Historical Fiction

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

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