Having spent her twenties in London, first at Queen Mary University and then working  selling books on Oxford Street and then at New Scotland Yard, Sally Zigmond moved to North Yorkshire. She now lives in the middle of The North York Moors, to where she moved from Harrogate where much of her novel, Hope Against Hope, is set. She has written fiction for eleven years, having publishing many short stories, both commercial and ‘literary’ and a novella: Chasing Angels. For several years she was commissioning editor for QWF, the literary short fiction magazine for women and was an early overall editor of The Historical Novels Review and later one of team of editors. She still keeps her hand in writing the occasional review for the HNR and entering short story competitions and writing the occasional article for any writing magazine or website who asks nicely! One of these days, she will again be a published novelist. Hope against Hope is proving to be her motto.

Edoardo Albert is a Sinhala/Italo/Tamil writer specialising in Anglo-Saxon and Islamic history. He suspects there isn’t another. (The surname? From the Sri Lankan half of the family, via an attempt to ingratiate ourselves with the colonial masters in the Victorian era.)

Reading his writing once reduced a friend to helpless, rolling-on-the-floor, holding-his-stomach laughter. Unfortunately, the friend was reading the draft of Edoardo’s proposed lonely-hearts ad. He might have given up writing there and then, if not for no less a writer than Bernard Cornwell lavishing praise (‘a splendid novel’) on his first book.

Edoardo’s interest in the Kingdom of Northumbria was provoked by his brother-in-law’s excavations in and around Bamburgh Castle. A confirmed Londoner, he’d seldom been north of Watford before. Now he is happy to confirm that the world does not, in fact, end somewhere around Junction 10 of the M1.

His latest book, The Man Who Stopped the Sultan, was published by Osprey in January 2026.

Jean Briggs taught English for many years in schools in Cheshire, Hong Kong and Lancashire. She now lives in a cottage in Cumbria.

The Murder of Patience Brooke, published by The History Press in August 2014, is her first novel, featuring Charles Dickens as a detective. The second in the series, Death at Hungerford Stairs, was published in August 2015.

 

William Sutton is a novelist, musician and Latin teacher.  After learning blues harmonica from his Latin teacher, he ran away to São Paulo to write.

In historical mystery Lawless and the Devil of Euston Square, Sergeant Lawless unearths scandal, sabotage and stink beneath Victorian London’s streets. He’s contributed articles to Historia on:

• Victorian dirty book trade: the British Library’s pornography staff
• Traducing Real Historical Characters: okay or not?
• A Guide to Victorian Sex: Walter’s My Secret Life, the dirtiest book ever

“Extravagant and thoroughly enjoyable,” wrote Allan Massie in The Scotsman.

Lawless and the Flowers of Sin, delving into the dirtier side of London’s underworlds, was one of the Mail on Sunday‘s Books of the Year:
“The wealth of period detail and quirky characterisation suggest this series will be around for a long time. A must for fans of Ripper Street.”

The Morning Star also made it a Book of the Year:
“This is an extraordinary novel, deserving of the widest readership not only for its impressive literary merits but also for the breadth and subtlety of its political, moral and philosophical exploration of the great social evil. Sutton doesn’t tell you what to think about these matters. But he does show you what you ought to be thinking about.”

Lawless and the House of Electricity connects a conspiracy threatening Britain’s security and a farflung stately home with a secret in the East Wing.

“Another winning entry in another extraordinary series, with Sutton delivering a rich stew of satire, social history and adventure.”  Mat Coward, Morning Star

“Lawless returns in a thrillingly complex tour de force, encompassing the breath-taking developments of the Victorian era, driven by a desire for social and political change. …an electrifying romp sure to dazzle fans of historical crime fiction.” Megan Kenny, The Book Bag

William has appeared at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, CrimeFest, Portsmouth BookFest and many more, often wielding a ukulele. He has visited book groups and writers’ groups from High Down Prison to Eton College. His plays have been produced on radio and in London fringe theatres. He has written for The Times and the Fortean Times, tutored the Sugababes, acted in the longest play in the world, and played cricket for Brazil.

He teaches Latin and Greek, writes articles about language, music and futurology, plays accordion with chansonnier Philip Jeays and double bass in Jamie and the Jets:

He has taught Creative Writing at University of Portsmouth. He offers workshops in Creative Writing, Crime Writing, Greeks, Romans, Victorians, Typewriter Tales (story workshop) and Song Writing, through his workshop collective WiP2.

william-sutton.co.uk
f/williamgeorgeq
P @WilliamGeorgeQ
Soundcloud readings/interviews
Titan Books

Anthony Riches began his lifelong interest in war and soldiers when he first heard his father’s stories about World War II.  This led to a degree in Military Studies at Manchester University.  He began writing the story that would become Wounds of Honour after a visit to Housesteads Roman fort in 1996.  He lives in Suffolk with his wife, a big hairy dog and an understandably aggrieved cat.

I used to write books for business, covering everything from the gambling industry to new developments in printing technology. Now I write about love and adventure in the 19th century, which is not nearly as well paid, but much more fun. It also allows me to pretend that travelling in the Far East and South America is research. My main interest is avoiding doing any honest work and this leaves me with time to ski, skate and dance tango.

There are now five books in my series about Napoleonic era spy, James Burke and a sixth is on the way.

The John Williamson Papers is a rather more serious trilogy about the realities of the Empire in the mid-19th century set in Borneo, India and London. The first two, The White Rajah and Cawnpore have just been republished, with Back Home due out this autumn.