Historical Fiction

Since the latter part of the twentieth century, there has been a noticeable turn towards fiction that draws on historical materials, people, and events to reframe the politics of both the past and the present. This turn was signalled by Linda Hutcheon in 1988 as part of postmodernism. In recent years, and particularly in the postcolonial settler literatures of Australia, Canada, New Zealand the intersections of history and fiction have become significantly political. The chapter considers novels in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Pacific that deploy a more traditional form of historicity, including those written by Patrick White; historical novels by Indigenous writers; the regionalism of Canadian literature by contrast with New Zealand or Australian historical fiction; and historical fiction that parodies or reframes famous novels of the past.

Art · Cognitive reframing · Historicity (philosophy) · Indigenous · Literature · Political science · Politics · Postmodernism · Australian History and Society · History · Law