The past is never dead, it isn’t even past
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Writing History I’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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
