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!
Pinned
📗📖📘 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-...
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.
'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 8, 2025 at 4:01 PM
'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
A solid silver Saxon cross has gone on display for the first time in more than 1,200 years after it was discovered by a metal detectorist.
Solid silver Saxon cross found in Leeds field goes on show
The gilded cross can be seen at Leeds City Museum following its discovery in the city last year.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 7, 2025 at 7:01 PM
A solid silver Saxon cross has gone on display for the first time in more than 1,200 years after it was discovered by a metal detectorist.
'Explores 20th-century Italian history and the rise of fascism. Beautiful, skilful and superb. This is writing of the first order.'
Editor's Choice: Watching Over Her by Jean-Baptiste Andrea translated by Frank Wynne, reviewer Adele Wills
Editor's Choice: Watching Over Her by Jean-Baptiste Andrea translated by Frank Wynne, reviewer Adele Wills
Watching Over Her - Historical Novel Society
Jean-Baptiste Andrea’s immense, powerful novel – Watching over Her – won the Prix Goncourt when it was first published in French in 2023, a well-deserved accolade. Its English translation by Frank...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 7, 2025 at 10:01 AM
'Explores 20th-century Italian history and the rise of fascism. Beautiful, skilful and superb. This is writing of the first order.'
Editor's Choice: Watching Over Her by Jean-Baptiste Andrea translated by Frank Wynne, reviewer Adele Wills
Editor's Choice: Watching Over Her by Jean-Baptiste Andrea translated by Frank Wynne, reviewer Adele Wills
2,000-year-old Celtic teenager who may have been sacrificed:
2,000-year-old Celtic teenager may have been sacrificed and considered 'disposable'
Archaeologists have recovered three unusual burials of Celtic women and girls who may have been sacrificed in England.
www.livescience.com
November 6, 2025 at 7:03 PM
2,000-year-old Celtic teenager who may have been sacrificed:
Time is running out to enter the HNS First Chapters competition! It closes on 17 November. Find out more at: historicalnovelsociety.org/first-chapte... #HistoricalFiction #WritingCompetition
First Chapters Competition - Historical Novel Society
HNS FIRST CHAPTERS COMPETITION Start sharpening your pencils. The HNS 2026 Conference organizers are pleased to announce the next First Chapters Competition, recognising and promoting excellence in…
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 6, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Time is running out to enter the HNS First Chapters competition! It closes on 17 November. Find out more at: historicalnovelsociety.org/first-chapte... #HistoricalFiction #WritingCompetition
⌛🐙 Travelling through time to happiness - when two lovers from different centuries finally meet: historicalnovelsociety.org/travel-throu... #HistoricalFiction
Travel Through Time to Happiness: The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell - Historical Novel Society
BY LEE ANN ECKHARDT SMITH Of all her books, no other novel means as much to author Alexandra Bell as The White Octopus Hotel (Del Ray, 2025). Her reasons for this provide insight into several of the…
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 5, 2025 at 7:01 PM
⌛🐙 Travelling through time to happiness - when two lovers from different centuries finally meet: historicalnovelsociety.org/travel-throu... #HistoricalFiction
Exploring the challenges facing the women convicts of the First Fleet which left Portsmouth for Australia's Botany Bay:
Women Convicts of the First Fleet: The Governor, His Wife and His Mistress by Sue Williams - Historical Novel Society
BY LEE ANN ECKHARDT SMITH Out of Portsmouth, England on 13 May 1787, 11 ships set sail for Botany Bay, Australia. On board the Lady Penrhyn is Philip Gidley King, soon to become the third Governor of...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 5, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Exploring the challenges facing the women convicts of the First Fleet which left Portsmouth for Australia's Botany Bay:
Set during the thirty years of French economic growth following WWII. Witty, hard-boiled and beautifully crafted.'
#EditorsChoice: The Silence and the Rage by Pierre Lemaitre, translated by Frank Wynne (trans.), review by Edward James
#EditorsChoice: The Silence and the Rage by Pierre Lemaitre, translated by Frank Wynne (trans.), review by Edward James
The Silence and the Rage - Historical Novel Society
The French call this type of book a roman fleuve, likening it to a great river rolling majestically to the sea. I prefer to think of it as a delta, which is much more interesting, flowing through a maze...
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 4, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Set during the thirty years of French economic growth following WWII. Witty, hard-boiled and beautifully crafted.'
#EditorsChoice: The Silence and the Rage by Pierre Lemaitre, translated by Frank Wynne (trans.), review by Edward James
#EditorsChoice: The Silence and the Rage by Pierre Lemaitre, translated by Frank Wynne (trans.), review by Edward James
Need a book designer? Check out the choices some of our Historical Novel Society members have made, along with a link to the designer:
Guide: Historical Fiction Book Cover Designers - Historical Novel Society
Searching for historical fiction book cover designers? Check out some examples here, including links to the designers themselves.
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 4, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Need a book designer? Check out the choices some of our Historical Novel Society members have made, along with a link to the designer:
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 3, 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:
Nov 1-2: Recognised by UNESCO in 2008 as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Mexico’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a living expression of how communities honour continuity between the living and the dead.
Browse the Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Register of good safeguarding practices - UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
The Committee meets annually to evaluate nominations proposed by States Parties to the 2003 Convention and decide whether or not to inscribe those cultural practices and expressions of intangible heritage...
ich.unesco.org
November 2, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Nov 1-2: Recognised by UNESCO in 2008 as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, Mexico’s Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a living expression of how communities honour continuity between the living and the dead.
Seattle, 1925. Along with alcohol, magic is made illegal for fire dancer Nora. A captivating fantasy with a message of self-acceptance.'
#EditorsChoice: Wild as the Stars by Kerry Chaput, review by Bonnie DeMoss
#EditorsChoice: Wild as the Stars by Kerry Chaput, review by Bonnie DeMoss
Wild as the Stars - Historical Novel Society
In Seattle, 1925, Eleanora “Nora” Cleary is washing dishes at the Milk House and dreaming of a world that allows her to use her magic. But Prohibition has caused the banning of magic as well as alcohol....
historicalnovelsociety.org
November 1, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Seattle, 1925. Along with alcohol, magic is made illegal for fire dancer Nora. A captivating fantasy with a message of self-acceptance.'
#EditorsChoice: Wild as the Stars by Kerry Chaput, review by Bonnie DeMoss
#EditorsChoice: Wild as the Stars by Kerry Chaput, review by Bonnie DeMoss