Historical Novel Society
@histnovsoc.bsky.social
For historical fiction readers and writers across the world.
Starting to post here, but volunteer-led and still juggling The Other Place and Facebook, so thank you for your patience!
Starting to post here, but volunteer-led and still juggling The Other Place and Facebook, so thank you for your patience!
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📗📖📘 A warm welcome to our feed to historical fiction readers, writers and publishers across the world.
Member benefits: 4 Historical Novels Review magazines a year, event discounts and access to member-only Facebook groups: historicalnovelsociety.org/members/why-...
Member benefits: 4 Historical Novels Review magazines a year, event discounts and access to member-only Facebook groups: historicalnovelsociety.org/members/why-...
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December 7, 2025 at 4:01 PM
ttps://historicalnovelsociety.org/painting-power-matthew-plampins-these-wicked-desires/
Simon Tolkien’s Literary Journey:
A Haunted Past: Simon Tolkien's Literary Journey - Historical Novel Society
WRITTEN BY KRISTEN MCDERMOTT If there’s one author with a personal knowledge of the weight of the past, it’s Simon Tolkien. Reflecting on the journey that has brought him to his latest novel, The…
historicalnovelsociety.org
December 6, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Simon Tolkien’s Literary Journey:
"The muster roll for the garrison of Calais in 1357 shows the names of men-at-arms and the support roles: mason, locksmith, plumber, blacksmith, wheelwright... One record belongs to a tiler – Walter Tyler. Was this the future rebel leader of 1381?"
We built a database of 290,000 English medieval soldiers – here’s what it reveals
We created the database in order to challenge assumptions about the lack of professionalism of everyday soldiers.
theconversation.com
December 5, 2025 at 7:01 PM
"The muster roll for the garrison of Calais in 1357 shows the names of men-at-arms and the support roles: mason, locksmith, plumber, blacksmith, wheelwright... One record belongs to a tiler – Walter Tyler. Was this the future rebel leader of 1381?"
Lingering effects of history in Restitution, a story of an American woman with a German mother:
Lingering effects of history: Restitution by Tamar Shapiro - Historical Novel Society
BY SHAUNA MCINTYRE Tamar Shapiro’s novel Restitution (Regal House, 2025) follows the story of Kate, an American woman with a German mother, from childhood to parenthood and centers on her relationship...
historicalnovelsociety.org
December 5, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Lingering effects of history in Restitution, a story of an American woman with a German mother:
Decades-long droughts doomed one of the world's oldest civilizations – via LiveScience
Decades-long droughts doomed one of the world's oldest civilizations
A series of lengthy droughts brought about the fall of the Indus Valley Civilization, a new study finds.
www.livescience.com
December 4, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Decades-long droughts doomed one of the world's oldest civilizations – via LiveScience
History and film: The devil you might know - Sinners:
History & Film | The Devil You Might Know: Sinners - Historical Novel Society
WRITTEN BY MICHELLE MCGILL-VARGAS I love horror movies, especially the classic Hammer or Universal horror films featuring the likes of Christopher Lee and Bela Lugosi. My Saturday evenings are usually...
historicalnovelsociety.org
December 4, 2025 at 10:01 AM
History and film: The devil you might know - Sinners:
'Follows a young Polish Jew through 1930s and 1940s Europe, as he fights Franco and the Nazis. Fast paced, brutal yet beautiful.' #YA
Editor's Choice: The Sky Was My Blanket by Uri Shulevitz, reviewer Meg Wiviott
Editor's Choice: The Sky Was My Blanket by Uri Shulevitz, reviewer Meg Wiviott
The Sky Was My Blanket - Historical Novel Society
In 1930, at the age of fifteen and a half, Yehiel Szulewicz leaves home in search of adventure and a life other than the one destined for him by his religious Jewish parents in Poland. Yehiel has no money...
historicalnovelsociety.org
December 3, 2025 at 7:02 PM
'Follows a young Polish Jew through 1930s and 1940s Europe, as he fights Franco and the Nazis. Fast paced, brutal yet beautiful.' #YA
Editor's Choice: The Sky Was My Blanket by Uri Shulevitz, reviewer Meg Wiviott
Editor's Choice: The Sky Was My Blanket by Uri Shulevitz, reviewer Meg Wiviott
Seeking the Stuarts? Check out this list of useful books about the 17th century: historicalnovelsociety.org/seeking-the-...
Seeking the Stuarts? 17th century secondary sources - Historical Novel Society
Suggestions by historian Johanna Luthman for 17th century secondary sources including books on the Stuart monarchy, scandals and gender.
historicalnovelsociety.org
December 3, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Seeking the Stuarts? Check out this list of useful books about the 17th century: historicalnovelsociety.org/seeking-the-...
'Focuses on the art world in London at the end of the 19th century. Cleverly written, complicated, and intriguing.'
Editor's Choice: Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing by Nicholas Meyer, reviewer Joanne Vickers
Editor's Choice: Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing by Nicholas Meyer, reviewer Joanne Vickers
Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing - Historical Novel Society
Nicholas Meyer has not lost his gift since he wrote The Seven-Per-Cent Solution in 1974. If this novel can be considered evidence, he has only improved his narrative skills—and in an area where Sherlock...
historicalnovelsociety.org
December 2, 2025 at 7:02 PM
'Focuses on the art world in London at the end of the 19th century. Cleverly written, complicated, and intriguing.'
Editor's Choice: Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing by Nicholas Meyer, reviewer Joanne Vickers
Editor's Choice: Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing by Nicholas Meyer, reviewer Joanne Vickers
Late Bloomer: Karen Cushman’s historical fiction for children and young adults:
Late Bloomer: Karen Cushman's Historical Fiction for Children and Young Adults - Historical Novel Society
WRITTEN BY TRACY BARRETT Known for her portrayals of spunky girls (and one boy) from the past who forge their own paths in defiance of convention, Karen Cushman came late to writing historical fiction....
historicalnovelsociety.org
December 2, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Late Bloomer: Karen Cushman’s historical fiction for children and young adults:
Greece and Rome: mythology, legends, and novels
Greece & Rome: Mythology, Legends, and Novels - Historical Novel Society
BY PETER TAYLOR-GOOBY Why are we so fascinated by the ancient world? Over eight million people climb up to the Parthenon in Athens every year, so many that the Greek government plans to cap visitor numbers....
historicalnovelsociety.org
December 1, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Greece and Rome: mythology, legends, and novels
'A fascinating exposé of the Prohibition era in Chicago when mobsters fought for control of the illegal liquor supply.'
Editor's Choice: Pitfall by Terry Kirk, reviewer Waheed Rabbani
Editor's Choice: Pitfall by Terry Kirk, reviewer Waheed Rabbani
Pitfall - Historical Novel Society
In Chicago on 29 October 1929, “Black Tuesday,” thirty-two-year-old Frank, a prosperous trader, has his fortune wiped out in one day, like many of his colleagues. The bewildered Frank wanders through...
historicalnovelsociety.org
December 1, 2025 at 10:00 AM
'A fascinating exposé of the Prohibition era in Chicago when mobsters fought for control of the illegal liquor supply.'
Editor's Choice: Pitfall by Terry Kirk, reviewer Waheed Rabbani
Editor's Choice: Pitfall by Terry Kirk, reviewer Waheed Rabbani
In 1991, Adam Shultz, a successful German businessman, discovers he may be one of the Polish babies stolen as part of the Lebensborn Project of 1944 and that his real family may still be alive.
Ellen Irwin interviews Matthew Lutostanski on STOLEN BABIES
Ellen Irwin interviews Matthew Lutostanski on STOLEN BABIES
Launch: Matthew Lutostanski’s Stolen Babies - Historical Novel Society
INTERVIEW BY ELLEN IRWIN Matthew Lutostanski is passionate about telling stories that uncover hidden truths of history, give voice to those silenced, and reveal the strength of the human spirit in…
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 30, 2025 at 4:02 PM
In 1991, Adam Shultz, a successful German businessman, discovers he may be one of the Polish babies stolen as part of the Lebensborn Project of 1944 and that his real family may still be alive.
Ellen Irwin interviews Matthew Lutostanski on STOLEN BABIES
Ellen Irwin interviews Matthew Lutostanski on STOLEN BABIES
'Philadelphia, 1841. An orphan is stalked by a madman, and the ghost of the girl he murdered. Accomplished and suspenseful.'
Editor's Choice: Needle And Bone by Tonya Mitchell, reviewer Erica Obey
Editor's Choice: Needle And Bone by Tonya Mitchell, reviewer Erica Obey
Needle And Bone - Historical Novel Society
In this accomplished thriller set in Philadelphia in 1841, 17-year-old Annis Hargrave flees New York when she witnesses the brutal murder of a young woman by a psychopath. However, Annis and her younger...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 29, 2025 at 4:01 PM
'Philadelphia, 1841. An orphan is stalked by a madman, and the ghost of the girl he murdered. Accomplished and suspenseful.'
Editor's Choice: Needle And Bone by Tonya Mitchell, reviewer Erica Obey
Editor's Choice: Needle And Bone by Tonya Mitchell, reviewer Erica Obey
In need of a story prompt? 🤔🤔 Dopplegangers might be just the ticket! #HistoricalFiction #AmWriting
Doppelgängers Don't Just Look Alike—They Also Share DNA
New research finds genetic and lifestyle similarities between unrelated pairs of "virtual twins"
www.smithsonianmag.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:02 PM
In need of a story prompt? 🤔🤔 Dopplegangers might be just the ticket! #HistoricalFiction #AmWriting
ritish capital during the Swinging Sixties.
Going Against What's Expected: The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein - Historical Novel Society
BY ELISABETH LENCKOS The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein (William Morrow, 2024) takes place in the British capital during the Swinging Sixties and plays out against the backdrop of the American-Cuban...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 27, 2025 at 7:07 PM
ritish capital during the Swinging Sixties.
Trains, bike chains and automobiles – get insights into historical ground transportation which don't involve a horse:
Get Your Characters from A to B Authentically: Online Resources for Ground Transportation - Historical Novel Society
Links to websites offering insights to ground transportation, including historical bicycles, motorcycles, trains and railroads.
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 26, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Trains, bike chains and automobiles – get insights into historical ground transportation which don't involve a horse:
A carp, a flower, and a mosquito all hope to gain the attention of 17th-century Japanese poet Bashō.
Editor's Choice: A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests by Caroline Adderson Lauren Tamaki (illus.), reviewer Elizabeth Caulfield Felt
Editor's Choice: A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests by Caroline Adderson Lauren Tamaki (illus.), reviewer Elizabeth Caulfield Felt
A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests - Historical Novel Society
The 17th-century Japanese poet Bashō sits by a pond with his eyes closed. Seeing him, a carp, a flower, and a mosquito all hope to gain his attention and become famous in one of his poems, but the poet...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 25, 2025 at 10:00 AM
A carp, a flower, and a mosquito all hope to gain the attention of 17th-century Japanese poet Bashō.
Editor's Choice: A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests by Caroline Adderson Lauren Tamaki (illus.), reviewer Elizabeth Caulfield Felt
Editor's Choice: A Pond, a Poet, and Three Pests by Caroline Adderson Lauren Tamaki (illus.), reviewer Elizabeth Caulfield Felt
Want an HNS Sponsored Author interview on our website? If your book is new, about to be launched or topical because of an anniversary, we will consider you. Discounts for HNS members. Find out more at:
Request an author interview - Historical Novel Society
Would you like to request a sponsored author interview with us, perhaps for a blog tour? Read more here. Discounts for HNS members.
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 24, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Want an HNS Sponsored Author interview on our website? If your book is new, about to be launched or topical because of an anniversary, we will consider you. Discounts for HNS members. Find out more at:
Distant echoes: small lives on the fringes of great events in #HistoricalFiction :
Distant Echoes: Small Lives on the Fringes of Great Events - Historical Novel Society
As writers of historical fiction we have so many choices to make: era, character, point of view, voice, whether to stick religiously to the facts or play with alternative interpretations and what-ifs....
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 23, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Distant echoes: small lives on the fringes of great events in #HistoricalFiction :
Although the history it relates is often serious and even tragic, The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights draws a vibrant, joyful portrait of female immigrant life in 1920s North America.
Tackling Timeless Subjects: The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights by Kitty Zeldis - Historical Novel Society
BY ELISABETH LENCKOS Although The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights (Harper, 2022) takes place largely in Brooklyn in 1924, the story it tells about the surprising bond between three seemingly very different...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 22, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Although the history it relates is often serious and even tragic, The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights draws a vibrant, joyful portrait of female immigrant life in 1920s North America.
'1813. Major Sharpe takes command in the final winter of the Peninsular war, and possibly the final Sharpe novel? If so, the series has ended in triumph.'
#EditorsChoice: Sharpe’s Storm by Bernard Cornwell, reviewer Ben Bergonzi
#EditorsChoice: Sharpe’s Storm by Bernard Cornwell, reviewer Ben Bergonzi
Sharpe’s Storm (The Sharpe Series, 19) - Historical Novel Society
A benchmark of quality in military historical fiction, the long-running Sharpe series already takes the eponymous hard-fighting rifleman from 1799 to the 1820s, but Cornwell has been shoehorning…
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 21, 2025 at 7:01 PM
'1813. Major Sharpe takes command in the final winter of the Peninsular war, and possibly the final Sharpe novel? If so, the series has ended in triumph.'
#EditorsChoice: Sharpe’s Storm by Bernard Cornwell, reviewer Ben Bergonzi
#EditorsChoice: Sharpe’s Storm by Bernard Cornwell, reviewer Ben Bergonzi
🗝️🔐🔑The keys to weaving together two stories from different time periods - tips for writing multi-period historical fiction:
Multi-Period Novels: The Keys to Weaving Together Two Stories from Different Time Periods - Historical Novel Society
Examples of successful multi-period novels, examining how objects and triggers can connect characters of different eras and settings.
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 20, 2025 at 7:01 PM
🗝️🔐🔑The keys to weaving together two stories from different time periods - tips for writing multi-period historical fiction:
'A rich and sensual narrative of the life of Maria van Oosterwijck, the Dutch Golden Age painter. Contains moments of hilarity and tragedy.'
Editor's Choice: I Am You by Victoria Redel, reviewer Kristen McDermott
Editor's Choice: I Am You by Victoria Redel, reviewer Kristen McDermott
I Am You - Historical Novel Society
Historical fiction detailing the poorly documented life of women artists is in vogue now, and this novel presents a rich and sensual narrative of the life and work of Maria van Oosterwijck, the Dutch...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 20, 2025 at 10:00 AM
'A rich and sensual narrative of the life of Maria van Oosterwijck, the Dutch Golden Age painter. Contains moments of hilarity and tragedy.'
Editor's Choice: I Am You by Victoria Redel, reviewer Kristen McDermott
Editor's Choice: I Am You by Victoria Redel, reviewer Kristen McDermott