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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Renaissance

Graceless Heart

By Isabel Ibañez - Published 2026

Genres:

Graceless Heart is advertised as Isabel Ibañez’s first foray into adult fiction, having previously written YA novels. I’m not sure ...Read Review

Love in the time of the Medici

By Pnina Shinebourne - Published 2025

Genres:

Genoa, 1602: Twelve-year-old Livia Vernazza, daughter of an ailing mattress-maker, threatens to jump out of a window rather than marry her father’s choice ...Read Review

Bianca’s Cure

By Gigi Berardi - Published 2026

Genres:

Set in late Renaissance Italy, this novel follows Bianca, the beautiful daughter of a Venetian nobleman and a healer. Forbidden by her family ...Read Review

Sinners

By Elizabeth Fremantle - Published 2025

Genres:

Biographical Fiction

Any internet inquiry into Beatrice Cenci will tell you she was repeatedly raped by her father. Whether true or not, Sinners edges around ...Read Review

The Marchesa

By Sarah Dunant - Published 2025

Genres:

Biographical Fiction

On an unspecified day in the present, Isabella D’Este waits in the shadows of the Mantua Reading Room for her newest scholar ...Read Review

The Bruegel Boy

By Emma Darwin - Published 2025

Genres:

The Bruegel Boy is an engrossing read set during the religious conflicts, the Beeldenstorm, in Flanders and Holland during the mid-1560s, and ...Read Review

Artimon (The Montenegrin)

By Leigh Grant - Published 2024

Genres:

The second book in The Montenegrin series takes place in 1495 during the endless wars between France and the various Italian states. It picks ...Read Review

Her Wicked Roots

By Tanya Pell - Published 2025

Genres:

Her Wicked Roots unfurls like belladonna at midnight in this dramatic retelling of Hawthorne’s “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” It is the kind of ...Read Review

The Sculptor and the Saint

By Lori Joan Swick - Published 2025

Genres:

This dual-timeline historical novel brings to life both the martyrdom of the early Roman virgin Saint Cecilia (c. 250 AD) and the creation of ...Read Review