility of a cold turning […]
A Place In History
Jane Harlond explores how real places inspire authors. There is a cave in Iceland that I will always remember. It is a place I have never been, but Karen Maitland took me there in Falcons of Fire and Ice and I have never been able to forget it. There is a valley full of butterflies […]
A Sideline in Short Stories
I’ve established myself as a novelist, specifically as an author of historical fiction for young adults. But I’ve also published over a dozen short stories, mostly in themed anthologies. I don’t identify myself as a short story writer and don’t actively seek opportunities in that market – but when an editor asks me to make […]
Writing at the Ends of the Earth
I am guessing that most of us historical writers would love to travel back in time (well, for a brief glimpse at least). Perhaps the closest we’ll ever get is to travel to a less culturally frantic part of the globe. ‘We are about to land in New Zealand. Please turn your watches back fifty […]
Historia Interviews: Robyn Young
28 July sees the launch of Robyn Young’s new book Sons of The Blood: New World Rising. This terrific novel, the first of a series, is set in 1483, as Richard of Gloucester seizes the reins of power after the death of his brother Edward IV. It is a rich tapestry of intrigue and adventure […]
My Place In History
Fiction is often described as ‘character in action.’ And characters have to be active somewhere you can see, smell, hear and touch, unless you’re Samuel Beckett who can bury Winnie up to her waist and then neck in sand and yet create an active character. For the rest of us, a strong sense of place […]