Windows into Learning – Pymble Libraries

Kindergarten to Year 12 Sharing Stories Festival – Tania Blanchard workshop

As part of the Sharing Stories Festival, best selling author Tania Blanchard gave a fascinating talk on the writing of historical fiction for Year 12 History Extension students and College staff. She explained the process behind the creation of her historical fiction novels. All of her works are inspired by her own family history. Tania explained that family photographs often spark ideas, and she starts looking for relevant primary sources in the form of birth and death certificates, family letters, newspaper articles and oral accounts. She then embarks on secondary research to fill in details.

Students asked inspired questions that stimulated some wonderful historical debate. Topics ranged from the validity of historical fiction as a form of investigating the past, to the balance between historical accuracy and the need to engage and entertain readers. The delicate question of unearthing family secrets was also broached.

This was a valuable experience centred around one of the core foci of the Extension course: evaluating different approaches to history and the complexity of factors that shape historical interpretations.

Tania’s books include The Girl From Munich, Suitcase of Dreams, Letters From Berlin, Daughter of Calabria and A Woman of Courage.

Tessa Zwar

Head of Library and Research Services K-12