Joanna Hickson

Joanna Hickson is a British author of historical fiction whose novels concentrate on the royal families and political conflicts of fifteenth- and early-sixteenth-century England. Born in England, she spent her early childhood in Australia and developed a fascination with medieval history after returning to Britain and visiting a castle at the age of thirteen. Before becoming a full-time novelist, Hickson spent twenty-five years presenting and producing news and arts programmes for BBC television and radio. She first published the children’s historical novel Rebellion at Orford Castle before turning to adult fiction.

Hickson’s novels include The Agincourt Bride and The Tudor Bride, which follow Catherine de Valois from the French court through her marriage to Henry V and her later relationship with Owen Tudor. Red Rose, White Rose, First of the Tudors and The Tudor Crown explore the Wars of the Roses and the emergence of the Tudor dynasty, while The Lady of the Ravens and The Queen’s Lady portray women serving within the courts of Elizabeth of York and the early Tudors. Her later novel The House of Seymour turns to the ambitious family that would rise to prominence during the reign of Henry VIII. Her fiction combines dynastic politics and warfare with the experiences of women whose household service, marriages and personal loyalties placed them close to royal power.