Imagining The Past

How does an author's profession (outside their role as a novelist) inform their books? Cecilia Rice will explore with Leah Kaminsky (a doctor), Alison Booth (an economist and academic) and Sue Williams (a journalist) whether switching ‘right and left' brains impacts their research and writing.  What led them to historical fiction? And what strengths or weaknesses do their 'day jobs' afford them as authors.   Imagining the Past is commercial-free. HNSA is a volunteer run, not-for-profit that can only continue to produce the podcasts with your support.  Please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our secure website.  All contributions, great or small, are greatly appreciated.

Fine art, luxury jewellery, espionage, royal scandal and danger. Alexandra Joel, Christine Wells and Belinda Alexandra are expert in interweaving the intrigue of past lives into novels set in cities such as Paris, New York and Cairo. Diane Murray asks what inspired their stories, what methods they use to tease out their mysteries, and the challenges encountered when portraying time periods within living memory. Imagining the Past is commercial-free. HNSA is a volunteer run, not-for-profit that can only continue to produce the podcasts with your support.  Please consider making a tax-deductible donation through our secure website.  All contributions, great and small, are greatly appreciated.

Author Kim Kelly interviews Judy Nunn on her love for historical fiction which have encompassed stories across diverse eras from colonial periods, WW2, the Cold War to more modern times. Her most recent novel, Showtime, features a showdown between rival entrepreneurs in 1880s Melbourne with comedy, tragedy, passion and betrayal; economic depression, the Black Death and the horrors of World War One waiting in the wings. Imagining the Past is listed in the Top 25 Historical Fiction Podcasts.  

Kelly Rimmer, Victoria Purman and Nicole Alexander have conjured various characters across their many books. Greg Johnston examines their inspiration for key characters, the methods used to fully develop them, whether unexpected plot twists arose when placing them in predicaments, and if their creations took on a life of their own once delivered to readers. Imagining the Past is listed in the Top 25 Historical Fiction Podcasts.  

Mirandi Riwoe's The Sunbirds tests the identities and loyalties between Dutch and Indonesians in colonial Java on the eve of the Japanese invasion. Devika Ponnambalam's I Am Not Your Eve is an imagining of the life of Teha'amana, Paul Gaugin's Tahitian 'child-bride'.   Both authors join Elisabeth Storrs in discussing the complexities of bringing alternative perspectives to previously Euro-centric stories, and the research challenges experienced in delving deeper into such histories. Imagining the Past is listed in the Top 25 Historical Fiction Podcasts.  

View from the East—Christopher Cheng, Daryl Lim and Siang Lu discuss with Claudia Chan Shaw their novels, Asian histories, and the challenges of being an Asian writer within the current publishing industry. Imagining the Past is listed in the Top 25 Historical Fiction Podcasts.  

Writer and critic Stephen Romei is in conversation with Jock Serong and Fiona McFarlane. Jock discusses part three of his Furneaux trilogy, The Settlement, which was short listed for the 2023 ARA Historica Novel Price. Part two of the trilogy won the ARA Prize in 2021.  Fiona discusses her second novel, The Sun Walks Down, which was shortlisted for the 2023 Walter Scott Historical Fiction Prize. Imagining the Past is listed in the Top 25 Historical Fiction Podcasts.  

In our Summer/Autumn season, we present selected sessions from our 2023 HNSA Conference. Enjoy RN's The Bookshelf host, Kate Evans, in conversation with Guest of Honour, Anna Funder, about the challenges of writing a blend of fiction and non-fiction in 'Wifedom', a book about George Orwell's wife, Eileen O'Shaughnessy.

Alison D Stegert discusses with Greg Johnston her YA novel, Her Majesty's League of Remarkable Young Ladies.  She also discusses her win of HNSA's inaugural 2020 Elizabeth Jane Corbett Mentorship and its great consequences.  

Gail Jones chats with Greg Johnston about her complex novel, Salonika Burning, which won the 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize—Adult Category. 

Suzanne Leal chats with Greg Johnston about her 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize, CYA shortlisted novel, Running with Ivan, some of the differences between writing CYA and Adult fiction, and her interesting methods of research. 

Lauren Chater chats with Greg Johnston about all things beautiful, including the research and writing of her new novel, The Beauties. 

Melissa Lucashenko discusses with Greg Johnston the research and writing of her novel, Edenglassie. 

Robbie Arnott discusses with Greg Johnston the many intricacies of writing the novel Limberlost, based on his family folklore and longlisted for the 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize—Adult Category.  

Fiona Kelly McGregor discusses with Kelly Gardiner the many intricacies of writing her novel, Iris, shortlisted for the 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize—Adult Category.  

Amelia Mellor discusses with Greg Johnston the intricacies of writing CYA Historical Fiction, and her novel, The Bookseller's Apprentice, winner of the 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize—CYA Category.  

Thomas Keneally discusses his long literary career with Greg Johnston, and his novel, Corporal Hitler's Pistol, which won the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Prize—Adult Category

Claire Saxby discusses with Greg Johnston the intricacies of writing CYA Historical Fiction, and her novel, The Wearing of the Green, shortlisted for the 2022 ARA Historical Novel Prize—CYA Category.  

In this warm discussion, Robyn Mundy takes us to chilly Svalbard in the Norwegian archipelago to discuss her 2022 ARA Historical Novel Prize, short-listed, Cold Coast. 

Monty Soutar is an historian and author writing a trilogy— Kāwai—which tells the history of New Zealand through nine successive generations of a Maori family. With Greg Johnston, he discusses the particular features and challenges of this writing.  

In this discussion, Robyn Cadwallader tells of her writing process, the research of Medieval England, and the making of myths.  

Brian Falkner discusses his YA series, Kapito Joe—Blitzkrieg, Spycraft and Wolf's Lair with Greg Johnston, exploring the slings and arrows of the research, planning and writing of the series.  

Geraldine Brooks discusses her latest novel, Horse, with Greg Johnston, delving into many of the technical decisions taken to write this complex novel.  

Kate Murdoch chats with Karen Brooks, Melissa Ashley and Lauren Chater of Midwives, Storytellers and Witches: Wise Women in History

The Inside Story: A Novel's Journey through a Publishing House. Nadine Davidoff discusses with Mandy Brett, Jamila Khodja and Kate Lloyd

Paula Morris discussed with Julie Janson and Cassandra Pybus, the idea that History is written by the victors. But when such accounts are challenged, who then gets to define history in the context of a shared past?  

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.

Jackie Ballantyne explores how each author approaches common themes of revenge, love, betrayal, isolation and treachery from these very different perspectives.

Renee Otmar discusses Writing the Other with Rachel Bin Saleh, Tim Darcy Ellis and Indrani Ganguly why questions of representation and appropriation matter, and whether respectful research is the answer to successfully ‘writing the other'. 

Stephen Romei speaks with Pip Williams and Steven Carroll to tease out the intersections within their novels of hidden women's histories.

HNSNA Chair Jenny Quinlan in conversation with Kate Forsyth and Kate Quinn. 

HNSA Chair Elisabeth Storrs in discussion with Geraldine Brooks.   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 HNSA 2021 conference theme with Geraldine by discussing these award-winning books.

Kim Kelly discusses her latest novel, The Rat Catcher: A Love Story, with Greg Johnston, delving into technical decisions around Point of View and Voice, sensitivities required writing Australian History, and her long publishing history.  

Stephanie Parkyn discusses her latest novel, The Freedom of Birds with Greg Johnston, delving into research, technical decisions, and an antipodean writing about Europe. 

Felice Arena discusses with Greg Johnston his path to CYA Historical Fiction and his latest novel, The Unstoppable Flying Flanagan.  

Anita Heiss discusses her landmark and groundbreaking novel, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray—River of Dreams—shortlisted for the 2021 ARA Historical Novel Prize—with Greg Johnston. 

Katrina Nannestad, winner of the 2021 ARA HISTORICAL NOVEL PRIZE—CYA CATEGORY, discusses We are Wolves with Greg Johnston, and the challenges of writing CYA Historical Fiction. 

Jock Serong, winner of the 2021 ARA HISTORICAL NOVEL PRIZE—ADULT CATEGORY, discusses The Burning Island with Greg Johnston, and some of the challenges of writing his series set in the Furneaux Group of islands.  

Pip Williams discusses The Dictionary of Lost Words with Greg Johnston and they gather up stories about her writing process and some of her choices.   

Steven Conte speaks about planning and executing The Tolstoy Estate (2020), writing ‘behind the enemy lines', the risks of shaking up a novel's structure, and the Gurya Ghost and the Little Boy Lost with Greg Johnston.  

CYA author Susanne Gervey discusses her new time-slip novel, Heroes of the Secret Underground, migration, sculpting stories from WWII for CYA, and Pálinka with Greg Johnston 

Julie Janson is a Burruberongal woman of Darug nation.  She discusses her recent novel, Benevolence, the challenges of writing First Nation's Historical Fiction, and of First Nation's writers finding publishers with Greg Johnston. 

Shortlisted for the inaugural ARA Historical Fiction Prize 2020, author Sienna Brown discusses writing, multifaceted research, constructing Jamaican patois, and Master of My Fate with Greg Johnston.

Author and inaugural winner of the ARA Historical Fiction Prize 2020 Mirandi Riwoe discusses writing, research, gender-bending, sea-cucumbers and Stone Sky Gold Mountain with Greg Johnston. 

Imagining the Past’s new season features live recorded sessions from the 2019 HNSA conference brought to you by our host, Greg Johnston. Our  fourteenth episode explores the allure of France has often inspired historical novelists to conjure the romance and tumult of its history. Kate Forsyth’s latest novel, The Blue Rose, transports the reader to the perils of the French Revolution and the exotic world of Imperial China. Natasha Lester’s The French Photographer deals with more recent history of World War II France and America. Jackie Ballantyne discusses why Kate and Natasha were drawn to set their books in France, and how they discovered new stories to tell about a country that continues to fascinate.

Imagining the Past’s new season features live recorded sessions from the 2019 HNSA conference brought to you by our host, Greg Johnston. Our twelfth episode explores History and Mystery: weaving a web of truth and lies in detective fiction.  Writing historical crime fiction is like a treasure hunt for authors who dig up nuggets from the past to recreate old crimes and mysteries, both real and imaginary. How do authors lay down clues to keep readers (and the central characters) guessing whodunit? How do you balance the interlacing stories of detective, murderer and victim? What sources do authors use to set the scene and solve the crime using old-fashioned methods of crime detection? Felicity Pulman tracks down the answers to these questions and more with Malla Nunn, Katherine Kovacic and Tessa Lunney.

Imagining the Past’s new season features live recorded sessions from the 2019 HNSA conference brought to you by our host, Greg Johnston. Our eleventh episode explores the silver screen: scriptwriting and adaptations.  More and more historical novels are being adapted for screen with lavish production values and high profile stars. What is the secret to writing scripts compared to books? How do scriptwriters condense intricate plots into a few hours screen time while maintaining complexity of characters and themes? What elements are producers searching for when considering a story? And are compromises needed when wooing an audience compared to a readership? Jesse Blackadder, Malla Nunn and Mira Robertson discuss with Kelly Gardiner the different approaches required when writing novels, adaptations and screenplays.

Imagining the Past’s new season features live recorded sessions from the 2019 HNSA conference brought to you by our host, Greg Johnston. Our tenth episode explores Parramatta, the second penal settlement established in Australia. When Thomas Keneally and Meg Keneally decided to set their Monsarratt detective series there, Meg sought the assistance of local historian, Gay Hendrikson, to dig into the township’s history. Gillian Polack learns how Meg and Gay formed a working relationship to trace the footsteps of the Keneallys’ characters, locate potential murder sites, and pore over history together, and how their collaboration extended to Meg’s first solo novel Fled.

Imagining the Past’s new season features live recorded sessions from the 2019 HNSA conference brought to you by our host, Greg Johnston. Our ninth episode explores the survival of the fittest: challenging interior and exterior landscapes.  A stark Australian landscape is both menacing and beautiful in Rachel Leary’s Bridget Crack with a protagonist who must overcome physical and psychological threats. David Whish-Wilson’s  The Coves explores the brutality of Australian renegades in the unlawful streets of 19th century San Francisco while Stephanie Parkyn’s Into the World forces her heroine to face ocean hazards while striving to protect a dangerous personal secret. Lisa Chaplin explores these authors’ sources of inspiration, and what it takes to create characters who battle internal fears in a fight for survival against nature and man.

Imagining the Past’s new season features live recorded sessions from the 2019 HNSA conference brought to you by our host, Greg Johnston. Our eighth episode explores Regency madness and inspiration.  The Regency period lasted a mere nine years while Prince Regent George ruled as his temporarily mad father’s proxy. The glamour and charm of the era has lasted far longer with a plethora of novels set in in those times first made popular by Georgette Heyer in the 1920s. Alison Goodman, Anne Gracie and Anna Campbell chat with Elizabeth Jane Corbett about their inspirational sources, their own passion for the period, and how they have played with the tradition of Regency romance.