Saga

A wartime Christmas with The Steel Girls

Author Michelle Rawlins joins us to share some authentic traditional recipes that her Steel Girls might have enjoyed during the war! For many, creating the perfect Christmas Day meal involves copious amounts of planning, countless trips to the butcher, searching the latest recipes and making sure your roast potatoes… Read More

A silent thanks from Michelle Rawlins

For as long as I can remember I have bowed my head at 11am every year on November 11 and thought about all those who valiantly lost their lives fighting a war to help ensure a safer world for us all to live in. As a little girl, I would… Read More

Read an extract of Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls!

Our favourite Sheffield Steel Girls return in Michelle Rawlins’ second wartime saga novel, Christmas Hope for the Steel Girls, and we’re giving you a sneak peek at Chapter 1 below. Happy reading! Chapter 1 Sunday, 15 October 1939 As they sat on their favourite park bench, their… Read More

IBW2021: Michelle Rawlins on bookshop communities

To celebrate Independent Bookshop Week, Michelle Rawlins – author of The Steel Girls – shares her love for the very special Barnsley bookshop she visits with her family. Something rather special For as long as I can remember, I have loved bookshops. It stems from being a regular visitor… Read More

Lana Kortchik’s Top Five Writing Tips

To celebrate the release of her second historical novel, Daughters of the Resistance, author Lana Kortchik shares her top five writing tips. Lana Kortchik’s Top Five Writing Tips For as long as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with historical fiction. As a child, I always… Read More

The Real Steel Girls

To celebrate the recent publication of The Steel Girls, Michelle Rawlins joins us to talk about the real-life stories that inspired her fictional creation. I wrote The Steel Girls after spending two years researching the true-life stories of the women who worked in the factories which lined the River… Read More

Read an extract from The Steel Girls!

The Steel Girls by Michelle Rawlins is out in just three weeks! Can’t wait that long? Start reading this heartwarming wartime saga novel now! Chapter One Saturday, 26 August 1939 ‘Would you like one?’ Betty asked, opening her bag of chocolatecaramels and offering one to her handsome sweetheart,William. ‘I… Read More