Callie Langridge: 'Visit places and immerse yourself in how history looks and feels so that it is real to you'
BY Maya Fernandes
9th Jan 2025
Callie Langridge was a student on our six-month London Writing Your Novel course in 2017. We caught up to discuss her latest novel, The Mandeville Curse – out now from Storm Publishing.
Read on to discover the inspiration behind Mandeville's haunting setting and Callie's top tips for writing historical fiction.
Callie, you studied on our six-month London Writing Your Novel course in 2017. How did studying with us impact your approach to writing?
The course was a great opportunity to learn from a wide range of industry professionals. The tutors on the six-month course are published authors, so you benefit from their experience. There were many guest speakers – from agents to other authors – and each spoke about their unique perspective. Sharing work with tutors and fellow students was also such an enriching experience and it’s wonderful to keep an eye on what everyone is doing now with their writing. The course was a great mix of learning skills and learning about the business of publishing. Most importantly, it equips writers with skills and techniques to help tell their stories.
The Mandeville estate is as much a character as the people in these novels. What was the inspiration behind such a haunting and atmospheric setting?
I have always loved stories set in old houses and have been fascinated by history for as long as I can remember. I have a vivid memory of an abandoned house I walked past regularly when I was young, with its overgrown garden, peeling paint and crumbling brickwork. When I was feeling brave, I would peek through the windows, wondering what was inside, but often lost my nerve – afraid of what I might see! This has carried on as an adult. I spend a huge amount of time visiting historic properties, both modest and grand. I am fascinated by the lives of those who lived in them across the centuries and imagining what the walls might say if they could talk. I love writing about the Mandeville family and their home, which has more involvement in their lives than many of them know…
The idea of a family curse tied to antiquities is fascinating! How did you develop the mythology around the Mandeville curse?
As I love to learn about the lives lived in historic properties, I am similarly intrigued by objects. When you think that a vase or pot can be thousands of years old, you can start to imagine the hands that have held it and the history it has lived through. My shelves at home are lined with objects I have collected. Some certainly feel that they have a history to tell. In the first Mandeville Mystery – A Time to Change – we are introduced to Sir Charles Mandeville’s collection of objects from around the globe that he collected on his travels as a young man. It was wonderful to think about that collection and what history and mythology might be attached to any item. In many of my books, I look at the extraordinary that happens everyday. The things you might see from the corner of your eye or a sensation that you can’t explain. I don’t want to give too much away, but in The Mandeville Curse I explore the history of a variety of objects and their mythology, from ancient Egypt to the folklore of Ireland and much more in between.
What tips would you give to aspiring authors trying to write within the historical fiction genre?
Research so that you know your subject inside and out. Visit places and immerse yourself in how history looks and feels so that it is real to you. Then use only those parts of your research that are essential to tell your story. There can be the temptation to add a great deal of detail to your novel. I wouldn’t say this is to show off your research, but more to make sure your readers understand what you are trying to say. It takes a while, but you learn to trust your readers – that you can give them just enough so they feel reassured that they are in safe hands and trust you as a writer. For me, I also have to be passionate about the era that I am writing about. There are so many great authors who write Medieval and Tudor books (for example), that I feel it’s best left to them. My passion is social history from the 1800s onwards, so researching and writing in those times is always a joy and never a chore.
Do you have any mystery or historical fiction books on your ‘to be read’ pile that you’re really excited about?
SO many. I plan on taking a trip through Victorian mystery and have some Wilkie Collins waiting on my huge ‘to be read’ pile.
And finally, what can we expect from the fifth instalment of the Mandeville mystery series?
I am fascinated by London in the Regency era. The Mandevilles and their household may just find themselves taking a trip there in book five.
Get your hands on a copy of The Mandeville Curse.
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