The most pellucid pearls of historical narrative are often found in fiction, long a major component of historical understanding. More people apprehend the past through historical novels, from Walter Scott to Jean Plaidy, than through any formal history.
David Lowenthal, The Past is a Foreign Country (1985)

Historical fiction has been riding a crest of popularity, and, to a certain degree, it was that popularity that motivated (or forced) the academic study of the genre.  Our conference aims to discuss the most recent findings regarding the study of the historical novel. The title of our academic meeting is taken from Hayden White’s introductory text to a special issue of Rethinking History (2005) dedicated to “historical fiction, fictional history, and historical reality”.

Organization

CHAM / NOVA FCSH

CETAPS / FL/UP | NOVA FCSH