Author Spotlight, Episode 13 - Nicola Matthews

In episode 13 of our Author Spotlight series, founder and editor of History Through Fiction, Colin Mustful, chats with Nicola Matthews, author of the novel Kitty Canham. During the interview, Matthews talks about the local lore of the real Kitty Canham, the rhythm of the seasons she experiences living in North Essex, and her journey from theater acting to fiction writing in her forties. She also talks about the challenges of overcoming dyslexia to become a successful fiction novelist. Don’t miss it!

Cover image for the novel Kitty Canham

About the Author

Nicola Matthews lives on the ragged coastline of North Essex. In 1720 Kitty Canham was born nearby. It was their shared landscape and Kitty’s fascinating story that inspired Matthews to write her debut novel. Matthews comes from a family of actors and didn’t discover her love of writing until her mid-forties. Strangely, it was in going to art school to study sculpture that she discovered she could write. She also has a love of poetry, which she’s written on and off through life. Her debut novel, Kitty Canham: Love, Loss, and Necessary Lies, is a fictional story woven around real life events that took place on the North Essex coast in the early 18th century.

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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Author Spotlight, Episode 14 - Lauren Belfer

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Author Spotlight, Episode 12 - Robert Bruton