ABOUT THE SOCIETY
In the beginning ...
The Historical Novel Society was founded in the United Kingdom in 1997. At first it was conceived of as something of a campaigning society, because historical fiction was in the doldrums then - or at least that was the perception. Our original magazine, Solander, tried to alter that amongst authors and publishers.
Quickly, a second magazine was conceived, the Historical Novels Review. We found that our members enjoyed reviewing, and publishers and authors appreciated the feedback.
In time we began to realise that the sheer scale of the review magazine was the best argument one could make for the strength of the genre. We also recognised that our reviews could grow to be the best and most complete guide to the genre, and that there was a unique value in that. There are now more than 25,000 reviews online, with as many as we can squeeze into our magazine every quarter appearing in print, and the overflow being offered online-only through this website. The Historical Novels Review later incorporated Solander, branching out to offer features, author interviews, and a variety of HF-related columns, from agent Q&As to examinations of historical film and television.
On a mission for historical fiction ...
As the Society has grown and evolved over the past almost 30 years, we have become very much an international organization. We are an entirely open membership, for readers and authors alike. This includes established writers, and those on the journey to publication.
No-one has ever had to jump through hoops to join. If you enjoy historical fiction of whatever kind, for whatever reason, you are welcome. Our mission is to promote the genre we love, and we welcome your help.
SOCIETY ADMINISTRATION
From editors to local chapter leaders to social media 'elves' ...
We are also an open organisation in terms of who can participate in Society activities – writing, editing, or social events.
Obviously, these things need a structure, and so we have policies that govern reviews and features publication, for both our print magazine and our website. We also have official Society officers. Most of what we achieve is through the unpaid, voluntary work of enthusiastic Society members. We encourage members, new and established, to get involved. If you want to be involved, look for calls for participation in the HNS Member Newsletter, or reach out to us at any time to volunteer.
Take a moment to meet the administrative team, or you can search our 1500+ members through the HNS Member Directory. We also have a number of HNS Local Chapters, geographically-based groups which hold their own programming and foster community.
Become a member ...
If you love historical fiction, we would love to have you join us and help the Society further this expansive genre. There are a variety of benefits to membership in the Society, and we're happy to answer questions about them.
Get in touch ...
From getting involved with our social media, to questions both general and specific, to contacting individual officers, please visit our Contact Us page.
DEFINING THE GENRE
What the Society considers to be "historical fiction"
There are a variety of ways to define the genre of historical fiction and provide a scope for novels which fit within this category. Our definition is intentionally broad. To be deemed historical (in our sense), a novel must have been written at least fifty years after the events described, or written by someone who was not alive at the time of those events, and therefore approaches them only by research.
We also consider the following styles of novel to be historical fiction for our purposes:
- alternate histories, such as Robert Harris’ Fatherland
- pseudo-histories, in the style of Umberto Eco’s Island of the Day Before
- time-slip novels, such as Barbara Erskine’s Lady of Hay
- historical fantasies, such as Bernard Cornwell’s King Arthur trilogy
- multiple-time novels, such as Michael Cunningham’s The Hours
For a deeper dive, see our Guide, "Defining the Genre," and this panel discussion on the "Rules for Historical Fiction."
