Emma Ashmere chats to Nicole Alexander, Meg Keneally and Mary-Anne O’Connor on the challenges of creating strong female protagonists within the constraints of an historical period who chafe against the roles society imposes on them, and break through the rules of conformity. The Panellists Emma Ashmere (Chair) Emma Ashmere is the author of Dreams They ... Read more
Jenny Quinlan, founder of Historical Editorial, talks with bestselling authors, Kate Quinn and Kate Forsyth, on what draws them to a particular era of history, the challenges faced in their research, and whether they are influenced by the market in selecting an historical period for their next book. Jenny Quinlan Jenny Quinlan, aka Jenny Q, ... Read more
Mingle with fellow attendees to meet Karen Brooks, author of The Chocolate Maker’s Wife, to chat about research and writing about the C17th which encompassed the Baroque, Scientific Revolution and explosion of world-wide trade. This chat salon will not be recorded. Karen Brooks Karen Brooks is the author of fourteen books - historical fiction, historical ... Read more
The Dictionary of Lost Words reveals a woman seeking to define the words of women erased from texts written by men. O peels back the story of a famous female erotica writer whose identity is buried beneath layers of intrigue. Stephen Romei speaks with Pip Williams and Steven Carroll to tease out the intersections within ... Read more
WW2 is a huge topic but NYT best-selling author, Kate Quinn, is ready to meet fellow enthusiasts to discuss her insights into researching and writing about the era, and listen to your own thoughts on this never to be forgotten period of history. This chat salon will not be recorded. Kate Quinn Kate Quinn is the New ... Read more
Step aside Tudors and WW2! The Swinging Sixties now fall officially within the definition of historical fiction. From a murder in rural Australia through to Sydney’s notorious Kings Cross onto the glamour of a royal wedding in London, Suzanne Leal explores what drew Greg Woodland, Deborah Challinor and Alexandra Joel to this decade and what ... Read more
Drawing on the early convict period, Catherine Jinks, Jock Serong and KM Kruimink recreate the realities and peculiarities of a rapidly changing period of Australian history. Sophie Masson asks these authors how they approached setting novels within the violent origins of a shared history, and created a world where the opportunity to leave behind former ... Read more
Rosalie Ham’s novels are centred around characters in small town rural Australia during the 1950s. Kayte Nunn’s books traverse various centuries and countries. Both portray strong independent female protagonists. Jackie Ballantyne explores how each author approaches common themes of revenge, love, betrayal, isolation and treachery from these very different perspectives. Jackie Ballantyne Jackie Ballantyne is ... Read more
The end of WW2 brought a period of prosperity as well as a diaspora of refugees fleeing a ravaged Europe. The Cold War, hippies and free love, feminism and the Vietnam War make the 1950-60s a fertile period for new stories. Join Alexandra Joel, author of The Paris Model and The Royal Correspondent to chat ... Read more
Regency, Georgian, Napoleonic Wars, the Victorian Age, the Industrial Revolution – the C19th was jam packed with memorable historical periods. Join Alison Stuart, author of The Postmistress, to chat about reading, research and writing books set in this century. This chat salon will not be recorded. Alison Stuart Alison Stuart began her writing career half ... Read more
Award winning, and bestselling author, JL Oakley, is ready to share her insights into how to successfully self-publish books from scratch so you can reap maximum rewards. She’ll also give tips on producing audio books, an increasingly popular format for your books. This chat salon will not be recorded. JL Oakley Award-winning author J.L. Oakley ... Read more
1945 heralded the end of a war that devastated the entire world. Yet peace did not bring union but instead traumatic diasporas and a splintering of East and West. Gabrielle Ryan discusses with Ella Carey, Alison Booth and Rosetta Allan traces of ordeal, undercurrents of Cold War suspicion, and the chances for renewal faced by ... Read more
History tells many tales of women whose intelligence and skills allowed them to work with a degree of autonomy within patriarchal societies. Yet often this required them to withstand huge societal pressures. Kate Murdoch will investigate with Karen Brooks, Lauren Chater and Melissa Ashley why ‘wise women’ in past centuries were prone to persecution, condemnation ... Read more
The Australian Aboriginal people are the oldest known civilization on Earth with ancestries stretching back over 70,000 years. Their history has been handed down in ways of stories, dances, myths and legends. Meet Indigenous Studies lecturer, Madison Shakespeare, to learn her insights into this ancient world and find ways to approach respectful research when writing ... Read more
Avoiding the slush pile requires more than attracting an editor’s eye with excellent writing. Successfully hurdling the gauntlet of the ‘Acquisitions Meeting’ is the next step. Mandy Brett (Publisher and Editor), Kate Lloyd (Marketing Manager) and Jamila Khodja (Publicist) from Text Publishing draw back the veil with Nadine Davidoff to explain the internal processes involved ... Read more
History is written by the victors. When such accounts are challenged who then gets to define history in the context of a shared past? How do we view the historical record, particularly oral histories, in terms of retrieving voices which have been silenced or simply not recorded? Paula Morris will investigate these dilemmas with Julie ... Read more
From where does inspiration spring? How can an object be used to provide the focal point for a narrative? Elisabeth Storrs, will ask Natasha Lester and Ian Reid to show and tell us how a painting and an embroidered coat are the catalysts for their plot arcs and interactions between their characters. The Panellists Elisabeth ... Read more
In this round table discussion, our Chair, Greg Johnston, will chat to shortlisted authors in our Adult and CYA categories for the $100,000 2021 ARA Historical Novel Prize: Anita Heiss, Gail Jones, Jock Serong, Katrina Nannestad, Amelia Mellor and Pamela Rushby. About the ARA Historical Novel Prize The ARA Historical Novel Prize is now the ... Read more
Time to bid goodbye, say thank you, and tell you what lies ahead for HNSA. Elisabeth Storrs Elisabeth Storrs has a great love for the history and legends of the ancient world. She is the award-winning author of the A Tale of Ancient Rome saga which was endorsed by Ursula Le Guin, Kate Quinn and ... Read more
