Granite Noir: Archives and Historical Fiction with E.S. Thomson

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Town House
1st Floor
Aberdeen City Council
Broad Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1AR

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This session offers participants an opportunity to use real historical documents as inspiration for their own historical crime fiction. Scotland has a wealth of archive material that might be used to inspire crime fiction, most notably precognitions, trial papers and prison records. Using specific sources chosen by E.S. Thomson and Aberdeen City Archives participants will hear a short talk about using archive material for inspiration, and will attempt a piece of their own creative writing. Images and documents used will encourage writers to engage with real period detail - how did people use language? What were the circumstances of their world? What crimes occurred? Age 18 and older unless accompanied by an adult with a ticket. E.S. Thomson has a PhD in the history of medicine, which inspired her successful Jem Flockhart novels set in Victorian England. The first, Beloved Poison, was shortlisted for the McIlvanney prize in 2016.