Two richly drawn historical fictions paint compelling portraits – real and imagined – of women in rebellion against powers of oppression.
Two richly drawn historical fictions paint compelling portraits – real and imagined – of women in rebellion against the powers that hold them down.
In Nuala O’Connor’s Seaborne, the true story of Cork-born Anne Bonny is reimagined in a high seas adventure that celebrates the life and legend of Ireland’s pirate queen of the Caribbean. Meanwhile, Elle Machray’s Remember, Remember offers an explosive alternative history whereby one woman, one fuse, and one match can destroy an entire empire.
Fans of historical fiction won’t want to miss the conversation between two authors as they discuss what drew them to these moments in time and how history can offer a fresh perspective on modernity. Confronting issues of gender norms, systemic racism, and female oppression, these two novels are more timely than ever as contemporary readers continue to grapple with the same questions centuries later.
Nuala O’Connor is a novelist, short story writer and poet. She is the author of five previous novels, including Nora, which was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards and named as a Top 10 2021 historical novel by The New York Times.
Elle Machray grew up in Birmingham to Welsh–Caribbean and Scottish parents. After graduating from the HarperCollins Author Academy in spring 2021, their debut novel Remember, Remember was longlisted for the Mslexia Novel Prize, judged by Hilary Mantel.
Presented with support from Scottish Books International.