What an honour it has been to be Chair of judging for this years ARA Historical Novel Prize. Along with fellow judges Carmel Bird and Roanna Gonsalves it has been a fiendishly difficult task.  The shortlist has recently been announced, and the three wonderful novels in contention for Australia’s richest genre-based literary prize are noted below. Congratulations to Anita Heiss, Gail Jones and Jock Serong. Their splendid stories transport the reader to new, unforgettable worlds. The ‘night of nights’ occurs on Friday 22nd October at 6pm. Simply click on the highlighted link to join us  for the announcement of the winner at the 2021 ARA Historical Novel Prize Cocktail Party.

The evening is free and presented by Julia Baird.

If you love historical fiction, read it, write it or both, the Historical Novel Society virtual conference has a stellar lineup of 70 speakers gathering online over the weekend of 22-24th October. There are literary chat saloons, boot camps, special guests and some of your favourite authors coming together to discuss all things historical. Please click HERE to learn more, read the conference program and register.