What does it take to spend 50 years championing history's most maligned king and turn that passion into six published novels?

This week on Rock, Paper, Swords, hosts Justin Hill and Matthew Harffy are joined by Anne Easter Smith, author of a celebrated series of novels spanning the entire York dynasty. Born near Winchester, raised partly in Egypt watching Suez Canal convoys from her window, and a resident of the United States since 1968, Anne has one of the most extraordinary life stories we've heard on the show, and it's all filtered into the rich, meticulous historical fiction she writes.

Anne tells us how Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time converted her into a lifelong Ricardian at the age of 21, how a chance meeting at a New York City party led to a publishing deal with Simon & Schuster, and how she built her six-novel York dynasty series from the ground up, always insisting on visiting every location her characters walk through.

We also dig into the realities of the publishing industry: the golden age of author tours and dedicated publicists, the impact of the 2008 recession on advances and promotion, and the surprisingly personal dynamics of the agent-author relationship.

Anne also previews her upcoming panel at the Historical Novel Society Conference in Maynooth, where she'll join Margaret George and Leslie Carroll to make the case for history's supposed villains: Richard III, Nero, and Marie Antoinette.

Before Anne joins us, Justin and Matthew check in on their own writing: Matthew is filling in the historical detail on his first Roman novel (a possible new series set in ancient Rome), while Justin is on deadline for his latest Warhammer novel and thinking ahead to a contemporary shipping story.A brilliant conversation about history, storytelling, the craft of writing, and the power of fiction to make us feel the past.

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This week Matthew Harffy and Justin Hill are joined by Sunday Times bestselling author Elodie Harper — journalist, classicist, and one of the most exciting voices writing historical fiction today.Elodie's Wolf Den trilogy brought the women of Pompeii's infamous brothel roaring back to life, and her stunning new standalone Boudicca's Daughter follows Solina — the unnamed, overlooked daughter of Britain's most iconic warrior queen — from the chaos of the Boudiccan rebellion to the glittering, treacherous court of Nero's Rome.

We talk about what it means to write from the perspective of history's silenced women, the surprisingly complex historical record behind the Iceni rebellion, and the fascinating question of what we can and can't know about Celtic Britain. Elodie also reveals why she chose Tacitus's single phrase — that the ancient Britons "made no distinction between the sexes when choosing commanders" — as a window into an entirely different world, and why she included human sacrifice despite her sympathies lying firmly with the Iceni.

Plus: the spark for The Wolf Den (courtesy of historian Dan Jones), the emotional experience of visiting Pompeii's only surviving purpose-built brothel at dusk, the craft decision to write Solina's sections in first person present tense, and why even the villain of the piece — Roman general Paulinus — ended up being surprisingly sympathetic.Boudicca's Daughter is out in paperback on 23rd April.

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Justin Hill and Matthew Harffy are joined by historian Peter Jones to explore the surprising world of medieval self-help. Drawing on his new book Self-Help from the Middle Ages, Peter reveals how people in the medieval period grappled with many of the same challenges we face today—stress, purpose, resilience, and how to live a good life.

From monastic wisdom and practical moral guidance to the everyday advice literature that shaped medieval society, this episode uncovers a rich tradition of self-improvement that predates modern “self-help” by centuries. Along the way, the conversation ranges across history, philosophy, and storytelling, offering insights for writers and history lovers alike.

If you’ve ever wondered what the Middle Ages can teach us about modern life, this is an episode not to miss.

DELEDDA MASTER: Master in Creative Writing & Translation: https://deleddamaster.com/

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In this episode of Rock Paper Swords, Matthew Harffy and Justin Hill are joined by historian and novelist Edoardo Albert to discuss his new book, The Man Who Stopped the Sultan.

The book tells the dramatic story of Gabriele Tadino, a Renaissance military engineer whose expertise helped shape the defence of Rhodes during the Ottoman expansion under Suleiman the Magnificent. Along the way we discuss the Italian Wars, the revolution in gunpowder warfare, and the emergence of the professional military engineer.

We also talk about Edoardo’s fiction writing and his 30-Second Histories YouTube videos: https://www.youtube.com/@30-SecondHistories

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In this episode of Rock, Paper, Swords!, Justin Hill and Matthew Harffy are joined by historical novelist Sophie Perinot for a wide-ranging conversation about writing, research, and the realities of the modern book industry.

We discuss:

• Moving from the United States to the United Kingdom

• Adapting to life in Britain, including experiences with the NHS

• The importance of the Historical Novel Society conferences

• How historical research has evolved in the digital age

• Changing trends in historical fiction

• What’s shifted in traditional publishing over the past decade

• Navigating today’s historical fiction market

This is an honest and thoughtful look at writing as a profession — community, craft, career longevity, and the changing landscape of historical publishing.

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#HistoricalFiction #PublishingIndustry #WritingLife #HistoricalNovelSociety

In this episode of Rock, Paper, Swords!, Justin Hill and Matthew Harffy talk with historical novelist Carolyn O’Brien about protest, power, and forgotten voices in British history.

From the Peterloo Massacre to the rise of fascism in 1930s Britain, Carolyn explores how radical politics, women’s lives, and working-class resistance shape her fiction. We discuss writing politically engaged historical novels, the responsibilities of historical storytellers, and why history’s margins often hold its most urgent truths.

🎧 Listen now and discover how history, fiction, and resistance collide.

📚 The Song of Peterloo:
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In this episode of Rock, Paper, Swords!, Justin Hill and Matthew Harffy speak with historian Sharon Bennett Connolly about medieval princesses, royal daughters, and women’s power in the Early Middle Ages.

Drawing on Princesses of the Early Middle Ages, Sharon explores how women shaped dynasties through marriage, diplomacy, and inheritance, and why their influence has often been overlooked in traditional histories of the Norman Conquest.

A fascinating conversation for anyone interested in medieval history, women’s history, and the realities behind popular myths.

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Buy the book, Princesses of the Early Middle Ages: Royal Daughters of the Conquest: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14768/9781399091022

In this episode of Rock, Paper, Swords!, Justin Hill and Matthew Harffy are joined by bestselling author Vaseem Khan to discuss historical crime fiction, empire, and his novel The Edge of Darkness.

Vaseem talks about writing crime stories set in post-colonial India, the challenges of research and authenticity, and how history, setting, and action combine to create gripping fiction. The conversation explores violence, pacing, power, and the responsibility of writing about the British Empire with honesty and nuance.

A must-listen for fans of historical fiction, crime novels, and action-driven storytelling.

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In this episode of Rock Paper Swords, Matthew Harffy and Justin Hill speak with novelist Essie Fox about her latest book, Catherine – a Gothic retelling of Wuthering Heights told from Catherine Earnshaw’s perspective.

Essie explores the enduring power of Emily Brontë’s novel, the risks and rewards of retelling a literary classic, and why writing Catherine as a ghost opened up new emotional and thematic depth. The conversation also dives into unreliable narrators, Gothic tradition, historical language, and how writers balance authenticity with accessibility.

A must-listen for fans of Gothic fiction, classic literature, and historical storytelling.

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Buy the book, Catherine: A Retelling of Wuthering Heights: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14768/9781917764421

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Essie Fox's website: www.essiefox.com

In this end-of-year bonus episode, Matthew Harffy and Justin Hill reflect on the past year of reading, writing, and podcasting — and look ahead to what’s coming next.

They discuss the books that shaped their thinking, Bernard Cornwell’s The Winter King, Tolkien, Roman history, Churchill biographies, audiobooks, and the reality of trying to finish novels before Christmas.

A thoughtful, funny, and honest conversation for readers, writers, and anyone who loves historical fiction and historical adventure.

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