New Histories: An Interview with Tim Weed

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Fiction writers review conducted an interview with author Tim Weed. His first novel, Will Poole’s Island, published this summer by Namelos Editions, showcases Tim’s creative engagement with the past and with place: Will Poole’s Island, which Kirkus called “immersive” and “riveting,” is set in 17th-century New England, and tells the story of a rebellious young colonist who dares break curfew, among other rules, and enters into a friendship with a visionary Wampanoag tribesman that ultimately threatens his place in Colonial society. It was a Nantucket Bookworks Pick of the Month for August and is chock full of details from the cultural ghosts of the area.

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Tim made an incredibly insightful comment regarding writing historical fiction and we wanted to share this with you:

"Here’s the thing about writing historical fiction: you’re not trying to reconstruct or mimic history, which would be altogether boring even if it weren’t impossible. What you’re trying to do is to create a new version of it that will tell a good story while simultaneously capturing something essential, not only about the period, but also about contemporary life."

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