Helen Johnson, Yorkshire Writer
Helen Johnson Freelance Writer
New year, a fresh start, and, one of my favourite parts of a new historical novel: the research. My latest story features an Anglo-Scandinavian woman healer living in 11th century Continue Reading →
Bladesmith After two years living with an 11th century teenager, I finished writing my novel of the Harrying of the North. Bladesmith tells of Gudrid, an 11th century Yorkshire blacksmith’s Continue Reading →
Who were the Danes? When the Danish fleet arrived in the River Humber in September 1069, they were greeted with rejoicing. English resistance fighters flocked to them. The combined armies Continue Reading →
Helen Johnson considers the unimaginable horror of the Harrying of the North – then writes a historical novel about it. Continue Reading →
In my last blog post, I wrote about William the Conqueror’s Good Intentions. He wished to rule as a just, legal, God-appointed King. So, what went wrong? William the Conqueror Continue Reading →
The trauma of William the Conqueror’s invasion of England resonated for centuries. But England had seen other invading kings – not least Cnut, only fifty years before. What was different Continue Reading →
In an earlier post, the Northern Powerhouse of 1065, I wrote about a northern revolt in 1065. It was, however, only one of a long chain of north/south power struggles. Continue Reading →
The Battle of Fulford, 1066, was long and bloody.
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In my previous post about 11th century Yorkshire, Northern Powerhouse of 1065, I wrote about how northeners, fed up with mis-governenance under Earl Tostig, made a stand. Tostig was exiled, Continue Reading →
Yorkshire and the North-East of England boast an impressive collection of Anglo-Scandinavian stone sculpture, skillfully carved with interlace. Gravestones, standing stones, crosses: pieces of stone built into the walls of Continue Reading →