PHOTO: John McKay, historical author and storyteller, whose works illuminate the courage and camaraderie of wartime generations.
Exploring Courage Resilience And Remembrance
John McKay reflects on blending fact and fiction in his works, from Arctic Convoy memoirs to award-winning novels, honouring wartime experiences with authenticity, compassion, and literary devotion.
John McKay’s writing emerges from a lifelong fascination with the great conflicts of the twentieth century, but it is shaped just as much by his lived experience of service and camaraderie. Having served in the Royal Air Force and later the Fire and Rescue Service, he understands the quiet bonds of loyalty forged in high-pressure moments—an understanding that infuses his historical work with both authenticity and humanity.
His dedication to uncovering and preserving the stories of the past has led him deep into the frozen seas of the Arctic Convoys, journeys of peril that tested men to the limits of endurance. In Surviving the Arctic Convoys, he brought to life the voice of Charlie Erswell, a veteran whose humility and humour echo through the pages, while in Arctic Convoy PQ18 he recounts one of the most decisive operations of the Second World War with meticulous research and gripping clarity.
McKay’s fiction, meanwhile, is no less powerful. His award-winning novel Hell and High Water and his Manner of Men trilogy are tributes to those who fought, suffered, and survived. These works do more than recreate battles; they explore friendship, sacrifice, and the resilience of ordinary men in extraordinary circumstances.
In all his writing, whether memoir or novel, McKay achieves a rare balance: staying faithful to historical truth while drawing readers into the immediacy of lived experience. His work is both remembrance and storytelling, a way of ensuring that the courage of a generation is not only recorded but felt.
Your recent publication Surviving the Arctic Convoys shares Charlie Erswell’s memoirs. How did working with a real wartime figure shape your narrative voice and research process?
Charlie was in his early nineties when we worked on Surviving the Arctic Convoys, yet his memory was impressively sharp. His humility and sense of fun, common among WWII veterans I’ve interviewed, deeply influenced the narrative tone. I wanted to show who the man was – just a normal guy in an abnormal situation. While his recollections were invaluable, I also conducted thorough research, particularly on events surrounding Convoy PQ18, to ensure accuracy. Writing in the first person, from Charlie’s perspective helped keep the story personal and grounded in his experience. I wanted to tell his story, as he remembered it.
Hell and High Water (aka The Worst Journey in the World) revisits Arctic convoy drama. What challenges did you encounter when fictionally re-imagining such brutal historical events?
I met a couple of veterans of the Arctic Convoys a few years ago and their stories fascinated me. It was following my conversations with them that inspired me to write the novel, and ultimately led to my friendship with Charlie Erswell and writing his memoir. The main challenge was getting across what it was like to be a sailor on those journeys, what it felt like to be under attack in the harshest conditions imaginable, and the bonds that were forged between the men who were there. Having personal accounts to draw on made it a little easier but I wanted to convey the human experience. The most meaningful feedback I’ve received came from veterans themselves, who praised the book’s accuracy. That meant more to me than the award it won.
In Target Arnhem (Manner of Men Book 2), you follow Sergeant Harris on a secret mission. How do you balance suspense with historical authenticity in this series?
For historical fiction to work, it has to be both believable and historically accurate. Therefore research is vital. For Target Arnhem as with the rest of the series, I immersed myself in books on the subject, first hand accounts and watched old newsreels of veteran interviews. But there is a danger of ‘showing off’ what you know – adding unnecessary things that do not advance the plot, something I try to avoid. While the story is fictional, placing the characters in situations that actually happened adds authenticity and heightens the suspense around Harris and his mission.
In In For the Kill (Book 3), how has your portrayal of male camaraderie and ethos evolved across the Manner of Men trilogy?
The characters, and their relationships, have developed as the series has progressed. Facing constant danger, this shared experience has forged stronger bonds, revealing not only their loyalty but also their individual strengths and flaws. They’re a diverse group, united by a willingness to protect one another at all costs. By In For the Kill, I knew them so well that they felt like old friends, which made writing the final book feel more natural and intuitive than the earlier ones. I felt that I could place them in certain situations and know instinctively how each of them would react. It has been a lot of fun writing the series.
You’ve shifted between wartime memoirs and fiction. How does writing non-fiction like Surviving the Arctic Convoys differ from crafting your historical novels?
Non-fiction is much more challenging for me. I find a lot of non-fiction books can be quite sterile, and although the subject matter is fascinating, a lot have failed to ‘grab’ my attention. Every detail must be fully accurate and backed by sources, such as ship logs, archives, and firsthand accounts. The difficulty lies in turning that research into a compelling narrative. Collecting together all the information and putting it into an exciting story, one that keeps readers hooked, is a skill few writers consistently master. In contrast, historical fiction allows more creative freedom – focusing on character while still educating readers about the period. Ideally, it sparks curiosity to explore the history further.
Your experience serving in the RAF and the Fire Service must influence your storytelling. Can you share a moment from your past that informed a pivotal scene in your books?
There isn’t one specific moment, but my time in the RAF and Fire Service gave me a strong sense of the camaraderie shared in high-pressure roles. It’s the everyday interactions; the banter, the teasing, that instantly give way to focus and professionalism when it counts. That dynamic has strongly influenced how I write group relationships and moments of crisis.
Having won the Aspects of History Unpublished Historical Novel Award, how has this recognition impacted your confidence or approach to subsequent works?
Winning the award gave me a huge boost in confidence at a time when I was considering giving up writing. I entered The Worst Journey InThe World to the competition on something of a whim. For it to win the award was amazing for me. It gave me a massive personal boost, and when Sharpe Books offered to publish it (under the new title of Hell and High Water) and asked me to write a trilogy of books, it reignited my motivation and gave me the drive to carry on with a renewed energy. I write for the sheer enjoyment of it and any recognition I get is simply a bonus. I love what I do.
Finally, what one piece of advice would you offer to aspiring authors aiming to write compelling historical fiction grounded in real events?
Research is key. As I’ve mentioned, historical accuracy is essential if your story is to be believable. If you get the history wrong, then the whole story will fall apart, no matter how brilliant the plot or endearing the characters. But at the same time, don’t overdo the research, don’t get bogged down with it. You want to tell an exciting story with interesting characters. The history is the backdrop. Focus on the story you want to tell, and if you’ve researched well enough, then you can’t go wrong.
