I will be a speaker at the HNSA Conference Swinburne University Hawthorn, Melbourne, September 8-10
Visit our website to purchase tickets:http://hnsa.org.au/conference/buy-tickets/
WORLDS AT WAR: THE APPEAL OF 20TH CENTURY HISTORICAL FICTION
The history of the early to mid-20th century now falls within the definition of ‘historical fiction’. Why do novels depicting the great conflicts of modern times hold such fascination? And has war fiction replaced Tudor fiction as ‘the favourite flavour’ for readers and publishers? Julian Novitz discusses these questions with Paddy Richardson, Elise McCune, Justin Sheedy and Julian Leatherdale.
Only 2 more weeks until the 2017 HNSA Melbourne Conference. Purchase your tickets before the allocation is exhausted! And don’t forget to take advantage of our workshop programme. Cost of tuition is only $20 per session once a full weekend or day ticket has been purchased. You will then be entered into the draw to win a $100 Dymocks Gift Card.
Strong female voices…
Elise McCune’s first novel Castle of Dreams takes place across two times periods. Guided by the relationship between two sisters, the narrative explores both a love story and Elise’s interest in military history. She joins us at HNSA 2017 as part of the ‘Worlds at War: the Appeal of 20th Century Historical Fiction’ panel.
Love, war and history…
Alison Stuart’s early years of reading were influenced by her father’s passion for history. An ongoing interest in the English Civil War period inspired her latest work And Then Mine Enemy, which explores both the turbulence of the time and the protagonist’s inner battles of family, state and love.
Keep reading…
Historical fiction for all ages…
Gabrielle Wang is an award-winning author of fiction for both children and adults. Like many others her writing explores times of war, but focuses particularly on its impact on children. She will share her wisdom on writing historical fiction for a younger audience at HNSA 2017.
Fiction based in truth…
Vicky Adin’s novels are inspired by true genealogy stories, with a particular focus on the female pioneers of her home country New Zealand. She will discuss this aspect of her work as part of the ‘Immigrant Stories and Diaspora: How Pioneers Adapt and Survive in Their New Land’ panel at HNSA 2017.
Podcast: Deborah Challinor & Ngahuia te Awekotuku
Enjoy another podcast in the Imagining the Past interview series which provides a foretaste of the HNSA 2017 Melbourne conference. Our host, Kelly Gardiner, chats to Deborah Challinor and Ngahuia te Awekotuku about the challenges of reinterpreting C19th narratives of first contact and colonisation.
Podcast: Kelly Gardiner and Catherine Padmore
You might also like to listen to our Imagining the Past podcast with Kelly Gardiner and Catherine Padmore talking about the craft of writing historical bio-fiction. Kelly and Catherine will be appearing in the HNSA academic panel Bio-fiction: Can You Defame the Dead? together with Kate Forsyth, Ariella van Luyn and Gabrielle Ryan. Entry is free with a weekend or day ticket but please book your seat because spaces are limited.
Short Story Long List
The HNSA committee are delighted to announce the long list for the inaugural HNSA Short Story Award. Finalists are Lauren Chater, Errol Bishop, Eleanor Limprecht, Belinda Lyons-Lee, Denise Ogilvie and Christine Childs. Congratulations to all – and good luck! The short list and winner will be announced at the Conference Dinner on Saturday 9th September. Many thanks to our judge, Sandra Gulland, and our sponsors, Eagle Books and the Historical Novel Society.
History with a Twist Cocktails
Toast the start of HNSA 2017 at our History with a Twist Cocktail party on Friday 9th September where you can celebrate Kate Forsyth’s Beauty in Thorns with the chance to win lots of prizes including a 1:1 Skype session for yourself or your book club with Kate.
The celebration will be followed by a round table discussion on our theme of ‘Identity: Origins and Diaspora’ with Nicolas Brasch in conversation with Arnold Zable, Lisa Chaplin, Ngahuia te Awekotuku, Hanifa Deen and Gary Crew.
Manuscript Assessments
The opening of your novel is what hooks readers, so it’s important to get it right. Editors Irina Dunn and Alison Arnold are offering 60 minute one-on-one manuscript assessments providing detailed feedback on the first 1,500 words of your manuscript to improve and refine it to catch a publisher’s eye.
Authorpreneurship
Today a creator needs to be an ‘Authorpreneur’ who knows marketing, publicity, technological, legal and entrepreneurial skills to establish and maintain self-employment. Hazel Edwards offers strategies for beginners, mid-list and highly experienced creators to adapt to a fast-changing digital, global industry. Purchase of a workshop ticket entitles you entry into a $100 Dymocks Gift Card Giveaway.Cost of tuition is $20 per session once a full weekend or day ticket has been purchased. You can purchase your session here.
Medieval, Regency and So Much More: Writing Historical Romance for the International Market
‘Historical romance’ covers a wide range of styles, with varying degrees of history and romance. Internationally published, award-winning authors Anne Gracie and Isolde Martyn will share their tips about writing historical romance, the craft of story-telling, the importance of research, and creating historical characters and atmosphere, as well as some ‘how-not-to’ advice to help authors reach the international market. Purchase of a workshop ticket entitles you entry into a $100 Dymocks Gift Card Giveaway. Cost of tuition is $20 per session once a full weekend or day ticket has been purchased. You can purchase your session here.
Recreating Historical Costumes
What is it like to wear a Tudor outfit or dance in a Renaissance dress? How heavy is an ancient Chinese hanfu and how much fabric goes into its creation? These questions and more will be answered by Rachel Nightingale in this workshop, where you will have a chance to get up close and personal with a range of outfits made by historical re-enactors based on research and portraits. You will have the chance to look at a number of costuming books that deconstruct historical costumes, and perhaps even to try on a historical outfit. Purchase of a workshop ticket entitles you entry into a $100 Dymocks Gift Card Giveaway. Cost of tuition is $20 per session once a full weekend or day ticket has been purchased. You can purchase your session here.
Building an Author Platform: Social Media Basics for Historical Novelists
Whether traditionally published or an indie author, historical novelists are called upon more than ever to be their own publicists. Building an author platform is a necessity if you are to connect with your readers and promote your books. Elisabeth Storrs will guide you through the basics of Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, website ‘musts’ and blogging with a particular emphasis on marketing historical fiction. Purchase of a workshop ticket entitles you entry into a $100 Dymocks Gift Card Giveaway. Cost of tuition is $20 per session once a full weekend or day ticket has been purchased. You can purchase your session here.
Everything You Wanted to Know about Self-Publishing* But Were Afraid to Ask
The self-publishing revolution has given authors the opportunity to reach readers directly and cut out the gatekeepers. Successful indie authors are creative producers, publishers, and publicists who run small businesses. In this interactive session, GS Johnston is available to answer questions from those intending to venture into indie publishing, or Indies who want to learn more. Purchase of a workshop ticket entitles you entry into a $100 Dymocks Gift Card Giveaway. Cost of tuition is $20 per session once a full weekend or day ticket has been purchased. You can purchase your session here.
Conference News
The HNSA 2017 Conference will be held in Melbourne on 8-10 September in association with Swinburne University of Technology. This celebration of the historical fiction genre will showcase over 60 speakers in our weekend programme. Among the many acclaimed historical novelists participating are Kerry Greenwood, Kate Forsyth, Deborah Challinor, Lucy Treloar, Sophie Masson, Sulari Gentill, Robert Gott and Arnold Zable. The HNSA’s speakers’ list is available on the HNSA website.
Don’t miss the opportunity to book into one of our 10 craft based super sessions and 2 research masterclasses. There are also interactive sessions on armour and historical costumes!
Our First Pages Pitch Contest offers an opportunity for submissions to be read aloud by and actor to a panel of publishers. And we are delighted to announce the introduction of our inaugural HNSA Short Story Contest with a $500 prize!
Manuscript assessments will be conducted by industry experts, Alison Arnold and Irina Dunn. Our free extended academic programme is open for general admission on the topics ‘Bio-fiction: Can you defame the dead?’ and ‘The Lie of History’. Don’t forget to reserve your seat.
To read about other authors who are attending the conference check out the HNSA website.
I hope to see you at this fabulous conference.
Elise
what elise wrote 