About
- Established in 1997, the Historical Novel Society is an international literary society devoted to promotion and advocacy for the genre of historical fiction.
Membership
- Historical Novel Society members include authors, readers, librarians, editors and industry professionals – membership is entirely open, and anyone enthusiastic about the genre is welcome.
Events
- Our worldwide membership loves to meet. Many travel thousands of miles to attend our conferences in person; many more enjoy our virtual options from home. Others form member connections in their area through regular Local Chapter meet-ups. Discover what’s on with conferences, Local and Virtual Chapters, and more.
Book Reviews
- Our exclusive, members-only print magazine, the Historical Novels Review, publishes reviews of hundreds of historical fiction books each quarter, in addition to features and columns. Become a member to receive the magazine and enjoy all our other benefits.
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Articles
- We publish articles in our members-only print magazine, Historical Novels Review, as well as web features exclusive to this site. All are original pieces, commissioned by our Features Editors based on topics of interest to members – interviews with historical fiction authors, publishers, and agents; explorations of novels and subgenres; guides, and regular columns on historical fiction market news, debut authors, and more. Articles are written by vetted contributors, most of whom are Society members. If you’re a member interested in joining the team, Contact Us.
Awards
- HNS Awards have helped discover authors and launch their careers (e.g., Michel Faber, Ruth Downie, Nikki Marmery, Hilary Green, Elizabeth Macneal, and many more) and provided vital support for others. Our ARA Award is one of the most generous of all literary prizes. If you’d like to partner to sponsor an award, Contact Us.
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Great Depression

The Sewers of Stalingrad

By Sampo Terho - Published 2026

Genres:

Do beliefs forged in youth endure when the world that sustained them collapses? The Sewers of Stalingrad by Sampo Terho answers it with ...Read Review

A Pair of Aces

By Marie Benedict - By Victoria Christopher Murray - Published 2026

Genres:

Benedict and Murray’s novel, focusing on individual fear and the pressure to rise above it for the greater good, is explored in ...Read Review

Adventure in the City of Stories

By Emma Otheguy - By Poly Bernatene (illus.) - Published 2026

Genres:

Adventure Children/Young Adult Time-slip

A follow-up to Cousins in the Time of Magic, Adventure in the City of Stories finds cousins Jorge, Camila, and Siggy on another ...Read Review

Rose & Renzo

By Carolyn O'Brien - Published 2026

Genres:

Saga

Set in 1936, this novel follows sisters Rose and Ivy as they leave their quiet village life after the death of their father and ...Read Review

The Resettlement of Vesta Blonik

By Denise Smith Cline - Published 2025

Genres:

In 1937, Vesta Blonik—thirty years old, unmarried, plain as her surname, and stuck with her disagreeable father on a farm in Minnesota—finds ...Read Review

Bad Seeds

By Mary Monroe - Published 2026

Genres:

Saga

Bad Seeds returns readers to Mary Monroe’s scandal-filled Lexington, Alabama, where loyalty, friendship, and love prove far more complicated than they appear. ...Read Review

Unseasonably Cold

By Amy Ephron - Published 2026

Genres:

Mystery/Crime

Amy Ephron, prolific, bestselling writer of children’s and adult fiction—and sister to screenwriter and author Nora Ephron—gives readers a spare ...Read Review

The Castle in the Glen

By Rhys Bowen - Published 2026

Genres:

Mystery/Crime

Emma Callander has just decided she’s had enough of London and is moving back to sunny Australia. Her first published novel was ...Read Review

The Breakwater

By Leslie Shimotakahara - Published 2026

Genres:

Cathy is a third-generation Japanese Canadian single mother, recovering from a divorce and coping with an aging father. Toronto in the 1980s is ...Read Review