Dispatch from Durham
Once again, I found myself strapped into a seat, feeling the weight of my body press backwards as the plane full of people accelerated to 160 mph and broke free of the surface of the earth. Only three weeks before, I had arrived home from four weeks of traveling through Italy for a vacation, followed by two weeks in France to research my new series. Now I was aloft once more, heading back across the Atlantic from Seattle to the UK in order to attend the Historical Novel Society’s annual conference in Durham, in the northeast corner of England. Many of my American author friends were perplexed by this decision, after all, it was expensive and a long distance to travel. I would only be gone for six days, three of which were taken up entirely with transport on planes and trains, and there were only about a hundred registered attendees. Even historical fiction authors in England had a difficult time justifying the distance and price. So why did I go? For me the answer was easy: for the people.
All authors work alone, but indie authors are even more isolated than most. Without agents and publicists to cheer us on, we rely heavily on the community of other authors for emotional support, encouragement, writing help, and a good kick in the pants when such a thing is required. In my work, people are my most valuable asset, the most effective marketing tool, the best publicists, and the highlight of my journey into this world of writing. Without the support and encouragement of other authors, I would have given up after I read my first 1-star review. I am still a new(ish) author, but I’ve already had chances to give back to those who are coming behind me, and it’s a good feeling. I traveled halfway across the world because it was a privilege and a joy to meet with these authors.
Because this group leaned heavily toward Roman, Medieval, and Renaissance authors, the choice of the great hall in Durham castle for our dinner was fitting. We had some amazing musical performances, including my first experience ever hearing the Northumbrian pipes, a very old instrument that resembled (but is different than) the highland bagpipes.
The conference sessions were amazing. Our first day keynote by Emma Darwin (yes, that Darwin. She is his great granddaughter) was inspiring. I was challenged by Dr. Laura Tisdall’s interpretation of historical fiction as a genre that could be written about last week, as long as it is treated with the reverence of history and not just a recollection of a memory (fighting words, I know. Dr. Tisdall is lovely, so be nice). One of my favorite sessions was a multi-speaker presentation from the medieval studies department at Durham University on the topic of food. Any readers who follow me on TikTok will know that the history of food fascinates me. Professor Daniel Newman (EatLikeASultan.com), from the Medieval Islamic studies department, lectured on one of my favorite topics: Medieval Islamic food. He even brought cookies for the audience. Dr. Amanda Herbert (BeforeFarmToTable) gave a fascinating lecture on the migration of food across continents. Where else could you go to an international conference and be given cookies? All of this was to prepare us for our dinner at Blackfriars Restaurant in Newcastle, where we were treated to a traditional medieval feast in a room that was used by King Edward III in 1334. The menu was arranged in cooperation with the restaurant staff and Florence Swan, who studies transmission of taste at the university and joined us for our meal.
On our last day, we heard from Graeme McRae Burnett, whose historical murder mystery thriller has become a finalist in several prestigious awards, and then the two days of conferences were over. I left with my brain and my cell phone buzzing from all of the ideas and friends I had met. Authors can be solitary creatures. It wasn’t always easy to socialize and be brave in such a small group, but I don’t regret my decision to go. I would travel halfway around the world to meet with these amazing people again.
Note: if you are a historical fiction author looking for a great community of like-minded colleagues, consider joining the Historical Novel Society , and if you are simply someone who enjoys reading historical fiction you can join too! The next conference will be in San Antonio, TX in the summer of 2023. Come find me - I will be there!
~E.R.A.
