News & Interviews

Conference updates

Coming Soon: HNSA 2021 Program Launch

The COVID storm clouds have once again gathered over Australia but there is a silver lining for historical fiction fans. The HNSA committee are on the verge of opening registration for our Virtual HNSA 2021 Conference to be held on 22-24 October. Geographical boundaries have now been eliminated enabling HNSA to create its most extensive

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ARA Historical Novel Prize

Catching a Judge’s Eye: An Interview with Nicole Alexander, Panel Chair

The judging panels for the two categories of the 2021 ARA Historical Novel Prize consist of eminent authors and publishing professionals. We thought it might be useful for entrants to understand what catches a judge’s eye by interviewing the Panel Chairs. This month, we spoke to Nicole Alexander, Chair of the Adult category. Nicole Alexander’s novels, poetry,

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ARA Historical Novel Prize

2021 ARA HISTORICAL NOVEL PRIZE OPENS FOR SUBMISSIONS

The 2021 ARA Historical Novel Prize opens for submissions at 9am today. You can find all relevant information about the contest on our website including the rules and nomination form. Take advantage of our Early Bird rate by submitting your novel by 14 May 2021. Entries close on 14 June 2021. The HNSA, in partnership with our generous

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ARA Historical Novel Prize

ARA Historical Novel Prize Now $100,000 with CYA Category Added

Exciting news! The HNSA, in partnership with our generous sponsor, ARA Group, is expanding the ARA Historical Novel Prize to include a category for outstanding Children and Young Adult (CYA) literature.    What does this mean? The ARA Historical Novel Prize is now worth a total of $100,000 in prize monies. Only in its’s second

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Conference updates

HNSA 2021: Save the Date 22-24 October

After long deliberation, the HNSA committee have decided to ‘go virtual’ for our HNSA 2021 conference. Unfortunately, COVID19 continues to pose uncertainties for small organisations when planning events. Many of you will be disappointed you can’t meet in person but a virtual conference offers a great opportunity to enjoy the  entire program. All sessions and workshops will remain

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Elizabeth Jane Corbett
EJ Corbett Mentorship

Shortlist for the Elizabeth Jane Corbett Mentorship Prize

HNSA is delighted to announce the shortlist for the Elizabeth Jane Corbett Mentorship Prize for young adult fiction. The prize was established in honour of Elizabeth Jane Corbett who sadly passed away in January this year. The winner of the prize will be announced on 9 December and will provide the chance for a previously

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Imagining the Past, episode 6: We Need to Talk Bette and Joan

In this week’s episode of Imagining the Past, Linda Funnell interviews Jane Caro and Ali Alizadeh about their approach to writing about well-known historical figures: in their cases Elizabeth I and Joan of Arc respectively. Elizabeth I and Joan of Arc have already been the subject of countless books, engendering myth, obsession and various interpretations

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Imagining the Past: Episode 5: The Feminine Mystique

This week’s episode of Imagining the Past is in memory of Elizabeth Jane Corbett who passed away earlier this year. She was a wonderful author and dedicated member of the HNSA Committee. Liz featured in our Feminine Mystique: Writing Strong Female Protagonists panel in HNSA 2019 chaired by Sophie Masson with Kirsty Murray and Juliet

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Introducing the HNSA Elizabeth Jane Corbett Mentorship Contest

Before COVID-19 changed our world, the HNSA community suffered its own sadness in January with the sudden and sorrowful death of Elizabeth Jane Corbett. Liz was a joyful, talented writer with a self-deprecating sense of humour and an ability to harness people’s enthusiasm for historical fiction. I first came across her nearly ten years ago

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Imagining the Past: Episode 4: Intertwining lives revealed

Our podcast episode this week explores a popular sub genre of historical fiction – parallel narratives. Our host, Greg Johnston, introduces a discussion chaired by Diane Murray with Tea Cooper, Carla Caruso and Emily Madden on Intertwining Lives Revealed: the mystery in parallel narratives. Please enjoy this recorded live session from the HNSA 2019 conference program, and subscribe

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