The Art and Purpose of Historical Fiction

Join Interintellect founder Anna Gát as she delves into some of the most exciting historical novels of the past 200 years, from ‘War and Peace’, through ‘The Name of the Rose’, to ‘Wolf Hall’. Dive into a discussion on this fascinating genre and bring your favourites!

Historical novels have golden eras but also “winters”. For instance, Hilary Mantel had famous difficulties when trying to publish ‘A Place of Greater Safety’. What doesn’t change, however, is our eagerness to embrace good historical fiction. We’re always curious: did past figures, whether heroes or villains, think and feel like us?

In this cosy online salon, we’ll explore why historical novels work, why we’re so interested in them, and share some of our favourite stories. Join us!

Recommended readings:

• https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/how-archival-fiction-upends-our-view-of-history
• https://www.theatlantic.com/membership/archive/2018/01/what-makes-historical-fiction-great/552038/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/07/t-magazine/historical-fiction-books.html
• https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/feb/29/an-escape-wonderful-historical-fiction