Historical Fiction

Mon 19 October 2026 - Fri 23 October 2026

Tutors / Susan Stokes-Chapman & A. J. West

Guest Reader / Carolyn Jess-Cooke

Course Fee / From £ per person

Genre / Historical Fiction

Language / English

How can writers harness historical research to bring the past back to life? Join Sunday Times number one bestselling author Susan Stokes-Chapman and multi award-winning author A.J. West for an immersive journey into the craft of historical fiction.

Throughout the week, you’ll delve into archive materials and historical sources, uncovering real people and events to inspire your writing. This course will help you master the art of weaving historical detail into compelling narratives, while maintaining the freedom to create gripping, adventurous stories. Whether you’re working on a novel, a short story, or exploring historical fiction for the first time, the tutors will guide you through research techniques, story structure, and the skills needed to create vivid, immersive stories that resonate with readers. Through participative workshops, and one-to-one tutorials, you’ll be encouraged to consider to what extent writers are able to reimagine history and the differences between historical facts and fiction. You’ll also discover effective ways to craft convincing characters, shape believable worlds, and plot and pace your narrative. Each workshop will take you on a personal journey through discussion, practical exercises, and group discussions to gain confidence in your writing and develop new skills and techniques which will enable you to bring history to life in your own unique voice.

A.J. and Susan are friends as well as peers in the literary world and they look forward to sharing with you their passion for researching and writing historical fiction.

Tutors

Susan Stokes-Chapman

Susan Stokes-Chapman grew up in the historic Georgian city of Lichfield, Staffordshire, and now lives in northwest Wales. She studied Education, English Literature and Creative Writing at Aberystwyth University. Her debut novel Pandora (Vintage, 2023) was an instant number one Sunday Times bestseller and to date, has been translated into 16 languages. A loose reinterpretation of the Greek myth Pandora's Box set in eighteenth-century London, it tells the story of aspiring jewellery artist Dora Blake and her encounter with an ancient vase that her tyrannical uncle is desperately keen to keep secret. Her second novel The Shadow Key (Vintage) – a Gothic tale set against the mysterious Welsh landscape of 1783 – was released in 2024. The Twelve Days of Christmas (Harvill) – a short story collection in the vein of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer – was released in 2025, with a third novel titled The Constellations to follow in 2027. @SStokesChapman (Instagram) / www.susanstokeschapman.com

A. J. West

Prior to publication, A. J. West was an award-winning BBC TV newsreader and reporter, and he still appears regularly on national television and radio programmes discussing literature, history and current affairs. His second novel The Betrayal of Thomas True (Orenda Books, 2025) was an instant Sunday Times bestseller, winning the coveted CWA Historical Dagger award. Following the publication of his debut novel The Spirit Engineer (Duckworth, 2022) he became the only author in the world to have his name engraved on his lead character's gravestone. With a passion for digging up forgotten historical stories and bringing them back to life, he spends much of his time exploring archives and visiting locations of historical interest. He currently lives in Kennington, south London, with his husband Nicholas. @ajwestauthor (Instagram) / www.ajwestauthor.com

Guest Reader

Carolyn Jess-Cooke

CJ Cooke, also known as Carolyn Jess-Cooke, grew up on a council estate in Belfast, Northern Ireland, at the height of the Troubles. Since then, she has published 16 books in 23 languages and won numerous awards, including an Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors, a Tyrone Guthrie Prize, a K Blundell Award, and she has won a Northern Writer’s Award three times. In 2011, her debut novel, The Guardian Angel’s Journal, was published by Little, Brown. The novel was an international bestseller. Her second novel, The Boy Who Could See Demons (Little, Brown, 2012), is a cult classic. Her sixth novel, The Lighthouse Witches (HarperCollins) was published in October 2021, and was an Indigo Book of the Month, an international bestseller, a New York Public Library Book of the Year and nominated for both an Edgar Award by Mystery Writers of America and an ITW Thriller Award in 2022. It is soon to be a major TV series produced by StudioCanal and The Picture Company. A Haunting in the Arctic (HarperCollins) is her latest novel and is published in October 2023. Now Reader in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, CJ convenes the prestigious MLitt Creative Writing, and she researches ways that creative writing can help with trauma and mental health. Throughout 2013-18 she directed the Writing Motherhood project, which explored the impact of motherhood on women’s writing. She is also the founder and director of the Stay-at-Home! Literary Festival, which is dedicated to providing people with accessible, inclusive, and eco-friendly ways to access literature. CJ has four children and lives with her family in Glasgow, Scotland.

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