Books by Jo Harkin
“The story is gloriously told, wild with the intrigues, plots and counter-plots of the War of the Roses as experienced by a boy who might be everything and nothing. There is so much to admire: the wit, the use of language, the imagination, the tone and the most difficult skill of all, the sifting of history into a page-turner.” Read more...
The Best Historical Fiction of 2026
Katharine Grant, Historical Novelist
Interviews where books by Jo Harkin were recommended
The Best Historical Fiction of 2026, recommended by Katharine Grant
Every year, the judges for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction make a shortlist of the best new historical novels published over the previous twelve months. We spoke to Katharine Grant, prize judge and highly acclaimed author, about the five books that made the 2026 shortlist—from a “haunting and haunted” tale of triple murder on a Scottish island to a “gloriously told” reimagining of real-life intrigue during England’s Wars of the Roses.
Historical Novels Based on True Stories, recommended by Emily Howes
The best historical fiction should transport the reader directly into the past, yet offer insight that reflects upon the present, argues Emily Howes, whose new novel Mrs. Dickens will be released later this year. Here, she recommends five of her favourite historical novels that, like her own books, are drawn from true stories.
