Welsh History

Forget “Dowton Abbey”, “Bridgerton” and “The Crown”. The history that matters was made by ordinary people. — Am I alone in finding it strange that so much twenty first century historical fiction centres on the ‘big house’ and the affairs of the aristocracy, when the trials and tribulations of their tenants and labourers are ignored? We admire Dickens and a few others who highlighted those struggles when…

An interview with Rebecca Bryn Ms Bryn’s latest fact based historical novel has just been placed on pre-order. In a recent exchange of emails we talked about writing historical fiction, snobbery and gardening. What follows is a lightly edited transcript. FP: It’s almost 4 years since my last interview with…

Paul Robeson - Black American actor, singer, athlete, and political activist, and Welsh national hero 1920s London. An unlikely meeting that would forge an unbreakable bond. Let’s talk about a Black hero of the (mainly White) Welsh miners: Paul Robeson. Some of the details are a little disputed — it’s become its own mythology over the years — but I’ve tried…