PHOTO: James Calbraith: Celebrated author of historical fantasy, blending meticulous research with boundless creativity to transport readers through vivid, immersive worlds.
Blending History with Imagination
James Calbraith masterfully blends history with fantasy, crafting immersive stories inspired by his heritage, passion for history, and fascination with cultural intersections, making him a standout voice in historical fantasy fiction.
James Calbraith stands as a luminous figure in the world of historical fantasy, masterfully weaving narratives that transport readers through time and imagination. A Poland-born Scottish author with a unique flair for blending meticulously researched historical settings with the allure of fantastical elements, Calbraith’s works are an enduring testament to his boundless creativity and fascination with the past. From his award-nominated debut, The Shadow of Black Wings, which introduced readers to a world of Japanese historical fantasy, to his latest endeavours set amidst the Crusades in medieval Greece, Calbraith continues to captivate with his deft storytelling and unmistakable voice.
What sets his works apart is not just the depth of his storytelling, but the insight he brings from his own rich life experiences. A traveller, an immigrant, and an ever-curious historian, James Calbraith crafts characters and worlds that speak to the struggles, triumphs, and humanity of those searching for belonging in times of upheaval. Whether it’s the Welsh boy Bran navigating feudal Japan in The Year of the Dragon series, or Ash, a Saxon caught in the crumbling vestiges of Roman Britain in The Song of Ash, his protagonists grapple with themes of identity, cultural convergence, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Through his tireless dedication to research, Calbraith breathes life into history, inviting readers to not just observe the past but to live within it, to feel its texture and experience its stories. With a staggering ability to pair historical authenticity with imaginative embellishments, his novels challenge and enrich, making history a living, breathing presence in his work. It is no exaggeration to say that James Calbraith has carved out a unique niche where fact and fantasy not only meet but thrive together.
In this illuminating interview, Calbraith reflects on the inspirations that drive his creative process, his approach to reimagining history, and why the blending of cultures and times serves as an inexhaustible wellspring for his tales. Join us as we delve into the mind of one of historical fantasy’s most ingenious storytellers.
What inspired you to create the medieval world in “The Song of Ash”?
For about a decade I lived in London near a place called ‘Wallington’ – The Village of the Welsh, i.e. Britons, with remains of a wealthy Roman villa and an Anglo-Saxon cemetery in the nearby park. This tickled my imagination immensely every time I went for a walk: who were these Britons whose memory lasted for two millennia? How did they survive, surrounded by Anglo-Saxon neighbours, long enough to give their name to a village? Were the people of the cemetery and the villa friends, enemies or just wary neighbours?
“I wanted to describe this world, of natives and newcomers, locals and migrants, all living together in a tense relationship.” – James Calbraith
I wanted to describe this world, of natives and newcomers, locals and migrants, all living together in a tense relationship – as the old ways, old Empires, crumbled around them and a new way of life was forming from the ashes. Especially since this historical situation reflected so closely the world around me at the time, just before Brexit…
How has your background and upbringing influenced your writing and storytelling?
I am a child of a twice-occupied country; I grew up in the shadows of unimaginable tragedies, caused by the hatred and fear of the Other. I’m also an immigrant, and someone who’s been moving around all his life, never quite able to settle in one place.
I write about mixing of cultures, because I myself come from a mixed background. All my characters are in some way strangers in a strange land. Bran, the protagonist of my first series “The Year of the Dragon”, a Welsh boy in feudal Japan. Ash, from “The Song of Ash” – a Saxon in a Roman Britain. Ikaria, from my latest novel – daughter of a Latin nobleman in a Byzantine Greece. They are all outsiders, having to survive among people different to them – trying to find common ground, confronting the injustices and prejudices that an Other suffers wherever and whenever they find themselves.
What drew you to blend historical events with fantasy elements in your novels?
I started out as a writer of ‘standard’ sci-fi and fantasy short stories. I tried writing fantasy novels at first – I adored Tolkien and could not imagine writing anything else for a long time, even though history was always my first passion. Eventually, I realised real history is almost always more interesting than fiction – and the only way I could interest myself in writing anything longer than a novella was by setting my stories in a real time, a real place, among real people.
The fantasy content varies in my work. “The Song of Ash” is almost pure historical fiction, barring a few visions and mystical coincidences. Other books may have magic and dragons in them, or fantastical inventions, but they will always be firmly rooted in a historical setting.
How do you approach the process of world-building for your historical settings?
I start with reality. I throw myself into historical research, searching for the tiniest minutiae, striving for accuracy in every element, as if I was writing a travel guide or a memoir rather than a work of fiction. I think I spend easily as much time researching and building the world as actual writing. Only when I’m satisfied that I’ve replicated the setting to utmost detail – when I feel almost as if I’ve lived there myself – do I start filling in the gaps with the story and the lives of characters.
What advice would you give to writers looking to explore historical fantasy as a genre?
I don’t tend to follow advice of other writers, so I don’t believe I’m qualified to give any myself. Just write whatever you feel like. You and your editor will figure out best what works and what doesn’t for you and your readers. One thing I would say, you need to love history if you want to write about history. Don’t treat it as just a setting for the story – make it a part of the story, as much as the plot and the characters. In fact, if you could make it one of the characters – say, as one of the chief antagonists – you may find writing a far more rewarding experience than if you just put it in the background.
