melissa addey
London
Author of historical fiction and non fiction. I mainly write historical fiction,
inspired by what I call ‘the footnotes of history’: forgotten stories or
part-legends about interesting people. My first two series are set in very
different eras: 18th century China, following the lives of concubines in the
Forbidden City, and 11th century North Africa, following the rise of a Muslim
Empire across Morocco and Spain. My first novel, The Fragrant Concubine, was
Editor’s Choice at the Historical Novel Society and The Cold Palace won the 2019
Novel London award. If you’d like to try my writing, pick up a free novella, The
Cup. I’m currently writing a series set in 1st century AD Rome, following the
backstage team of the Colosseum. The first book, From the Ashes, was Editor’s
Choice at the Historical Novel Society. I also get curious about other subjects
and have written non-fiction books including 100 Things to do while
Breastfeeding and The Happy Commuter, featured on BBC Radio and in The Evening
Standard. I wrote a 20min sci-fi radio play which was chosen for the 2019 Page
to Podcast competition and produced by the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing
Arts. You can listen to Fixed here.
