Karen Haden, what first attracted you to the period in which you write, and historical fiction in general?
Having previously worked as a consultant for intelligence and cyber security agencies, I was drawn to the Tudor and Stewart years, with their complex mix of domestic and foreign threats, when the printing press was changing the ‘landscape’, as the internet and social media are now.
Writing historical crime thrillers about secrets, spies and evolving security concerns is more fun than dealing with them in the office. In my debut novel Paying in Blood, the ambitious young protagonist Alexander Baxby is drawn into the murky world of political/religious intrigue and espionage, after vowing to discover the truth about the suspicious death of his friend’s wife.
What areas of historical fiction that you write about do you think are underexplored today?
Generally, there is too much emphasis on royalty and nobles at court. Tudor and Stewart monarchs depended on ‘armies’ of secretaries, councillors and ambassadors, who in turn employed copy writers, translators, spies, informers etc. through the system of patronage. Ordinary people showed remarkable resilience and courage too, living with Stasi-like levels of surveillance and control, including mandatory church attendance.
Also, writers often ignore or trivialise religious beliefs, assuming a simple dual between Catholics and Protestants, whereas there were different ‘flavours’ of each. Puritans and Independents were persecuted alongside Catholics. The last person to be burnt at the stake for heresy in England was a Baptist.
Can you tell us a little about how you research? Has the process changed over the years?
Being visual, I need a map and timeline of the main historical events in order to imagine the action and scenes. I read as much as possible about historical characters, and about everyday life to create authentic fictional ones. Once I know their conflicting motivations, the plot appears.
During one consultancy contract at the University Press, I became interested in etymology through chatting with Oxford English Dictionary experts as we waited for the kettle to boil. As a result, initially I spent time visiting on-line etymology sites, checking whether words, and related concepts, were prevalent in Baxby’s time. Sharing terms with Shakespeare and the King James Bible, whilst avoiding later French and Italian additions, created a closer link between his story and his time. Now, I recognise these simpler words more readily, and suspect my speech is reverting to the seventeenth century too.
The common phrase is that history is written by the victors. Do you think this is true?
Undoubtedly, the official narrative is controlled by history’s victors, but alternative versions can persist too. Although it might have been foolish to express them publicly, people would have passed on sceptical opinions about Henry Tudor’s pronouncements as with Donald Trump or Brexit today.
In Paying in Blood, I include three differing accounts of the 1601 Earl of Essex’s rebellion, an event which still seems obscure. How could Queen Elizabeth’s favourite, a very popular military leader who routed the Spanish at Cadiz, fall from grace so quickly? Is it possible to build a single, consistent story when those who knew what really happened do not tell?
If you could meet any figure from history, who would it be and why? Also, if you could witness any event throughout history, what would it be?
I would love to listen to William and Robert Cecil’s recollections, whilst experiencing their renowned hospitality at Theobalds, and learn how they steered England through years of momentous change whilst simultaneously managing difficult Queen Elizabeth and King James.
It would be interesting to know how Robert Cecil persuaded King James to fund the lavish wedding of his daughter Princess Elizabeth and Elector Frederick of the Palatinate, an event which forms a backdrop to my Alexander Baxby trilogy. As well as enjoying the fireworks, sea-pageant and procession to Whitehall, I would scrutinise the faces of other guests at the ceremony and sense the mood in the crowd, trying to gauge how close England come to revolt after the death of popular Prince Henry?
Are there any authors who helped shaped your career?
When my father-in-law Gordon Haden died, I discovered Robert Goddard crime thrillers on his bookshelves. Set in more recent times than my own, typically they follow the adventures of middle ranking protagonists uncovering the secrets of the powerful. The Wide World trilogy at the 1919 Paris peace conference remain favourites, along with Fault Line in Cornwall’s industrial past. My goal is to craft characters and compelling stories with similar precision and pace.
If you could add any period or subject to the history curriculum, what would it be?
Rather than adding an extra subject to the curriculum, I would recommend children study history chronologically again. My generation progressed through different periods, from earliest civilisation to World War I, once at primary school and again in the first three years of secondary school. (World War II was still too recent to be included.) In addition to providing a framework for later study, this gave a wider appreciation of cause and effect, and the way the actions of one generation affects future ones.
If you could give a piece of advice to your younger self, either as a student or when you first started out as a writer, what would it be?
Be brave! Historical fiction writers are not all academics with English Literature or History degrees from Oxford University. They come from all walks of life. The only pre-requisite is having a story to tell.
Do you have a routine as a writer?
Before leaving consultancy, I wrote in gaps between contracts, and evenings in hotel bars whilst working away from home. Life is more civilised now, with opportunity to devote myself to the things I love, writing historical crime thrillers spiced with political/religious intrigue and espionage.
Most mornings, I write overly ambitious lists of tasks for the day, including family/friends, exercise and hobbies, alongside my writing goals. Tired and more mellow in the evening, with many tasks still undone, I usually conclude that my achievements were commendable enough in the circumstances and sleep well, ready to rise in optimism again.
Can you tell us a little bit about the project you are currently working on?
Sharpe Books will publish my second Alexander Baxby mystery in May 2025. It will be set in Amsterdam during the early years of the so-called Dutch Golden Age. After escaping from England, the young physician is eager to start his life anew, beyond the reach of Geoffrey and English Church control. His confidence is shaken when he retrieves the body of a young Englishman from the River Amstel.
Writing the second Alexander Baxby novel has proved a treat, discovering lots of interesting details about the Dutch Republic, at a time when it was growing to eclipse its neighbours in wealth, trade, engineering and art. The dominant Calvinist Reformed church did not enforce religious conformity as in England. Amsterdam tolerated all manner of immigrants escaping persecution and poverty elsewhere in Europe. Its most famous colony New Amsterdam shared similar traits, later renamed New York after passing into British control.
Karen Haden is the author of Paying in Blood.
