What are you doing for lunch? Fancy joining us for a five-minute history read? The Historia newsletter will be out at lunchtime with a round-up of our top stories and news about awards. See you later!

#WriteCBC task from @rachloudriscoll.bsky.social: Write a mini-scene where the setting is central. Is it friendly, hazardous, or a victim? Try to convey not just the place, but the importance of its role. That might mean bringing in conflict or raising a question that involves the setting.

Surviving Winter in the Middle Ages https://www.medievalists.net/2025/01/surviving-winter-middle-ages/ #winter #medievalsky #historysky

In case you missed it Cfp for the Defoe conference - as usual also accepting papers on topics related to Defoe and his times. #18thC www.defoesociety.org/conference/

My forthcoming novel features in @historia-hwa.bsky.social's list of novels for 2025 for January! Scroll down the link; #TheBalladofMaryKearney is the second cover you'll see www.historiamag.com/historical-b... #historicalfiction #writingcommunity #author Thank you, @francesowen.bsky.social

Happy New Year, lovely people!

The final JST #JacobiteStudies Virtual Workshop of the term is coming up on Tues, 26 Nov at 5pm UKT. We’ll be welcoming Stefano Baccolo and @f18cal.bsky.social to the digital dais to discuss their recent work on the courts of the Stuart heirs in exile after 1766. jdb1745.net/events/jstwo...

Big shout out for @lizfremantle.bsky.social 2024 Gold Crown Award winner from the Historical Writers Association @francesowen.bsky.social #historicalfiction Read my #Bookreview of #Disobedient for the Historical Novel Society here: historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/diso...

Congratulations to @bridgetwalsh.bsky.social, debut Crown Winner 2024 Historical Writers Association! @francesowen.bsky.social #historicalfiction #Victorian #noir Read my #BookReview for the Historical Novel Society here: historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-...

🚨#SarsfieldHomecoming Project🚨 First trailer of a TV documentary dedicated to the project and produced by Scratch Films for RTÉ! Filming began in September 2023 and will end… when the project ends! Very grateful to Liam McGrath for his interest in our work. youtu.be/fEodMunCfrM

What a shame. Our children had a wonderful day out at Archaolink when they were little. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A haunting piece about reconstructed prehistoric homes that have been abandoned and are themselves now becoming archaeology: 'Fragments of material culture ... are slowly becoming archaeology within the interior: this time we can witness the end of a prehistory.'

It's happening: my ERC Consolidator project 🪶#FEATHERS🪶is organising a 3-day international conference on early modern scribal culture & manuscript production at @unileiden.bsky.social on 7-9 May 2025. See Call for Papers (deadline for abstracts 20 Dec): student.universiteitleiden.nl/en/events/20...

Many new writers ask about #synopses. Synopses are, by their nature, anti-novels and reduce the richest of plots. For the artificial purposes of submitting to an #agent, they’re crucial. Keep them brief, punchy, informative and don’t give the ending away or drain the lifeblood from the story 1/2

Acc to @financialtimes.com it appears that the Tortoise deal re The Observer might be subsidised by................. ................ the Scott Trust www.ft.com/content/6045... (£)

Official photo from the @historia-hwa.bsky.social Crown Awards ceremony. I was there in my capacity as judge of the Nonfiction award. Here's the winner of that award, Henry Hemming, and the back of my head 😂

I’ll link below to a piece which says every antagonist should be the hero of his/her own story. That’s great advice if you want to write a complex, interesting antagonist. Why do they think they’re right? What’s likeable about them? Who do they care about? What makes them cry?

19 November 1745: From Hexham, Field-Marshal Wade informed the Duke of Newcastle that advance parties of the Jacobites were moving to Penrith and that he would be forced to return to Newcastle due to severe weather, lack of supplies, insufficient forces, difficult terrain and sick soldiers.

18 November 1745: Lieutenant-Colonel James Durand sent his report of the fall of Carlisle to Lieutenant-General John Folliot. In the report, he blamed the Cumberland, Westmoreland and Carlisle militia for "having absolutely, to a man" refused to defend the place. RA CP/MAIN/7 f.44-44c.

After accounts of a new bayonet drill being introduced to the British Army by the Duke of Cumberland prior to the battle of Culloden, the Scots Magazine of November 1746 stated that after investigating "there is no foundation... of an alteration having been made in the manner of using the bayonet".

I've taken the liberty of creating the beginnings of a #JacobiteStudies Starter Pack for Bluesky. If you'd like to join please feel free to let me know by responding here or shooting me a DM. go.bsky.app/xt9yhH

A call to all un-agented authors who have written a sweeping historical love story. My submissions are open, and I am waiting to read your book. www.dhhliteraryagency.com/david-h-head...

And authors earn for each borrow under #PublicLendingRights

Et pour clore ce petit parcours dans les galanteries XVIIIe siècle, ceci ! En vrai cela parle de tout et de rien, en vers ou en prose, on ne sçait pas bien… Mais la page de titre est fabuleuse !

From the FT the other day. I had no idea.

The Discoveries writing development programme and prize for unpublished women writers in the UK accepts novels in any genre of adult fiction, with entrants invited to submit the first 10,000 words of their novel and a synopsis

Here’s one for all you proofreaders.

This is amazing. A Lithuanian researcher, Ernesta Kazakėnaitė, has identified the earliest surviving manuscript in a Sámi language: ojs.utlib.ee/index.php/je...

Thought I'd do a thread on writing tips that I might add to from time to time... 1) I've cited this one before on the other place... A description of a person or a place should tell you as much about the person doing the describing as the person or place being described. Examples below.

The HWA members' newsletter is out! Later than usual because of all the fantastic *party photos*, including this one of Emma Darwin, Gold Crown winner Elizabeth Fremantle, Ned Palmer and Matthew Plampin. There's also HWA, book and history news

Someone on social media asks "What counts as historical fiction?" and I'm reminded of my Dear Dr Darwin column over at Historia, the online mag of the @historia-hwa.bsky.social https://buff.ly/3V5eGAj which digs into just this question!

This is Vera.

The latest #househistory feature in today’s Bricks & Mortar in The Times!! I provided snippets of history for a fascinating C17th house in Shropshire! 😀 #househistories #property #history

So, I bought a work of art at auction and paid a lot of money for it – I mean a lot – and I'm worried I've been scammed. It's arrived and it just doesn't look right. It's called Yes! I Have no Bananas – see the pic below. what do you think I should do?

I have a very NSFW poem in the Ten Poets Charm the Pants... Not sure if that makes you more or less likely to buy it. Oh! And a completely work safe one in the Everyman Poems of London just visible above with umbrellas on the spine. I have now peaked. Thanks @sidekickbooks.bsky.social

I wonder when the campaign will be launched to have 'The Perkin Warbeck' in Taunton renamed to 'The Richard, Duke of York'? 🤷🏾‍♂️. Tudor propaganda even seeps though the brewing industry, it seems

This actually happened! In my befuddled astonishment on the night I forgot to thank the incredible @imogenrobertson.bsky.social & @francesowen.bsky.social who power the HWA & the judges chaired by Louise Hare. Still completely overwhelmed!

Fascinating look from a ghostwriter and editor, Josh Bernoff, at how his clients are using AI and why it's messing things up. This isn't about AI stealing his job but how sloppy/weak AI use is making humans' jobs harder. bernoff.com/blog/how-ais...

This is the starter pack for HWA members – historical writers of fiction and non-fiction. If you are a member and want me to add you, please link me to your HWA membership page and I'll do so. Sadly I can't add non-members. Please share to reach everyone ☺️ go.bsky.app/Q1QUSV2

🗃️ Well, this was fun! Created my first starter pack... If you share my passion for these areas, have a look. 👥 And if you'd like to be added to the list, please let me know, & I'll happily add you! go.bsky.app/KFcpDUm #anglosaxon #normanconquest #kingarthur #viking #romanbritain #medievalsky

As a starting point, here is a selection of the UK literary agents who represent fiction I've found thus far here. I'll update with anyone I've missed or who joins in the future. go.bsky.app/HdLHW7X

⭐️8 UK-based literary agents who rep historians: Catherine Clark, Felicity Bryan Associates Sarah Chalfant, Wylie Agency Charlie Viney, Viney Agency Donald Winchester, Watson Little Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Charles Walker, United Agents Matthew Marland, RCW Literary Gordon Wise, Curtis Brown

Alright! Started working on a literary agent starter pack on here, for all my writer friends out there! Follow along and see what folks are looking for. go.bsky.app/EFopcRo

Given the X-odus (see what we did there? A true fire bird): which other #earlymodern centres have arrived here already? We've got a starter pack for easy following, but keen to hear about more: go.bsky.app/LLzFj3b #skystorians

This #IndiePublisher Starter Pack is now at 111 do not many to go until it's full if you know of any indies active on Bluesky that are not on this list please let me know go.bsky.app/8ui1WS6

🧵SALT🧵 It's been snowing in the UK and the road gritters are out in force, begging the question: Have you ever wondered where that grit actually COMES from? The answer is more magical, beautiful and fascinating than you probably realised. 1/14

good for him! work-life balance is so important

I'm ridiculously excited about this. Also can't wait to see old friends again and meet new ones

👑📚It's tomorrow! The winners of the 2024 HWA Crown Awards will be announced in Historia at 8pm! Hope to see lots of HWA members at the awards party. If you're new, we're a friendly, supportive bunch so come and say hello! www.historiamag.com

Anglican runes... yes, you read that right! Read more about Scotland's Galloway Hoard (900 CE) and why these runes aren't in Old Norse. #Viking #VikingEra #ScottishHistory #VikingHistory #Northumbria