On Inspiration: Interview with Deborah Swift
Happy 2019! My first interview this year is with Deborah Swift who is one of a team of bestselling WWII historical fiction authors. Their anthology, The Darkest Hour, includes ten never before published novellas exploring the theme of ‘resistance’ during WWII. Deborah Swift used to be a set and costume designer for theatre and TV, […]
History Girls: Black on red; red on black-figure it out!
My latest essay on the History Girls is on the beauty of Attic vases. Chemistry and artistry combined. Read Black on red; red on black-figure it out!
I’ve joined The History Girls! Ancient World Glitter
I am very honoured to have joined the The History Girls on their wonderful blog. My first monthly post is on Etruscan jewellery featuring finery that has long bedazzled me: Ancient World Glitter and Glamour. For those of you who don’t know the History Girls, they run a blog with daily posts on history, […]
Stretching stories over 2,000 years by Alison Morton
I’m delighted to welcome fellow Romaphile, Alison Morton, to Triclinium again. Alison writes the award-winning Roma Nova thriller series featuring modern Praetorian heroines. She blends her deep love of Roman history with six years’ military service and a life of reading crime, adventure and thriller fiction. Today she’ll tell you the background to writing her […]
Guest Post: Research and reaching across the ether
I love research! I was delighted that Mary Anne Yarde asked me to tell the story of how I reached across the internet to various historians for assistance – it ended in my characters voicing an audio-visual exhibition in a museum outside Rome where my saga was set! Read ‘Research and reaching across the ether’ […]
How Do Historical Novelists Research their Stories?
How do historical novelists research their stories? This is a common question asked of me. I thought I’d take the opportunity to explore this question with Dusk Peterson who runs Historicalfic: Historical Research for Fiction Writers. Over to Dusk…. When I started a Twitter account to accompany my historical research services for fiction writers, I […]
How Art can Inspire Historical Fiction
Inspiration and obsession are two concepts that all writers keenly understand. The inspiration for my A Tale of Ancient Rome saga led me to a distant civilization in Tuscany and Lazio, and on a publishing journey from Australia to America. That odyssey lasted 16 years. I’m delighted to have told the story of how my […]
A Glimpse of History: Courir de Mardi Gras
In the lead up to Mardi Gras season, I welcome Harry Parsons to Triclinium, to tell us about the history of the Cajun Courir de Mardi Gras. Thanks for sharing your post with us, Harry. Cajun Mardi Gras: Courir de Mardi Gras When you think of Mardi Gras, what comes immediately to mind? If you’re […]
Article for HISTORIA Magazine: The Prostitutes of Rome
I was delighted to provide an article for HISTORIA, the magazine of the Historical Writers’ Association, about Roman She Wolves, Night Moths and Tomb Whores. You can read the article here. Many thanks to Katherine Clements!
Guest Post on Helen Hollick’s Litblog: How to clothe a character
The smallest detail can lead to the deepest research. Deciding how to clothe my character, Pinna, as a Roman concubine proved to be more involved than I anticipated. Read about my research into the dress of Roman whores, matrons and concubines on Helen Hollick’s blog, Let’s Talk of Many Things. Read here. You can read […]