Imagining the Past Podcast Series: Kelly Gardiner and Catherine Padmore

HNSA is proud to announce the release of the final podcast in our series 'Imagining the Past' before the 2017 HNSA Melbourne Conference. This week our host, Kelly Gardiner, is in the hot seat chatting with colleague, Catherine Padmore, about historical bio-fiction. The podcast is a taste of what you will hear at the 2017 HNSA Conference in Melbourne from 8-10 September at Swinburne University Hawthorn. More information about the programme is available at our website.

Dr Catherine Padmore was awarded her PhD in creative writing in 2002, and she has taught literary studies and creative writing at La Trobe since 2005. Her first novel, Sibyl’s Cave (Allen and Unwin, 2004) was shortlisted for The Australian/Vogel Award and commended in the first book category of The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize (south-east Asia and south Pacific region). Catherine has been awarded two retreat fellowships at Varuna, the Writers’ House, and in 2014 she was short-listed for their Publisher Introduction Program. She has novels-in-progress about Amy Dudley and Levina Teerlinc. Her short creative works have been published in Island, The Journal of Australian Writers and Writing, The Big Issue, The Australian, Dotlit, Antithesis and in the anthology Reflecting on Melbourne (Poetica Christi, 2009). Catherine’s scholarly work has been published in Australian Literary Studies, TEXT, JASAL, Life Writing and Lateral, with chapters in Telling Stories: Australian Life and Literature 1935-2012 (MUP, 2013) and Expanding the Canon of Early Modern Women’s Writing (CSP, 2010).

You can purchase Sibyl's Cave via Allen & Unwin.

An evocative novel about memory and discovery anchored to the landscape and colours of Italy, England and Australia. Shortlisted for the Australian/Vogel's Literary Award 2001.

Steeped in the landscape and colours of its locations, Sibyl's Cave follows the orphaned Billie through her childhood in Italy to the United Kingdom during World War II with her adopted family, to art school and then, finally, to her new life as an adult in Australia.

Interrupting the reclusive island life that Billie shares with Troy her housekeeper and Stan her housemate on the Hawkesbury River, Billie's niece Lorelei and her daughter Elissa arrive unannounced from England. As their lives intertwine stories emerge and secrets are revealed.

With an evocative eye for personality and place, Sibyl's Cave alternates between Billie's past, unearthed in her diaries and memories, and her present-day life on the island. It is a rich story about family and the importance of identity.

Kelly Gardiner’s most recent book is 1917 (published early in 2017), a novel for young readers set during the First World War. Her previous books include Goddess, based on the remarkable life of the seventeenth century French swordswoman and opera singer, Julie d’Aubigny. Kelly’s historical novels for young adults include The Sultan’s Eyes and Act of Faith, set during the time of the English Civil Wars and the Inquisition. Both books were shortlisted for the Ethel Turner Prize in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Her books for younger readers are the ‘Swashbuckler’ adventure trilogy Ocean Without End, The Pirate’s Revenge and The Silver Swan – set in Malta during the Napoleonic invasion, and a picture book, Billabong Bill’s Bushfire Christmas. Kelly has worked on newspapers, magazines and websites, and her articles, poems, book reviews and travel writing have appeared in journals, magazines and newspapers as diverse as ‘The New York Times’, ‘Marie Claire’, ‘New Idea’, and ‘Going Down Swinging’. She works at the State Library of Victoria and teaches creative writing at La Trobe University. Kelly is also the co-host of Unladylike, a podcast on women and writing. And, of course, is the host of HNSA's Imagining the Past podcast series. 

You can connect with Kelly via Twitter and Facebook. Links to purchase her books are available at her website.

The war in France rages in the skies, and support for the war in Australia turns cold. Alex flies high above the trenches of the Western Front, while a world away his sister Maggie finds herself in the midst of political upheaval. Somehow, both must find the courage to fight on.

1917 is the fourth in Scholastic’s ‘Australia’s Great War’ series, commemorating the centenary of the First World War. It is written for readers nine and up.

HNSA 2017 Conference

Kelly Gardiner and Catherine Padmore will be appearing in our academic programme: 'Bio-Fiction: Can you Defame the Dead?' at HNSA 2017 on Saturday 9 September with Kate Forsyth, Ariella van Luyn and Gabrielle Ryan. The session is included in the price of a full weekend or day ticket but seating is limited so please reserve your seat. Our second academic panel is 'The Lie of History: How the Mirror of the Present shapes the Past for its own Purposes' on Sunday 10 September with Wendy J Dunn, Diane Murray, Glenice Whitting, Cheryl Hayden and Gillian Polack followed by a discussion between Prof Josie Arnold and Christopher Raja.

Kelly is also conducting a workshop on Scrivener for Beginners. Cost is $20 once a full weekend or day ticket is purchased. Purchase of a workshop ticket entitles the attendee entry into a draw to win a $100 Dymocks Gift Card. You can find out more about our suite of workshops at our website. 

The HNSA 2017 Melbourne Conference is being held on 8-10 September 2017 at Swinburne University. This celebration of the historical fiction genre will showcase over 60 speakers discussing inspiration, writing craft, research, publishing pathways and personal histories in our weekend programme. Among the many acclaimed historical novelists participating are Kerry Greenwood, Kate Forsyth, Deborah Challinor, Libby Hathorn, Lucy Treloar, Sophie Masson, Sulari Gentill, Robert Gott and Arnold Zable. The HNSA’s speakers’ list is available on the HNSA website.

In addition to the two stream weekend programme, there will be ten craft based super sessions and two research masterclasses.You won’t want to miss our interactive sessions on armour and historical costumes either! Purchase a ticket and you will be entered in the draw to win a $100 Dymocks Gift Card.

Manuscript assessments will be conducted by industry experts, Alison Arnold and Irina Dunn. Our free extended academic programme is open for general admission but bookings are essential.

Our First Pages Pitch Contest offers an opportunity for submissions to be read aloud to a panel of publishers. And we are delighted to announce the introduction of our inaugural HNSA Short Story Contest with a $500 prize!

Visit our website to purchase your tickets now!

Subscribe to our newsletter for interviews, reviews and news.

Learn about our sponsorship opportunities.

Let’s make a noise about historical fiction!

HNSA Workshops: Hone your skills - and entry into a $100 Dymocks card giveaway!

Felicity Pulman

I’ve lost count of the number of workshops I’ve attended during my working life as an author, although I’ve always kept the notes I made and the handouts I was given because I find them such a useful aide-memoire whenever I’ve needed to refer to something I learned during a particular session.  Over the years I’ve honed my skills while exploring various genres, partly to keep my writing fresh but also for the fun of sometimes following a different muse. But writing is only the start; I’ve also attended workshops on self-publishing and marketing which includes the (often daunting) social media scene.  

I can honestly say that my time and money have never been wasted as there is always something to learn and some new aspect to consider when it comes to the writing game – which is why I’m still attending workshops, and learning from them. So you’ll certainly find me hanging around the ‘super-sessions’ during the conference in Melbourne! Given by experts, and at only $20 per workshop, there’s a whole smorgasbord to choose from.

On the writing side, I’m greatly tempted by the historical romance workshop for aspiring authors titled ‘Medieval, Regency and So Much More’ given by master (or should that be mistress?) practitioners in the field, Anne Gracie and Isolde Martyn, who will share their tips on the importance of research in creating historical characters in believable settings – as well as giving some ‘how-not-to’ advice!

Anne Gracie

‘The Mystery in History’, internationally published and award-winning author Sulari Gentill’s crime fiction workshop for aspiring authors, also looks like a lot of fun with her promise to take participants through the art of writing crime fiction with an historical setting that is more than just an artistic backdrop.

As I’ve already discovered, writing for children and teens is far more complicated than just writing stories for short people!  Historical research is hugely important but must take second place to compelling characters and the action that will carry the story and keep the short people interested. Author Sherryl Clark will show participants how to choose a viewpoint character and structure the story, while addressing issues of voice and language to appeal to target readers.

Lisa Chaplin

Do you have a family story to tell?  Eleanor Limprecht will show you how to transform your research into compelling historical fiction – while maybe letting a few skeletons out of the closet at the same time!

But how to research and create the historical landscape of your dreams?  Think about joining Dr Gillian Polack for her ‘Research and Writing Master Classes 1 & 2’, and find out how to make history come to life in fiction. In these classes Gillian will examine different genres of historical fiction, including fantasy, along with the needs of writers. She will also read 10,000 words of your mss (deadline 1st September), using these samples to discuss techniques and theory. NB You need to check the website for info plus submission details. Cost $150. 

As a bit of fun, especially if you’re writing about early and medieval time, why not join Matt Curran (aka Leif the Viking) in ‘Armour and Armouring’ to find out how a blacksmith would go about making a set of armour – and how it would feel to wear it.  (NB: your hero should never take a 5-minute toilet break from the battlefield to shuck off his armour and pop into a latrine!)

Not into battles, more into the boudoir? Will you dress your heroine in a Tudor or a Renaissance costume? Silk, satin – or nylon? Rachel Nightingale has books to show you, plus a range of outfits made by historical re-enactors based on research and portraits.

Hazel Edwards

Need help? You might like to join Kelly Gardiner’s introduction to Scrivener, a low-cost software programme for writers which can help you manage chapters and scenes, sketch out characters and settings, incorporate research materials, plus a whole lot more.

Do you have a mss ready to go?  Lisa Chaplin’s interactive workshop ‘From Elevator Pitch to Finish: how to successfully pitch your book in 30 seconds’ will give you all the tips you need to capture the interest of agents and/or publishers.

But perhaps you’d rather go the self-publishing route? Successful indie author G.S. Johnston is on hand to answer your questions on everything from production and publishing to marketing in their session: ‘Everything you wanted to know about self-publishing but were afraid to ask.’

And that brings us to crunch time: your book’s published but how do you get the word Out There?  Your book will be up against millions of others on sale so you’re going to have to get smart, get out there, and be quick about it!  Join Elisabeth Storrs and Elizabeth Lhuede on ‘How to build an author platform: social media basics for historical novelists.’ They’ll show you how to connect with potential readers and promote your books through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, blogging etc, plus – a vital component – your website.

Elizabeth Lhuede

And let Hazel Edwards have the last word on ‘Authorpreneurship: the business of creativity’. As well as writing the book, she says, you need to learn marketing, publicity, technological, legal and entrepreneurial skills to adapt to a fast-changing digital global industry, while staying in business and surviving financially.

So much to learn and so much on offer – we’re spoilt for choice, and I’m sure I’ll see you there somewhere!

Book your tickets for the workshops  and be entered in the draw to win a $100 Dymocks Gift Card.  Cost of tuition is only $20 per session once a full weekend or day ticket has been purchased.

          

Felicity Pulman

HNSA 2017 Conference

The HNSA 2017 Melbourne Conference is being held on 8-10 September 2017 at Swinburne University. This celebration of the historical fiction genre will showcase over 60 speakers discussing inspiration, writing craft, research, publishing pathways and personal histories in our weekend programme. Among the many acclaimed historical novelists participating are Kerry Greenwood, Kate Forsyth, Deborah Challinor, Libby Hathorn, Lucy Treloar, Sophie Masson, Sulari Gentill, Robert Gott and Arnold Zable. The HNSA’s speakers’ list is available on the HNSA website.

In addition to the two stream weekend programme, there will be ten craft based super sessions and two research masterclasses.You won’t want to miss our interactive sessions on armour and historical costumes either! Purchase a ticket and you will be entered in the draw to win a $100 Dymocks Gift Card.

Manuscript assessments will be conducted by industry experts, Alison Arnold and Irina Dunn. Our free extended academic programme is open for general admission but bookings are essential.

Our First Pages Pitch Contest offers an opportunity for submissions to be read aloud to a panel of publishers. And we are delighted to announce the introduction of our inaugural HNSA Short Story Contest with a $500 prize!

Visit our website to purchase your tickets now!

Subscribe to our newsletter for interviews, reviews and news.

Learn about our sponsorship opportunities.

Let’s make a noise about historical fiction!

         

Imagining the Past Podcast Series: Kate Forsyth

HNSA is proud to announce the release of the next podcast in our series 'Imagining the Past'. This week we bring you Kate Forsyth chatting with our host, Kelly Gardiner about her passion for history, fairy tales and writing stories that combine both. The podcast is a taste of what you will hear at the 2017 HNSA Conference in Melbourne from 8-10 September at Swinburne University Hawthorn. More information about the programme is available at our website.

 

Kate Forsyth will be celebrating her new release, Beauty in Thorns, at our History with a Twist cocktail party at the opening reception on Friday 8 September, 2017. There will be lots of chances to win prizes including a 1:1 Skype session for yourself or your book club with Kate. She will also be appearing at the HNSA Conference on Sunday 10 September in the following panels:

Sunday 10 September from 9-10 am:
Personal Histories: In Conversation with Kate Forsyth and Deborah Challinor

Sunday 10 September from 3.50-4.50 pm
Outside the Comfort Zone: Sex Scenes and Violence - What Authors Dread or Relish
 

 

 

A spellbinding reimagining of 'Sleeping Beauty' set amongst the wild bohemian circle of Pre-Raphaelite artists and poets.The Pre-Raphaelites were determined to liberate art and love from the shackles of convention.

Ned Burne-Jones had never had a painting lesson and his family wanted him to be a parson. Only young Georgie Macdonald - the daughter of a Methodist minister - understood. She put aside her own dreams to support him, only to be confronted by many years of gossip and scandal.

Dante Gabriel Rossetti was smitten with his favourite model, Lizzie Siddal. She wanted to be an artist herself, but was seduced by the irresistible lure of laudanum.

William Morris fell head-over-heels for a 'stunner' from the slums, Janey Burden. Discovered by Ned, married to William, she embarked on a passionate affair with Gabriel that led inexorably to tragedy.

Margot Burne-Jones had become her father's muse. He painted her as Briar Rose, the focus of his most renowned series of paintings, based on the fairy-tale that haunted him all his life. Yet Margot longed to be awakened to love.

Bringing to life the dramatic true story of love, obsession and heartbreak that lies behind the Victorian era's most famous paintings, Beauty in Thorns is the story of awakenings of all kinds.

For more information about Beauty in Thorns and other books by Kate Forsyth, please visit her website. You can connect with Kate on Facebook and Pinterest.

HNSA 2017 Conference

The HNSA 2017 Melbourne Conference is being held on 8-10 September 2017 at Swinburne University. This celebration of the historical fiction genre will showcase over 60 speakers discussing inspiration, writing craft, research, publishing pathways and personal histories in our weekend programme. Among the many acclaimed historical novelists participating are Kerry Greenwood, Kate Forsyth, Deborah Challinor, Libby Hathorn, Lucy Treloar, Sulari Gentill, Robert Gott and Arnold Zable. The HNSA’s speakers’ list is available on the HNSA website.

In addition to the two stream weekend programme, there will be ten craft based super sessions and two research masterclasses. You won’t want to miss our interactive sessions on armour and historical costumes either! Manuscript assessments will be conducted by industry experts, Alison Arnold and Irina Dunn. Our free extended academic programme is open for general admission but bookings are essential.

Our First Pages Pitch Contest offers an opportunity for submissions to be read aloud to a panel of publishers. And we are delighted to announce the introduction of our inaugural HNSA Short Story Contest with a $500 prize!

Visit our website to purchase your tickets now!

Subscribe to our newsletter for interviews, reviews and news.

Learn about our sponsorship opportunities.

Our Imagining the Past Host:

Kelly Gardiner’s most recent book is 1917 (published early in 2017), a novel for young readers set during the First World War. Her previous books include Goddess, based on the remarkable life of the seventeenth century French swordswoman and opera singer, Julie d’Aubigny. Kelly’s historical novels for young adults include The Sultan’s Eyes and Act of Faith, set during the time of the English Civil Wars and the Inquisition. Both books were shortlisted for the Ethel Turner Prize in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Her books for younger readers are the ‘Swashbuckler’ adventure trilogy – Ocean Without End, The Pirate’s Revenge and The Silver Swan – set in Malta during the Napoleonic invasion, and a picture book, Billabong Bill’s Bushfire Christmas. Kelly has worked on newspapers, magazines and websites, and her articles, poems, book reviews and travel writing have appeared in journals, magazines and newspapers as diverse as ‘The New York Times’, ‘Marie Claire’, ‘New Idea’, and ‘Going Down Swinging’. She works at the State Library of Victoria and teaches creative writing at La Trobe University. Kelly is also the co-host of Unladylike, a podcast on women and writing. Learn more about Kelly at her website. https://kellygardiner.com/

Kelly Gardiner: A few of my favourite things...

The next author in the ‘Few of my favourite things…’ 2015 HNSA Conference interview series is Kelly Gardiner. She will be appearing at a round table discussion on the question: ‘What can historical novelists and historians learn from each other?’ on the 20^th March 2015 and in Personal Histories: In Conversation with Toni Jordan and Posie Graeme-Evan on 22 March 2015. 

Kelly Gardiner’s historical novels for young adults include Act of Faith and The Sultan’s Eyes, both of which were shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and listed as Notable Books by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Her novels for younger readers include the ‘Swashbuckler’ historical adventures, set in the world of the Mediterranean pirates. Her latest novel is for adults: Goddess, based on the life of the seventeenth century French swordswoman, cross-dresser and opera singer, Mademoiselle de Maupin. Kelly teaches writing, research skills, and digital literacy, and works at the State Library of Victoria and La Trobe University.

Contact Kelly Gardiner on her website or her Twitter @kmjgardiner or on her Facebook.

A few on my favourite things…

Book as a child and as a teenager?

My favourite book when I was very small was A Little House of Your Own by Beatrice Schenk De Regniers and Irene Haas, My favourite teen reads were the historical novels by Geoffrey Trease, Rosemary Sutcliff and Leon Garfield.

Author/authors?

I am full of admiration for the various ways in which Sarah Waters masters voice, and Hilary Mantel’s skill with character and point of view. But I don’t really have a favourite author. 

Period of history?

I am fickle – fascinated by the Victorians at present, but my last three books have been set in the seventeenth century, and the next in World War I. 

Character in one of your own books?

That’s easy: Julie d’Aubigny – Mademoiselle de Maupin – in Goddess. I didn’t invent her, just tried to interpret the real woman whose life and adventures were too amazing to be fictional. She was a cross-dressing, sword-wielding opera star in the court of Louis XIV. You honestly couldn’t make it up.

Scene you enjoyed writing?

I always like writing dialogue, especially the perky-heroine-goes-into-battle type scene. And swordfights, which I act out in my lounge room, sword in hand, to make sure they’ll work. In Goddess there are several scenes featuring famous duels – on one evening La Maupin was challenged to three duels at once, and she fought the three noblemen, one after the other, and beat them all.

Place to write?

I have a tiny writing room at home, but I’m not sure it’s my favourite place. It lacks an ocean view. Or any view at all. 

Step in the process of writing? E.g. researching, drafting, editing etc

I love the research and drafting, and those moments where the two come together.

Method of writing i.e. longhand or typing?

Mostly on the laptop, but I scribble all sorts of places and times in notebooks and on various devices.

TV program /movie?

Rarely historical because I get cranky about anachronisms and want to shout at the screen (and do when I’m a home – in the cinema I just scoff as quietly as possible). At present, in the endless hiatus between series of Game of Thrones and Orange is the New Black, I am obsessed with Arrow and The Great British Bake Off. What those TV shows say about me, I don’t know. 

Comfort food?

Fish and chips. Thanks for asking. Now I need some.

Goddess

A sparkling, witty and compelling novel based on the tragic rise and fall of the beautiful seventeenth century swordswoman and opera singer, Julie d'Aubigny (also known as La Maupin), a woman whose story is too remarkable to be true - and yet it is.

Versailles, 1686: Julie d'Aubigny, a striking young girl taught to fence and fight in the court of the Sun King, is taken as mistress by the King's Master of Horse. Tempestuous, swashbuckling and volatile, within two years she has run away with her fencing master, fallen in love with a nun and is hiding from the authorities, sentenced to be burnt at the stake. Within another year, she has become a beloved star at the famed Paris Opera. Her lovers include some of Europe's most powerful men and France's most beautiful women. Yet Julie is destined to die alone in a convent at the age of 33. Based on an extraordinary true story, this is an original, dazzling and witty novel - a compelling portrait of an unforgettable woman.

Kelly Gardiner will be appearing in the following panels at the 2015 HNSA Conference:

20 March 7.30 pm  ROUND TABLE DEBATE

Enjoy a lively round table discussion with Kelly Gardiner (Chair), Deborah Challinor, Jesse Blackadder, Rachel Le Rossignol and Gillian Polack as they ponder the question: ‘What can historical novelists and historians learn from each other?’

22 March 9.00-9.45 am   Session One

Personal Histories: In Conversation with Toni Jordan and Posie Graeme-Evans

What attracted Toni Jordan to historical fiction after writing acclaimed contemporary novels? And why did Posie Graeme-Evans change careers from being an enormously successful television director, producer and executive to an historical novelist immersed in distant times? Join Kelly Gardiner in learning these story tellers’ own histories.

 22 March 11am-12pm Library Room 1
Phryne Fisher and Other Fantasies: The Female Detective in History
A panel will discuss this theme which will be the subject of a forthcoming special edition of ‘The Australian Journal of Crime Fiction’. There is an opportunity to submit your article to the magazine.

For more information on all our panels, please visit our site for programme details. And you can buy your tickets here.

You can also sign up to the mailing list to be the first to keep up to date with breaking news on the HNSA conference in 2015. 

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Here’s a few favourite things for Kelly Gardiner @kmjgardiner on #HNSA2015 blog @histnovsoc http://ow.ly/IGw2P

Register now for the #HNSA2015 conference! Let’s make a noise about #historicalfiction http://ow.ly/E9RPZ

And please take a look at our FREE BOOK OFFERS!

The first 30 ticketholders to purchase a ‘Standard’ Whole Conference Ticket will receive a free copy of either The Lace Balcony by Johanna Nicholls, The King’s Shadow by Barbara Gaskell Denvil or The Island House by Posie Graeme-Evans. 

All ticket holders will receive a Momentum ebook bundle in celebration of Felicity Pulman’s launch of Unholy Murder.

The first 50 fully paid ticket holders will receive a copy of Sherryl Clark’s new book Do You Dare – Jimmy’s War in celebration of her launch.