(Tips for writing historical fiction from myself and other writers, links to other articles included!)   Historical fiction is a delicate balance of wanting to express the history of the setting or event and providing fictional characters with empathy, for the reader to connect to. Therefore, in my novels I focus on building the world and the rules of that world. I include historical details about daily life which can add historical context reader, but I aim to balance that detail with familiar and relatable details to keep my stories grounded. Masterclass.com:  “Worldbuilding makes ..read more

Immersing myself in this history of the Island The German occupation of the Channel Islands lasted for most of the Second World War, from 30 June 1940 until their liberation on 9 May 1945. Whilst I conducted research for The Guernsey Novels, I steeped myself into the island’s history, especially its Occupation and eventual Liberation. I was kindly donated a couple of diaries kept by islanders who lived during that time period and it provided me with a very realistic account of what everyday life was like. Food was scarce, tensions were high – it was a dark time for the Channel Islands. In ad ..read more

Books which take me back to childhood Books have a wonderful power to take us back to a time or place. Indeed, the escapism books can offer us is no doubt a comfort for us all during the COVID19 crisis! I sometimes receive feedback from my readers (which makes my day) and a recent comment said that my books had ‘refreshed her memories’ of Guernsey, where she was born as a child, but where she does not often get to visit and therefore found a comfort in the people and places she re-discovered as part of the Guernsey series! This got me thinking about what books I loved and which reminded me of ..read more

…I hope so! I very much feel inspired by the settings around me and wonder if there will be many novels written, created by just that: exactly what we see in front of us! My novels all take place in Guernsey – while I was not born there, I know it very well and enjoyed living there for fourteen years. I first visited the island in 1987, and one-year later migrated with my three children. I fell in love with the island immediately. It was a combination of the beautiful scenery- incorporating big sandy beaches, cliff top walks, sheltered coves -and the fantastic people I met. Guernsey by Anne Al ..read more