It’s unusual to read novels about women who took an active role in the resistance in World War 2, especially Dutch women. So I was intrigued to discover the stories of three Dutch teenage girls, aged between fourteen and nineteen, who became key members of the resistance and banded together to take terrifying direct action against the Nazis and their collaborators. These three young Dutch women were smart, political and fearless. Whether it was sheltering Jews, political dissidents and men who refused to obey the order to work in German bomb factories, or blowing up bridges and railway ..read more

  As readers of my historical fiction books will know, I have a passion for discovering stories about Dutch people whose lives were irrevocably changed when their country was occupied by the Germans in World War 2. Many lived quiet lives only to find the strength and courage to help strangers to escape from the clutches of the Nazis, who were merciless in their desire to drive out the Jews.  My latest book, The Girl from the Resistance, is the first in a series of three novels based on the true story of three young Dutch women who lived in Haarlem, Holland and joined the resistance ..read more

  Imogen’s latest novel: A story of courage and love set in World War 2 Holland. Available as an ebook and paperback on Amazon “Any fan of historical fiction, or of a ripping good read, will be beguiled by this book. Exquisite writing.” — Sue G, Reviewer, Netgalley As a child I grew up listening to my Dutch mother’s stories of life under German occupation and her family’s struggle for survival during the Hunger Winter. Life was hard, but exciting for a teenager who thought nothing of delivering anti-Nazi leaflets, chopping down lime trees in front of the house for firewood and evading t ..read more

  An underground hut in the hidden village -hard to make out today, just as it would have been in WW2 Whilst writing The Hidden Village, I never had any thoughts about writing a second book. That came months after publication, when I started receiving reviews from readers saying they’d wanted to find out what happened after The Hidden Village ended. Here are some of the questions readers asked: “What happened to Oscar?” “Did Henk betray those living in the hidden village to the Germans?” “What happened to those who escaped?” It set me thinking and before long I had an outline for a new s ..read more

  Recently, as I walked past a local café, I saw this chalkboard announcing a little-known fact about Oxford:   “We have more published writers per square mile than anywhere else in the world!” Now, I don’t know how accurate this statement is, but when I started to think about all the famous authors who lived and wrote in this city the list kept on growing. Since the Middle Ages, Oxford has been a centre for writers and poets, often through their academic study at the University. There are so many it would be impossible to do justice to them in this article so here is an abbreviated ..read more

  London Book Fair is the UK’s biggest event for anyone associated with the world of writing books and publishing. This was my second visit and it was every bit as inspiring, hectic, fascinating and overwhelming as I remember. London Book Fair is not just about agents chasing that six -figure publishing deal for their debut authors, though this clearly motivates the Penguin Random House‘s and Harper Collinses of this world. As a budding author, you can merely wander past their monolithic stands and gape in wonder – entry through their portals is by invitation only and a rare thing, consi ..read more

Selma and Chaim Engel with their family in happier times Stories like Selma Engel’s should never be forgotten. Born Saartje Wijnberg, as a young Dutch Jew, she was sent to Sobibor Camp in Poland in a sealed freight train in 1943. She was one of the lucky ones, not only to survive, but to meet her future husband Chaim. Both survived and managed to escape following a prisoners’ revolt. After emigrating to the US in 1957, she changed her name to Selma Engel, where she lived until her death, aged 96, in December 2018. I think my fascination with WW2 stories from Holland must stem from my Dutch ba ..read more

  The Hidden Village by Imogen Matthews, based on a true story set in wartime Holland. Available as an ebook, paperback and audiobook on Amazon Discovering the real Dutch hidden village I clearly remember the time I was cycling through the leafy Veluwe woods, some 50 miles from Amsterdam, when I came across an extraordinary place I never knew existed in all the years I’d been taking family holidays in the area. I never realised it at the time, but this chance discovery set me on the road to writing my first historical novel, The Hidden Village, set in wartime Holland. What attracted my at ..read more

  The Girl Across the Wire Fence: Imogen Matthews’ latest novel set in WW2 Holland https://geni.us/B097HCD9NFcover 7 Things That Inspired My Writing To celebrate the release of my new book, The Girl Across The Wire Fence, this week, @FemaleFirst_UK asked me to let them in on some interesting facts all about me! Here's what I had to reveal...   My cosmetics career: Long before I became a novelist, I worked in the beauty industry as a journalist, industry commentator and author of market research reports tracking the latest trends. I often got invited to amazing fragrance, skincare and ..read more

  An inspiring and unforgettable tale about how much we are willing to sacrifice to save the ones we love. https://geni.us/B097HCD9NFcover Kamp Amersfoort: a true story Not many people know about Kamp Amersfoort, a German concentration camp in Holland, where 37,000 prisoners were kept between 1941 and 1945. The first group to arrive were 200 political prisoners, including Communists, arrested for defying the Nazis. They came by train to Amersfoort and were transported in lorries. Others arrived on foot and forced to walk through the centre of town, under the supervision of cruel gua ..read more