The novel I’m working on is set at the end of the 11th century in Toulouse (and moves into the Pyrenees and the Iberian kingdoms in the second part). Medieval Toulouse had floating water mills for milling flour, which I was curious to find out about. The title image shows the Floating Mill Museum in…
Category: Historical Fiction
Murder, lies and art
Currently researching for the medieval murder mystery I’m writing and discovering that the range of potential murderous motives at the end of the 11th century in the Toulouse/Pyrenees area are legion. The establishment of the lucrative pilgrim route to Compostela; the salt trade; papal policy over reform, reconquest in Spain and pressure on aristocratic consanguineous marriages,…
A Welshman’s Beard
This final week of the Blog Tour for my latest novel, The Anarchy, features a review from Jean M. Roberts on The Books Delight: ‘‘The writing is immersive and the pace crisp. The author has skillfully woven a mystery into the narrative. I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, especially those with an interest…
‘I love libraries and would be quite happy if I could just squat in one’
The Blog Tour continues for The Anarchy, my latest novel set in 12th century Wales and Normandy. This week there is an interview with me on B for Book Review in which I talk about where I write, how I write, whether I like the ‘bad’ or the ‘good’ characters best, and who I would…
Fictional Worlds
This is week 6 of the Blog Tour for my latest medieval novel, The Anarchy. MJ Porter asked me about the historical sources I drew on for my research. My guest post is here. I discuss how I use objects in museums, such as the medieval wedding ring pictured above. Its inscription reads, ‘I will…
Nun on the run
It’s week 3 of the blog tour for my latest medieval novel, The Anarchy. You can read an interview with me here. and read an extract here – a scene in which the heroine, Nest, asks King Henry for help protecting a nun who is on the run from Fontevraud Abbey. The schedule for more…
Add women to history and stir
Interview on my historical fiction with Impress Books editor, Ellie Daniels.
Second career novelist
Three years ago I was launching my fourth historical novel set in early medieval Europe, The Drowned Court and M.K. Tod interviewed me about being a second career novelist. We talked about my journey from being a contemporary art curator and critic, to an art history academic, to a historical novelist and how I used…
Struck gold!
A review of my latest historical novel The Anarchy has just been published. The Anarchy is the final book in the Conquest trilogy on the turbulent life of the 12th century Welsh noblewoman Nest ferch Rhys. “When Warr delved into Welsh history and discovered Nest, she must have known she’d struck gold.” Historical Novels Review Nest was the daughter of the…
Tracey Warr Writing 