The countdown is on for early bird registration!

Going virtual has eliminated geographical boundaries enabling HNSA to create its most extensive conference program to date. Join us in a celebration of one of the world’s most popular genres of fiction over not one, but two, successive weekends!

Early Bird registration ends on 1 october so buy your tickets now!

Introducing our Bootcamp & Publishing Program on 16 to 17 october 2021

HNSA is offering the chance for small groups of eight to be taught in one-day bootcamps over the weekend of 16 to 17 October 2021.

Our tutors are Kelly Gardiner and Pamela Hart (Writing), Sophie Masson (Publishing) and Nadine Davidoff (Editing). These experienced professionals will take you through your paces in their one-day intensive courses. Get ready to knuckle down as well as have fun.

Our popular 1:1 manuscripts assessments will be conducted by editors Irina Dunn and Elena Gomez. Gillian Polack is offering her research and writing masterclass to small groups of three.

Our Main Conference Program is bigger and better on 22 to 24 october

Weekend Two on Friday 22 to Sunday 24 October showcases over 70 speakers from all corners of the globe. There are 27 sessions included in your Main Conference Program ticket. You don’t have to book them individually.

As a huge bonus, all these interviews and panels will be available to view on demand for 3 months after the conclusion of the event at no extra cost. So no more difficult choices! You can attend everything in your own time – and watch sessions as often as you like.

a star studded line-up

Our Guest of Honour is Geraldine Brooks. Special international guests include Kate Quinn, Ben Kane, Elizabeth Chadwick, Richard Zimler, Kevan Lyon and Laurie Blum Guest. Our keynote speaker Julie Janson will address our theme of Recovery-Restoring, Reconciling and Re-imaging Lost Histories.

Authors featured in interviews include Steven Carroll, Pip Williams, Susanne Gervay, Dee White, Rosalie Ham, Kayte Nunn, Robyn Cadwallader, Colin Falconer, Julie Thomas, Natasha Lester, Kate Forsyth, Julie Janson and Cassandra Pybus. You’ll also find dozens of other fabulous best-selling and award-winning authors in sixteen panel sessions exploring our theme of lost histories including Nicole Alexander, Steven Conte, Ella Carey, Kelly Rimmer, Christine Wells, AM Stuart, Alexandra Joel, Alison Booth, Karen Brooks, Deborah Challinor, Kirsten Alexander and Suzanne Leal to name a few.

creating a community with history themed chat salons

Our conferences are known for their community spirit but being unable to rub shoulders doesn’t mean we can’t meet face to face via Zoom. There’s a chance for fellow history nuts to socialise in history themed Chat Salons hosted by favourite authors.

The chat salons are included in your Main Conference Program ticket but won’t be recorded. You can drop in to chat whenever you want. Our chat salon hosts include Kate Quinn (WW2), Karen Brooks (C17th), Peter Watt (Military History), Alexandra Joel (1950-60s), Jacqui Newling (Food) Roanna Gonsalves (Global Cultures), Felicity Pulman, Isolde Martyn (Medieval), Alison Stuart (C19th), Stephanie Parkyn (C18th), Wendy J Dunn (Tudot), Colin Falconer (Ancient World), Christine Bell, Kim Kelly (Early C20th), Madison Shakespeare (First Nations History), and JL Oakley (DIY Publishing and Audio Books).

Aspiring authors are invited to submit excerpts for an open reading session in Sex, Suspense and Sly Grog chat salon. Fill your glass then listen to excerpts that send either a thrill or chill down your spine. You can find out how to submit your piece on our program page.

Wait! There’s more! Our optional craft workshop program returns

Across Friday to Sunday 22 to 24 October on Weekend Two we are conducting a suite of 17 two hour optional craft workshops by top rate tutors offering insights and practical tips on various aspects of the writing craft, research, and sub-genres.

Our wonderful team includes Kate Forsyth, Sue Williams (Biographical), Belinda Murrell (CYA), Alison Goodman (Fantasy), Meg Keneally, Malla Nunn (Crime& Mystery), Pamela Hart, Christine Wells (Romance), Kelly Gardiner (Scrivener), Rachel Franks (Trove), Paula Morris (Family History), Kayte Nunn, Ella Carey (Parallel Narratives) Kathryn Heyman and Mirandi Riwoe (Research Approaches). Workshops will not be recorded.

Workshops can be bought independently to the full conference but are available through the Main Conference Program buy link.

Our Signature First Pages Pitch Contest is back

$200 prize money and a free Associate Membership of the Australian Society of Authors is on offer. ‘First pages’ from aspiring authors are read by a narrator to industry experts who will provide a critique of chosen submissions. Entrants will remain anonymous other than the winner of the contest. Our judges are Meredith Curnow (Penguin Random House), Gaby Naher (Left Bank Literary Agency), and Sophie Masson (Eagle Books). Rachel Nightingale will act as narrator. She’s been reading our first pages since HNSA 2015! You can find out how to submit your piece on our program page.

You can enter the First Pages Pitch Contest if you’ve bought a ticket to the main conference. Be quick, there’s only 8 spaces available.

Extending hands across the water

We want historical fiction fans from across the world to share in our celebration. We’ve scheduled a variety of sessions at times which should suit different time zones without having to stay up into the witching hours. And, with on demand viewing, you can catch up all the ones you missed no matter in which hemisphere you live.

We look forward to seeing you in October for our biggest HNSA biennial conference ever. Time to make a noise about historical fiction again!

Elisabeth Storrs, HNSA Chair


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