Writing Masterclass with Martina Devlin - History Rebooted

Writing Masterclass with Martina Devlin

HISTORY REBOOTED

Sunday 6th December 2026

10.30am – 3.30pm with a break for lunch*

Tickets limited to 12 places

*Tea and coffee will be provided. Please bring a packed lunch.

History is dead and gone but historical fiction must live and breathe. Learn how to give it life with this short masterclass from award-winning author Martina Devlin, widely praised for her historical fiction.

She will deal with some of the nuts and bolts of the writing craft in an accessible way, including

- How to research a subject

- Setting

- Building character

- Believable dialogue

- Insights from examples of good historical fiction

At the end of the session, participants should have a clear idea about how to make progress with writing historical fiction.

Martina Devlin is an award-winning author and newspaper columnist. Her historical fiction includes Glorious Monsters (autumn 2026) about Mary Shelley of Frankenstein fame, Charlotte exploring Charlotte Brontë’s Irish connections and Edith which focuses on Irish RM co-author Edith Somerville of Somerville and Ross. The House Where It Happened, inspired by a 1711 mass witchcraft trial in Co Antrim, led to a plaque naming the victims.

Prizes include the VS Pritchett Prize and a Hennessy Literary Award, and she has been shortlisted three times for the Irish Book Awards. She writes an award-winning weekly current affairs column for the Irish Independent, holds a PhD in literary practice from Trinity College Dublin and has taught Irish literature there and at other universities.

Also check out other Arts events in Magherafelt, Literary Art events in Magherafelt.