Bringing together more than four hundred writers — both onsite and online — the 2024 Historical Novel Society Conference took place at Dartington Hall, a medieval estate in Devon.
This year, the focus was historical fiction on film, TV and stage, but the conference also provided delegates with an excellent opportunity to connect with fellow writers and seek out advice for projects in progress.
Among those in attendance were five Sapere Books authors and our Publishing Director, Amy Durant.
Valerie Holmes, author of the Yorkshire Saga Series, reflects on the origins of the society and the conference. “Over two decades ago, I met Richard Lee at a Romantic Novelists’ Association conference. He told me about an idea he had, which led to the forming of a society to champion the historical novel. I happily signed up,” she says. “With dedication and effort, both the Historical Novel Society and the conference have gone on to achieve international success.
“This year, networking and catching up with lovers of historical fiction in the beautiful surroundings of Dartington Hall was truly amazing. I have seen Bernard Cornwell, an early supporter, give entertaining and inspiring talks over the years, and this year was no exception. With an impressive international supporting cast of speakers, attendees and volunteers, the 2024 conference was a triumph.”
C. F. Dunn, who writes medieval and Gothic fiction, enjoyed the accessibility and friendly atmosphere of the event. “The conference provided the perfect opportunity to get to know my editor, Amy, and to meet other Sapere authors in a relaxed and convivial environment,” she says. “It was also wonderful to connect with old friends and make new ones, and to talk with other historical writers from all around the world.”
Kate Robertson, who is working on a Tudor suspense series, valued the opportunity to meet like-minded history enthusiasts. “This was my third Historical Novel Society conference, but my first in the UK,” she says. “One of the things I love about every HNS conference is the time I get to spend with other historical novelists, catching each other up on our progress, roadblocks and research. It’s just such an easy entry — rather than going through the usual layers of questions you get when you’re a writer, I love meeting someone new and just starting with, ‘What time period do you write?’ and the conversation deepens from there. There are very few places where you can guarantee that others will ‘get you’ and understand your nerdiest tendencies!”
Jules Larimore, who is writing a series about the Capetian dynasty, was a panellist for the conference’s session on French historical dramas. “I delivered this session with two colleagues from France’s Splendid Centuries authors’ collaborative,” she says. “We were honoured to be among the presenters at this conference alongside keynote speakers, including Bernard Cornwell, Diana Gabaldon, Kate Quinn, and many others.
“The conference setting was quintessentially English, but our panel focused on stories set in France. While assembling all the aspects of the presentation was time-consuming, my interactions with other authors re-invigorated my enthusiasm for the craft of writing historical fiction.”
Amy Durant, Sapere Books’ Publishing Director was invited to attend to lead one-to-one pitch sessions with writers who were attending the conference and she is always impressed with the high calibre of submissions that are presented by members of the HNS. “I always come away from the HNS Conferences excited by the pitches I’ve heard and hopeful that I will be able sign at least one author to Sapere’s list. This time was no exception and hopefully we will have some exciting rights announcements to share soon.”
Christopher M. Cevasco, who is working on a series of Arthurian novels, is the programme chair for next year’s conference in Las Vegas. “I’m very excited about the theme of the 2025 conference, which will celebrate the many subgenres of historical fiction — from historical mysteries and romance to alternate history, military fiction, historical fantasy, and beyond,” he says. “As always, we’re planning a comprehensive, multi-track program with panels, talks, and networking opportunities that should appeal to new and established writers as well as to readers. There will also be a few new surprises in terms of session formats, all designed to explore the ways authors, agents, and editors craft, publish, and market historical fiction in its varied forms.”
All photos by Amy Durant.
The beauty of having a laptop is that it is mobile. I have written in cafés, on trains, on picnic tables by the sea, and in hotels — but the real work, the editing, polishing and research, happens at my desk, ignoring the blank brick wall.
