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-...
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
Anomalies in Giza pyramid may indicate an unknown entrance. Via Live Science.
Anomalies in Giza pyramid may indicate an unknown entrance
Two voids found on the eastern face of Menkaure's pyramid may indicate the presence of a second entrance.
livescience.com
November 19, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Anomalies in Giza pyramid may indicate an unknown entrance. Via Live Science.
'Texas, 1932. A boy seeks his missing father, trudging through a veritable "planet of trees." A perceptive and moving coming-of-age tale.'
#EditorsChoice: Narrow the Road by James Wade, reviewer Fiona Alison
#EditorsChoice: Narrow the Road by James Wade, reviewer Fiona Alison
Narrow the Road - Historical Novel Society
Living in Shawnee Prairie, Texas, in 1932, young Will Carter knows more than he wants to about dying. The bank is about to foreclose on the farm he is barely managing in his father’s absence, his…
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 19, 2025 at 10:01 AM
'Texas, 1932. A boy seeks his missing father, trudging through a veritable "planet of trees." A perceptive and moving coming-of-age tale.'
#EditorsChoice: Narrow the Road by James Wade, reviewer Fiona Alison
#EditorsChoice: Narrow the Road by James Wade, reviewer Fiona Alison
Early Bird booking for our 2026 Historical Novel Society conference in Maynooth, Ireland is now open! The conference ticket includes all sessions, buffet lunch and tea/coffee on Sat 22 August and Sun 23 August. For more information, head to: historicalnovelsocietyuk.regfox.com/hns-2026
November 18, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Early Bird booking for our 2026 Historical Novel Society conference in Maynooth, Ireland is now open! The conference ticket includes all sessions, buffet lunch and tea/coffee on Sat 22 August and Sun 23 August. For more information, head to: historicalnovelsocietyuk.regfox.com/hns-2026
Comprehending the opportunities and limitations of women’s experience in the mid-1960s:
Good & Interesting? Clare Chambers on Shy Creatures - Historical Novel Society
WRITTEN BY CLARE E. RODEN Clare Chambers, author of Shy Creatures (W&N/Mariner, 2024), needed to look no further her own family to comprehend the opportunities and limitations of women’s experience...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 18, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Comprehending the opportunities and limitations of women’s experience in the mid-1960s:
Jumping on the trampoline of history with Peter Mann:
Jumping on the trampoline of history: World Pacific by Peter Mann - Historical Novel Society
BY TRISH MACENULTY Peter Mann, whose new novel, World Pacific, (Harper, 2025) follows a highly successful debut in The Torqued Man, (HarperCollins, 2022) did not set out with a particular theme or territory...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 17, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Jumping on the trampoline of history with Peter Mann:
Using historical bias as opportunity in a new retelling of Boudicca:
Using historical bias as opportunity in a new retelling: Boudicca: A Novel by P.C. Cast - Historical Novel Society
BY SHAUNA MCINTYRE Boudicca: A Novel (William Morrow, January 2025) is the story of the famous Queen Boudicca and her daughters in the lead up to and through her battles with the Romans who were occupying...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 17, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Using historical bias as opportunity in a new retelling of Boudicca:
“Personally I remember the felling of the Wall very well, played out on our television screens night after night."
The Girl Behind the Wall by Mandy Robotham: A Novel of Divided Berlin - Historical Novel Society
Author Mandy Robotham talks about the research she did to write a romance set during the erection of the Berlin Wall in 1961.
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 16, 2025 at 4:01 PM
“Personally I remember the felling of the Wall very well, played out on our television screens night after night."
'Georgia, 1960. A Black seventeen-year old falls pregnant and can't support a baby. A winning coming-of-age story full of personality and zing.'
#EditorsChoice: These Heathens by Mia McKenzie, review by Sarah Johnson
#EditorsChoice: These Heathens by Mia McKenzie, review by Sarah Johnson
These Heathens - Historical Novel Society
The narrator’s voice grabs hold immediately, and what a tale she has to tell! In small-town Georgia in 1960, Doris Steele, a Black seventeen-year-old, had dropped out of school two years ago to care...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 15, 2025 at 4:01 PM
'Georgia, 1960. A Black seventeen-year old falls pregnant and can't support a baby. A winning coming-of-age story full of personality and zing.'
#EditorsChoice: These Heathens by Mia McKenzie, review by Sarah Johnson
#EditorsChoice: These Heathens by Mia McKenzie, review by Sarah Johnson
In spring 2026, Queen Victoria's childhood home of Kensington Palace will offer an intimate look into the life of suffragette Sophia Duleep Singh in a new exhibition:
The Last Princesses of Punjab
Discover the extraordinary life of Sophia Duleep Singh and the women interwoven in her rich and complex heritage.
www.hrp.org.uk
November 14, 2025 at 7:02 PM
In spring 2026, Queen Victoria's childhood home of Kensington Palace will offer an intimate look into the life of suffragette Sophia Duleep Singh in a new exhibition:
'Follows Russian Jewish immigrants in 1909, trying to make a life in New York. Vivid with excellent characterizations.'
Editor's Choice: To Save a Life by Larry Zuckerman, reviewer B. J. Sedlock
Editor's Choice: To Save a Life by Larry Zuckerman, reviewer B. J. Sedlock
To Save a Life - Historical Novel Society
Zuckerman’s second novel avoids the “sophomore slump,” due to its excellent characterizations. I was fascinated by this tale of Russian Jewish immigrants in 1909, trying to make a life in New York,…
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 14, 2025 at 10:01 AM
'Follows Russian Jewish immigrants in 1909, trying to make a life in New York. Vivid with excellent characterizations.'
Editor's Choice: To Save a Life by Larry Zuckerman, reviewer B. J. Sedlock
Editor's Choice: To Save a Life by Larry Zuckerman, reviewer B. J. Sedlock
A mysterious hotel in the Swiss Alps lies at the heart of a time-travelling fantasy encompassing 1897 to 2016. Thoroughly charming and delightful.'
Editor's Choice: The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell, review by Janice Ottersberg
Editor's Choice: The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell, review by Janice Ottersberg
The White Octopus Hotel - Historical Novel Society
A mysterious hotel in the Swiss Alps stars in this time-traveling fantasy novel. In 2015, Eve Shaw is a London art appraiser – friendless and reclusive, burdened by past regrets. She wears a tattoo...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 13, 2025 at 7:02 PM
A mysterious hotel in the Swiss Alps lies at the heart of a time-travelling fantasy encompassing 1897 to 2016. Thoroughly charming and delightful.'
Editor's Choice: The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell, review by Janice Ottersberg
Editor's Choice: The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell, review by Janice Ottersberg
Need to strike down your character with a disease that isn't influenza? Check out these resources by B.J. Sedlock: historicalnovelsociety.org/infectious-d... #AmResearching
Historical Infectious Diseases Other Than Influenza - Historical Novel Society
Resources about historical infectious diseases from typhus to TB, polio to smallpox. Includes websites and books.
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 13, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Need to strike down your character with a disease that isn't influenza? Check out these resources by B.J. Sedlock: historicalnovelsociety.org/infectious-d... #AmResearching
Roman road network was twice as large as previously thought, new mapping project finds – courtesy of Live Science.
Roman road network was twice as large as previously thought, new mapping project finds
The new digital map increases the Roman road network by nearly 100%.
www.livescience.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Roman road network was twice as large as previously thought, new mapping project finds – courtesy of Live Science.
'A woman’s body from 50 BCE is found, and a forensic specialist investigates. Captivating and surprisingly moving.'
Editor's Choice: Bog Queen by Anna North, reviewer Jinny Webber
Editor's Choice: Bog Queen by Anna North, reviewer Jinny Webber
Bog Queen - Historical Novel Society
In 2018, a woman’s body is found buried in a peat bog near Ludlow, England. Is she the murder victim police have been looking for? The coroner sends for Agnes, a forensic specialist in bones and teeth,...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 12, 2025 at 10:01 AM
'A woman’s body from 50 BCE is found, and a forensic specialist investigates. Captivating and surprisingly moving.'
Editor's Choice: Bog Queen by Anna North, reviewer Jinny Webber
Editor's Choice: Bog Queen by Anna North, reviewer Jinny Webber
Alternative truth and historical fiction: does it matter that we get the facts right?
Alternative Truth: Historical Fiction: Does It Matter that We Get the Facts Right? - Historical Novel Society
In these dark days of fake news and alternative truths, this may be the right time to look at the issue of accuracy in historical fiction. Of course, some academics tell us that there can be no such thing...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 11, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Alternative truth and historical fiction: does it matter that we get the facts right?
History and film: The substance and subtlety of Shōgun: historicalnovelsociety.org/history-film... #shogun #historicalfiction
History & Film: The Substance & Subtlety of Shōgun - Historical Novel Society
WRITTEN BY BETHANY LATHAM There seem to be few new offerings today, television or film, that simultaneously offer production value, superior acting, and depth of viewer engagement. Everything is a tired...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 11, 2025 at 10:01 AM
History and film: The substance and subtlety of Shōgun: historicalnovelsociety.org/history-film... #shogun #historicalfiction
Congratulations to our members on their new historical releases! Immerse yourself in 18th century Caribbean, Victorian England and the last hours of The Titanic, as well as other fascinating eras: historicalnovelsociety.org/new-books-by... #HistoricalFiction
New books by Historical Novel Society members, November 2025 - Historical Novel Society
If you’re a HNS member who’s written a historical novel or nonfiction work published (or to be published) in June 2025 or after, send the following details via our contact form by January 7, 2026:…
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 10, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Congratulations to our members on their new historical releases! Immerse yourself in 18th century Caribbean, Victorian England and the last hours of The Titanic, as well as other fascinating eras: historicalnovelsociety.org/new-books-by... #HistoricalFiction
On Remembrance Day (11 November), we wear the red poppy, a symbol of those who died in war. It comes from the famous poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrae (1915), which refers to the poppies blooming amidst the graves of the fallen on the Western Front.
Why We Wear Poppies On Remembrance Day
The poppy is the enduring symbol of remembrance of the First World War. It is strongly linked with Armistice Day (11 November), but the poppy's origin as a popular symbol of remembrance lies in the…
www.iwm.org.uk
November 9, 2025 at 4:01 PM
On Remembrance Day (11 November), we wear the red poppy, a symbol of those who died in war. It comes from the famous poem In Flanders Fields by John McCrae (1915), which refers to the poppies blooming amidst the graves of the fallen on the Western Front.