Geraldine Brooks’ first historical novel, Year of Wonders, has proved to be a portent of a world in lockdown. Her subsequent novels have restored or reimagined many lost histories. Elisabeth Storrs, HNSA Chair, explores the conference theme with Geraldine by discussing these award-winning books. Geraldine Brooks Australian-born Geraldine Brooks grew up in Sydney. She worked ... Read more
The horror of the Holocaust continues to shock generations who question how such unfathomable evil could have existed, and hope the call for ‘never again’ is heeded. When is the ‘right’ time to expose a young reader to the Shoah? And how does a writer tread the tightrope between triggering nightmares or awareness? Susanne Gervay ... Read more
Richard Lee, founder of the Historical Novel Society, joins international bestselling authors, Ben Kane and Colin Falconer to discuss how these authors approach writing epic novels, and the challenges encountered in finding new angles to depict stories within well traversed eras of history. Richard Lee Richard Lee founded the Historical Novel Society in 1997 after ... Read more
Elizabeth Chadwick’s much awarded novels chronicle the power and glory of England’s Medieval kings, queens and nobles such as William Marshal, Henry I and Eleanor of Aquitaine. Robyn Cadwallader focuses on the quiet inner lives of women in the Middle Ages. Gillian Polack asks why Elizabeth and Robyn are drawn to this era, and whether ... 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
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
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
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
