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Historical fiction conversation with Sarah Emsley and Jill MacLean

Date:
Time:
-
Venue:
Halifax Central Library
Location:
5440 Spring Garden Road, Halifax. More info
Link:
https://halifax.bibliocommons.com/events/68d6e5b43e4d010064888190
Calendar:
Member event

“Bringing the Past to Life through Historical Fiction”

Readers of historical fiction often ask how much of the story is true and how much is invented. Historical novelists Jill MacLean (author of The Arrows of Fealty) and Sarah Emsley (author of The Austens) will talk about their approaches to bringing the past to life through fiction and they will invite audience participation.

The Austens brings to life the story of Jane Austen’s friendship with her sister-in-law Fanny Austen, who lived for a while in Nova Scotia with her naval captain husband during the years when Jane was writing Pride and Prejudice and other novels that would eventually make her famous.

The Arrows of Fealty: Haukyn is a serf who owes fealty to the lord of the manor, yet who craves adventure. Warfare in France shows him how armour-clad knights can be brought as low as any serf. His restless spirit untamed, he incites his village to rebel against unjust taxation, and when England’s southern counties march in revolt on London, he witnesses the king grant freedom to every serf in the country. Unimaginable freedom. A freedom that will bring consequences.

Bookmark will be on hand selling copies of both novels.

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Experience Levels

The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) uses the following terms to describe writers’ experience levels:

  • New writers: those with less than two years’ creative writing experience and/or no short-form publications (e.g., short stories, personal essays, or poems in literary magazines, journals, anthologies, or chapbooks).
  • Emerging writers: those with more than two years’ creative writing experience and/or numerous short-form publications.
  • Early-career authors: those with 1 or 2 book-length publications or the equivalent in book-length and short-form publications.
  • Established authors: those with 3 or 4 book-length publications.
  • Professional authors: those with 5 or more book-length publications.

Please keep in mind that each form of creative writing (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, writing for children and young adults, and others) provides you with a unique set of experiences and skills, so you might consider yourself an ‘established author’ in one form but a ‘new writer’ in another.

The “Recommended experience level” section of each workshop description refers to the above definitions. A workshop’s participants should usually have similar levels of creative writing and / or publication experience. This ensures that each participant gets value from the workshop⁠ and is presented with information, strategies, and skills that suit their career stage. 

For “intensive” and “masterclass” workshops, which provide more opportunities for peer-to-peer feedback, the recommended experience level should be followed closely.

For all other workshops, the recommended experience level is just that—a recommendation—and we encourage potential participants to follow their own judgment when registering.

If you’re uncertain of your experience level with regard to any particular workshop, please feel free to contact us at communications@writers.ns.ca