Historia – the HWA
@historia-hwa
Historia Magazine is the online magazine of the Historical Writers’ Association historiamag.com historicalwriters.org
Did the Victorian artist Edwin Landseer have an affair with Georgina, Duchess of Bedford? And how is that question linked to a vanished painting of deer in a Highland ruin? Lucy Waverley writes about researching her debut novel, Noble Beasts, at historiamag.com/edwin-landseer
Congratulations to Anthony Riches on the release of Swords of Troy! When the Achaeans sail for Troy to avenge Helen's abduction, Leonteus finds himself at the heart of the deadliest war ever fought. amazon.co.uk/dp/1399756397
Congratulations to Betty Firth on publication day of The Variety Girls! Mill girl Molly Clough joins ENSA's Forces Follies to entertain troops. But when crooner Jack Forrester joins the troupe, a secret from her past threatens their growing romance. amazon.co.uk/dp/1835984762
Congratulations to Naomi Kelsey on the release of Pale Mistress! Othello is retold as murder, lies and vengeance leave only one woman standing — Bianca. We know the names of the slain, but why do we not know Bianca? Liar or lied to? Instigator or victim? amazon.co.uk/dp/0008803765
Congratulations to Sharon Bennett Connolly on the paperback of Heroines of the Tudor World! From Elizabeth Barton and Anne Boleyn to Bess of Hardwick and Elizabeth I, this book shines a light on the remarkable women who shaped Early Modern Europe. amazon.co.uk/dp/1398133515
Congratulations to Catherine Hokin on the release of The Man She Had to Save! Madrid, 1935: Vivi's new husband and brother seek to bring Nazism to Spain. When she meets resistance fighter Emilio, torn between his cause and her family, she must make an impossible choice. amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GX2ZWNFM
The legacy of the Spanish Civil War is still felt in Spain today, 90 years after it began. A culture of deliberate forgetting has meant that some of the darker truths about what happened are still covered up, as the author @cathokin.bsky.social explains at historiamag.com/legacy-spanish-civil-war
Congratulations to @jennikeer.bsky.social on the release of The Secret of the Lantern Keepers! Investigating a murder at a lunatic asylum, Edith fears for her sanity and safety. Who is the new doctor? Why do patients disappear? And who are the Lantern Keepers? amazon.co.uk/dp/1806564556
Congratulations to @dvbishop.com on the release of Shadow of Madness! Aldo and Doctor Saul Orvieto visit an institution for the criminally insane, only to be trapped by a blizzard with a killer in their midst. His search for truth may be his deadliest yet. amazon.co.uk/dp/1035041995
What makes an author change the kind of books they write? At historiamag.com/changed-genre, Lizzie Lane, best known for her saga series, explains why she took a jump into the unknown with a new book set during the time of the Roman invasions of Britain @lizzielane.bsky.social
The Historia newsletter for July is on its way! Check your inbox for your monthly five-minute fix of historical fiction and non-fiction. This month we're highlighting books for summer reading, recommended by top authors. I hope you enjoy it!
Congratulations to Jim Loughran on the release of Syracuse Will Burn! 407BC: as Carthage threatens Syracuse, seer Timon investigates the murder of his mentor and is drawn into a conspiracy. Only by trusting his own insights will he come face to face with the killer. amazon.co.uk/dp/B0H7C55D4W
Congratulations to Ben Kane on the release of A Land Aflame! 211BC: as Hannibal battles Rome, Hanno and Aurelia are captured in Spain, while her brother Quintus faces the Carthaginians in Scipio's army. Epic sieges and battles lie ahead. Who will triumph, Rome or Carthage? amazon.co.uk/dp/1398714704
Congratulations to Rachel Hore on the release of The French Spymistress! 1939: Marie-Louise joins a secret intelligence service, while in Sussex Sarah takes in young evacuees. When their lives collide, both must serve the war effort while remaining true to themselves. amazon.co.uk/dp/1398545724
Congratulations to Frances Quinn on the release of The Scandalous Ladies Football Club! London, 1897: Minnie Newton founds a women's football team, attracting crowds and controversy. But she's hiding an explosive secret, and the attention threatens her new life. amazon.co.uk/dp/139852073X
One woman ran a safe house for WWII agents in Surrey. One led an intelligence network in France. Barbara Bertram and Marie-Madeleine Fourcade inspired Rachel Hore's new novel, The French Spymistress. But how to tell their story in fiction? Read more at historiamag.com/under-cover-for-britain
Congratulations to Renita D'Silva on the release of Victory Days for West India Dock Road. It's June 1944: Divya's new life is threatened by an unexpected letter, Ruth's romance with an American GI is shadowed by prejudice, and all must lean on one another to keep going. amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F4W46BYM
‼️Writers, don't forget - The HWA Dorothy Dunnett Short Story Competition closes on 1 JULY at midnight! We're looking for fresh voices and bold ideas. Up to 3,500 words, set all or mainly in the past. Full details and entry form at historicalwriters.org/awards/the-d... #HWADDSS26
Contributors to our summer books list: @thehistorybits.bsky.social, @lizfremantle.bsky.social, @benkaneauthor.bsky.social, @swanneck.bsky.social, @purplemermaid25.bsky.social, Edoardo Albert, DV Bishop, Penny Boxall, Lizzie Lane and Anthony Riches
What historical books will you be reading over the summer? Historia asked 10 much-loved fiction and non-fiction authors to each recommend a couple. Have a look at historiamag.com/summer-readi... and get inspired! Suggestions range from Ancient Greece to modern America. And two children's books, too
HWA members! Your June newsletter is on its way to your inbox. Specials this month: Update your author page And get seen in AI search results Plus more marketing for authors. Awards, new books, events, and a welcome to new members. I hope you enjoy it!
Which unsolved murder fascinated Agatha Christie so much that she decided to investigate it herself? Angela Buckley writes about the 1876 poisoning of Charles Bravo, also known as the Balham Mystery, still unsolved after 150 years. Find out more at historiamag.com/agatha-christie-charles-bravo
Congratulations to Rue Baldry on publication day for Dwell! Set in January 1919, a new gardener arrives at a snowbound boys’ boarding school and quickly catches everyone’s attention. amazon.co.uk/dp/1917005407
Congratulations to Emily Howes on publication day for Mrs Dickens! Charles Dickens’s marriage comes under scrutiny. As his success and manipulations grow, Kate turns to her trusted servant Anne, whose loyalty is tested as Charles takes control of their future. amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F2SMDGQG
Alison Baxter writes about the tragedy in her own family history that inspired her first novel, A Fatal Choice. Her research uncovered a strange story of secrets and lies, as she reveals at historiamag.com/secrets-lies-family-history Three women made a desperate decision @alisonrbaxter.bsky.social
Congratulations to Luke Deckard on the release of No Saints Only Killers! War-damaged PI Logan Bishop heads to Edinburgh to find Greta Matas before she's killed. But Greta's missing, her son's wanted for murder, and Logan is being watched. The truth may cost him his life. amazon.co.uk/dp/1804248568
Congratulations to Alison Baxter on the release of A Fatal Choice! Disaster strikes a Victorian household, but three women deny the truth. Their choices, shaped by fear, love and convention, affect their lives until the cost of silence can't be ignored. amazon.co.uk/dp/B0GX9NVXD9
Without Bede, a monk living in Jarrow at the end of the 7th and beginning of the 8th centuries, there would be a huge gap in the early history of the English peoples. His biographer Edoardo Albert explains why Bede's called the father of English history at historiamag.com/bede-father-english-history
The Historia newsletter is on its way! Check your inbox for our latest stories, including book-thieving Nazis, sex in Ancient Greece, the heroic women of WWII Malta, and interviews with Carolyn O'Brien and Claire Hobson. Plus new books and an exclusive look ahead to upcoming features