Books
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Articles
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The concept of dieting would have been alien to our 17th century forbears. In those days, the plumper you were, the better. Plumpness indicated wealth and class, and women aspired to be plump and white, rather than thin and tanned as is the fashion now. The 17th Century was when sugar became a ...
In my life today I have no servants living in my house. The work done by servants in previous centuries is now done by machines, or automation has rendered it unnecessary. For a historical fiction writer the presence of servants in the house is a massive opportunity for drama and for ...
The Role of the Constable
In many of my 17th century novels, people fall foul of the law in one way or another, and so I found it fascinating to examine what was in place to keep the peace in this era before the Police Force. During the 17th century the responsibility for law and order fell on
Writing HistoryI’ve always been interested in untold stories of World War Two, especially stories from overlooked outposts, such as Jersey The Occupation and now Shetland The Lifeline. Although The Shetland Isles are a long way from the mainland it would be a mistake to think that the ...
There is much legend associated with her life as a poisoner, and like all novelists do, I have taken the aspects of the story I liked best, and used a combination or research and imagination to fill the gaps. For the most succinct and detailed analysis of the real facts of Giulia Tofana’s life,
The Slipperiness of HistoryI was really interested to read recently that the coded letters of Mary Queen of Scots have been deciphered by modern computer scientists and decoders. Undoubtedly this will give us hitherto unknown insights into what we know about her and her life. Historians and
Book Reviews
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Following her two previous wartime saga’s, Past Encounters and The Occupation, historical novelist Deborah Swift has created another striking and impressive World War II account in her latest novel The Lifeline. Swift navigates a story of threatened romance, political upheaval, and the tyranny ...
Its every young person’s dream -- to find out that one of your relations has a secret but fascinating past, and that they want to take you on a road trip through Europe to reveal all. This is the premise of The Diplomat's Wife, and the journey is every bit as exciting as you’d hope.In 1979,
The Italian proverb ‘Old sins have long shadows’ is tactfully used at the beginning of Deborah Swift’s sequel The Silkworm Keeper. Where Swift’s first book in the series, The Poison Keeper, exhibits the nefarious activities of poisoner Giuila Tofana, the sequel sees Giuila wholly transformed as
As soon as I picked up this book I knew it was a brilliant idea, and wondered why no-one had thought to do it before. The answer lies in the book itself, which is that the amount of research taken is enormous. Writing as an amateur, and not a historian, it is a veritable feast for anyone who ...
As the coronation of Charles III approaches, Action This Day ploughs us back into a time of risk, uncertainty and unthinkable steaks. The era of the Second World War might’ve been rife with struggle, but there was more than just that; individual stories, people, humour, murder, mystery.. With ...
Author Interviews
What prompted you to choose the period that you wrote your first book in?My first book, The Lady’s Slipper’is set in the 17th century, which remains a period I find endlessly fascinating. The novel explores the fate of a wild orchid, which is also functions in the book as a symbol for the land. I wanted to set the novel
Could you tell us about The Lifeline and why you set the novel in Norway during the occupation?The Lifeline is a WW2 story with two historical aspects; firstly the Norwegian teachers’ strike, and secondly, the Shetland Bus. The Norwegian teachers’ strike is a little-known example of effective passive resistance against ...
Deborah Swift, what is it about Samuel Pepys that makes for such an entertaining subject, even today?I think as a writer I ...Deborah, congratulations on The Fortune Keeper. What drew you to Renaissance Italy?I’ve always been fascinated by Renaissance art and science and its effect on cultural life. In these novels I explore the artist Bernini and the legacy of Galileo Galilei as well as the influence of major cities ...
Deborah Swift on The Silk CodeDeborah, congratulations on The Silk Code. What encouraged you to write about the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in the Second World War?Like most people, I’m fascinated by those who are prepared to risk death in order to further a cause. ...
Deborah, congratulations on The Shadow Network. What inspired you to write it?The idea of manipulating the public through ‘fake news’ has many resonances for today, and this is what led me to be interested in the subject for a novel. How the media is controlled, and how it can influence large swathes of the population is ...