Does it matter whether King Arthur, or someone who the legend is built on, existed in history? For Nicola Griffith, author of Spear, it doesn’t. What was important when she was writing her book was to make a place and a voice for people who have been left out of the stories, and to create […]
Castles of Wales by John Paul Davis
In 1277, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, Prince of Gwynedd, met with Edward I of England in Aberconwy to finalise a treaty that would change the fate of both nations. His hand forced by Edward’s invasion earlier that year, Llywelyn’s acceptance of the terms confirmed not only short-term peace but also that the rule of Wales would […]
Christmas reading 2021 – the best historical books
We asked eight authors to each recommend a historical book they’d love to receive for Christmas 2021, and one they would give as a Christmas gift. They include many of the best books published this year. We hope these suggestions inspire you, whether you’re looking for ideas for presents or planning to curl up in […]
The wizards of west Wales
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 […]
Not One Of Us by Alis Hawkins
The Teifi Valley’s coroner, Harry Probert-Lloyd, is struggling: with the blindness that drove him home from London, with the county magistrates and with an estate teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. He needs an escape, so when Dr Benton Reckitt is asked to give a second opinion on the apparently natural death of young Lizzie […]
Those Who Know by Alis Hawkins
Harry Probert-Lloyd has inherited the estate of Glanteifi and appointed his assistant John as under-steward. But his true vocation, to be coroner, is under threat. Against his natural instincts, Harry must campaign if he is to be voted as coroner permanently by the local people and politicking is not his strength. On the hustings, Harry […]
The Coming of the Wolf by Elizabeth Chadwick
The Welsh Borders, 1069. When Ashdyke Manor is attacked, Lady Christen is forced to witness her husband’s murder and the pillaging of her lands at the hands of brutal Norman invaders. It seems the pain is finally over when Miles Le Gallois, Lord of Milnham-on-Wye, calls off the attack. But he has Christen’s brother under […]
Historia interview: Alis Hawkins
Alis Hawkins writes fiction based in two centuries and two places: England in the 14th century and West Wales in the 19th. But, as she tells Historia, shuttling between the two is easier than you might think. Congratulations on The Black and the White being published! Tell us a bit about your latest novel. My […]