Season 1, Episode 3 – Finola Austin

Written By Colin Mustful

This episode of History Through Fiction: The Podcast features Finola Austin, author of the wildly popular historical novel Brontë’s Mistress. Austin, who is also known as The Secret Victorianist, talks with host Colin Mustful about her love of nineteenth century English literature, her transition from academia to becoming a novelist, and the moment she knew she had a story to tell.

About the Author

Finola Austin is an England-born, Northern Ireland-raised, Brooklyn-based historical novelist. A lover of 19th century literature she has a Bachelor of Arts in Classics and English from the University of Oxford’s Merton College and a Master of Studies in English Literature from the University of Oxford’s Corpus Christi College. She is the founder of the literary blog The Secret Victorianist and she currently works as a Creative Strategist for Facebook. Her debut novel, Bronte’s Mistress, was published by Atria Books in August, 2020.

Colin Mustful

Colin Mustful is the founder and editor of History Through Fiction, an independent press dedicated to publishing historical narratives rooted in factual events and compelling characters. A celebrated author and historian whose novel “Reclaiming Mni Sota” recently won the Midwest Book Award for Literary/Contemporary/Historical Fiction, Mustful has penned five historical novels that delve into the complex eras of settler-colonialism and Native American displacement. Combining his interests in history and writing, Mustful holds a Master of Arts in history and a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. Residing in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he enjoys running, playing soccer, and believes deeply in the power of understanding history to shape a just and sustainable future.

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Season 1, Episode 4 – Thomas Maltman
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Season 1, Episode 2 – Stephen Yoch