PHOTO: Catrin Collier at home in Swansea, surrounded by her research notes and first editions—still writing, still inspired by Wales.
A Life in Fiction, From Pontypridd to the Page
In this insightful interview, Catrin Collier discusses her vast literary career, from historical Welsh dramas to crime thrillers, film adaptations, creative independence, and the enduring influence of heritage on her storytelling.
Catrin Collier is a writer of rare breadth and enduring impact. Under her own name, and the crime-writing pseudonym Katherine John, she has built a literary legacy that spans historical sagas, gripping thrillers, and acclaimed screen adaptations. Her stories—rooted in Welsh heritage yet reaching global audiences—are known for their emotional depth, vivid characterisation, and meticulous historical detail.
In this interview, Collier offers a compelling glimpse into her writing life: the inspirations behind her beloved novels, the challenges of the publishing world, and her journey to reclaim creative control. Whether she’s bringing 1930s Pontypridd to life or exploring the haunting aftermath of war, Collier remains a storyteller of
uncommon power and authenticity.
A masterful storyteller, Catrin Collier blends history and humanity with extraordinary skill, bringing voices and places vividly to life across genres.
In ‘One Last Summer’, how did your mother’s wartime diaries influence the narrative and character development?
They recorded her privileged childhood in the elite schools and musical groups of East Prussia during the Hitler years. Later they painted a brutal awakening to the depths of evil practised by the Nazis. In 1944 all universities were suddenly closed by the government. The students were drafted, my mother into the Luftwaffe as Russia invaded Prussia. Many of her contemporaries were killed as they fled west. The remainder reached Berchtesgaden in May 1945 as Germany surrendered. Stateless, destitute, unable to return home as the Red Army controlled Prussia, unaware of her family’s fate, she found work on a farm. Taken by Jewish GI’s to Dachau to “bear witness” her diary entries became harrowing. Afterwards, she frequently visited the camp to help where she could. A Holocaust survivor setting out to search for his family offered to take her with him. A year later they found her mother and sister working for British unit. My father was the unit driver.
The ‘Hearts of Gold’ series vividly portrays Pontypridd; how has your upbringing there shaped the authenticity of your settings?
There isn’t a kinder, more generous, friendlier people than the Welsh. My childhood friends agree we grew up in deprivation by modern standards, but we received an education that included libraries and reading, a bottomless lake “Shoni’s pond” (since dried up) and an entire mountain. Pontypridd in the 1950’s wasn’t so different from the 1930’s when my Welsh grandmother worked in the workhouse. She died when I was three but many people shared their memories of her with me
The Long Road to Baghdad’ delves into WWI’s Eastern Front; what inspired you to explore this less-charted historical territory?
In the 1980’s I read a newspaper report featuring 90 year old, Christopher Marley, a First World War veteran, photographed with his death certificate confirming he’d “died” of cholera in Baghdad in 1917. The burial party thought his corpse “looked odd.” They left it. The next burial party found him recovered. I knew nothing of the Mesopotamian war or the 97,000 British and Commonwealth troops who’d died fighting it but I had a story and a witness. My agent sent the completed book to Random House. They rejected it but offered me a contract to write a book set in Wales in the 1930’s, which became “Hearts of Gold.” Road to Baghdad waited twenty years for publication, Chris didn’t survive to see it but his daughters did.
Writing as Katherine John, you tackle crime fiction; how do you navigate the transition between historical sagas and thrillers?
I have to be passionateabout my current work, crime, or historical, although they require very different approaches. A book begins when I’m seduced by a story. Research and interviews with professionals follow. I find my best characters hiding in research. After five years studying Glyndwr, I felt I knew him. As I did my detective Trevor Joseph, and John Hughes an illiterate millionaire Welshman who made a fortune building an ironworks and town on the Ukrainian steppe.
Your ‘Glyndŵr’ series brings Welsh history to life; what challenges did you face in balancing historical accuracy with storytelling?
The dearth of reliable recorded history. So many Welsh records were destroyed but Glyndŵr’s “Pennal Letter” to the French king survived and proved him centuries ahead of his time in statesmanship and compassion. A devoted family man, highly educated linguist, soldier, practising lawyer, politician, country squire, charismatic leader of men, but above all a prince of Welsh royal lineage.
If he’d been victorious and he came close to it, England and Wales would have very different borders. Never betrayed, I believe he deliberately disappeared creating a legend to leave a legacy of hope.
‘Magda’s Daughter’ explores post-war identity; how did you approach the complexities of heritage and belonging in this novel?
Eastern Europe is a melting pot. My DNA has German, Baltic, Latvian, Russian and Welsh threads. I heard of Himmler’s Nazi organization “Lebensborn’ when I accompanied my mother “home” after the fall of communism. The Polish occupants of the house my architect grandfather built for his family in 1936 welcomed us and Helena Rodzina told me about “the “disappeared”. Obsessed with the notion of “Aryan blood” Himmler created Lebensborn to nurture Aryans. He ordered the kidnap of racially pure children. Thousands of blond haired, light eyed Polish children were snatched from their families, and sent into Germany for adoption. Helena’s description inspired Magda’s Daughter.
“Wales is in my blood. Every book I write, in some way, returns home.” – Catrin Collier
Having ‘Hearts of Gold’ adapted by the BBC, how did seeing your work on screen influence your perspective on storytelling?
Writinga book gives the writer total control. Filming is collaborative.
What essential advice would you offer to aspiring authors aiming to craft compelling historical fiction?
A manuscript either works or it doesn’t. If you’re unsure lock it away for 3 months then read it. You’ll know whether it works or not. The internet is awash with courses that sell formulas and guarantee publishing success. Check out those offering them before subscribing.
Remember you are writing YOUR story, trust yourself, believe in yourself, and convince an agent or editor of its appeal. Cheap advice, and support can be found in your local writer’s circle. I joined Swansea’s in 1976, and am still a member. Warning my husband calls writing a disease. He’s right. It can consume your life.
