Old Land, New Eyes: The Necessity of Worldbuilding in Historical Fiction

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How do you transport readers to the past? You build the world not simply as it was, but in a manner that makes time travel feel imperative for the reader. In this flexible workshop, we will explore how to use historical context not only to create compelling characters and build richer scenes, but to select stories that matter in today’s world. We will discuss the various modes of historical fiction writing, how to decide on the right language, and how to avoid anachronistic pitfalls. As we read workshop submissions, we will also read excerpts from novels and short stories and an essay or two.
Lauren Francis-Sharma

A child of Trinidadian immigrants, Lauren Francis-Sharma is the author of the critically acclaimed novels ’Til the Well Runs Dry (Picador, 2014), and Book of the Little Axe (Grove Atlantic, 2020), which was the 2020 American Library Association’s “Libraries Transform Book Pick” and finalist for the Hurston/Wright Award in Fiction. Casualties of Truth (Grove Atlantic, 2025), her most recent book, is a riveting literary novel with the sharp edges of a thriller about the abuses of history and the costs of revenge, set between Washington, D.C., and Johannesburg, South Africa.  

Francis-Sharma was a MacDowell fellow and is the Assistant Director of Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference at Middlebury College. She holds a BA from UPENN, a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School, and an MFA from the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. She resides near Washington, DC, with her family. 

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Week 3 - Old Land, New Eyes: The Necessity of Worldbuilding in Historical Fiction Week 3 | Jul 13 - Jul 17
Monday, Wednesday, Friday
3:15 pm - 5:15 pm
Literary Arts Center at Alumni Hall Prose Room Spots remaining:10

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