Long Story Short Ep-19: A Slice of History, with Samantha York

Robin and David are joined by Samatha York, whose debut historical novel The Foreshore released in August. Discussion ranges far and wide into matters of language, myth versus reality, also history and who gets to write it. There are shoutouts for local bookshops, and discussions on popular islands like Atlantis and Númenor.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/blog/bfs-podcast-long-story-short/

Are you a member of the British Fantasy Society yet? Join us here: https://britishfantasysociety.org/about-the-bfs/become-a-member/

Learn more about Samantha here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-foreshore/

Visit Robin’s website: https://robincmduncan.com/

Or David’s: https://www.davidgreenwriter.com/

Time stamps

(01:02) Samantha’s publishing journey;

(04:05) learning writing through reading;

(04:33) lockdown novels;

(10:12) finer details;

(12:43) the balance between myth and reality;

(18:44) how much history?

(22:33) Samantha’s next projects;

(24:30) historical fiction readers’ tolerance;

(28:40) a fictional background location;

(32:22) Katie’s review: That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf, Kimberly Lemming;

(34:34) planner vs Discovery Writer;

(38:05) the sausage behind the curtain: what is Robin trying to say? (Answers on a postcard);

(39:10) an island called Eilean Eòin;

(42:08) audiobook?

(43:15) bookshops, local and national;

(47:15) [contractually mandated] Tolkien chat;

(49:35) …eventually, Robin arrives at a question – authors changing history?

(53:16) the Return of the Rings (of Power).