One day near the turn of the 20th century, British-American modernist author Henry James sent a critical and scathing response to one Sarah Orne Jewett who had a work in progress. That work, as she described it, was set in Maine and England during the Revolutionary War – a Historical Fiction book. Cautiously emboldened by her appraisal by James for an earlier work, this response offered none of the optimism afforded to her earlier. ‘The “historical” novel,’ James began, ‘is…condemned… to a fatal cheapness…You may multiply the little facts that can be got from pictures & documents, relics & prints, as much as you like–the real thing is almost impossible to do…’.

Henry James’ sharp, perspicuous, yet harsh rebuke of the genre of Historical Fiction (HF) encapsulates the caution that readers when presented with a piece of HF must wonder: how authentic is what I am reading? Did this really happen? Such thoughts are not unwarranted, as before the reader the past is being twisted, romanticised, fictionalized. Yet, readers keep going back to the sub-genre. Its place in the literary genre pantheon is assured in time by the sheer endurance of it. For example, in 2024 Books+Publishing reported that growths in Australian Adult Fiction sales were in large part driven by historical and mythological fiction at 17% (Books+Publishing, 2023). This alone indicates that Historical Fiction is a strong and growing sub-genre in the Australian market.

When we approach Historical Fiction, should we be divorcing the “Historical” part from the “Fiction” part, or should be start thinking historically about Historical Fiction? It was British historian Edward Carr who, in 1961, famously ascertained that history is ‘a continuous process of interaction between the historian and his [sic] facts, an unending dialogue between the present and the past’. To think historically, then, is to ask questions that don’t really end – when writing a piece of Historical Fiction to interact with facts as if in a constant dialogue. Authenticity matters here. It deals not only with facts, but about making the past feel real and believable. The reader’s desire to wonder about a time, a person, or an event before them must be satiated, yet the piece must leave them wanting more.

However, what could be the limits of getting a historical setting right through careful research and painstaking attention to authenticity? There exists a tension between accuracy and storytelling needs – one usually outweighs the other. A historical period, event, place, or figure become the proverbial backdrop for the writer’s imagination. History is picked apart on the author’s platter, and is presented the way the author wants it to be presented. This is the critical balance that Historical Fiction walks precariously upon: too many facts can bog down a story, but too much invention can undermine trust. Research at once becomes an essential tool and a cause for critique. Does one really want to incur the wrath of a review like Henry James’ to poor Sarah Orne Jewett, scathing the over-usage of historical detail into something that is ‘impossible’ to be fully, authentically captured?

We need to acknowledge what readers want, and what authors owe them, to be able to strike the balance to produce an exceptional piece of Historical Fiction. Readers expect both entertainment and, for the vast majority, a degree of education from a Historical Fiction book. History is often at the mercy of modern sensibilities as they shape both the production and reception of historical topics. Sensitive and fair representation of certain elements, anything from disabilities to gender to discussions about race require a modern lens while still acknowledging the historical context of these topics. Perfect authenticity or accuracy may be impossible in the face of our modern norms, sensibilities, expectations and perspectives, but the goal remains to create a compelling and immersive experience.

Elephant Page Publishing is taking and encourages submissions of Historical Fiction. If you are only in the early stages of your HF manuscript or just about done, remember to engage in the unending dialogue with history.

Alexander Hazell
Editorial Associate

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