In this illustrated talk, Val will describe researching for her two novels set in the North East:  My Name is Eleanor and Molly Bowes.  Having begun with eighteenth-century Gibside, her interests evolved to encompass the wider nineteenth-century social history of the area.  She will discuss the processes involved in writing historical fiction with a didactic purpose.

Originally from Manchester, Val was a teacher on Tyneside. Since retiring, she has developed her interest in the eighteenth and nineteenth century history of the North East, particularly the Derwent Valley.  She has published three historical novels and recently transcribed Men of Iron.  She is a member of Winlaton Local History Society, on the Board of the Lit & Phil and leads the research group at Gibside.