Historical Research, Creative Writing, and the Past: Methods of Knowing

Historical research often involves speculation and imagination, but scholars rarely acknowledge this as a conscious method. 'Historical Research, Creative Writing, and the Past' explores how researchers in various disciplines use imagination, creativity, or fiction in their work. The volume discusses different approaches to representing the past, including textual and conceptual, material and emotional, speculative and experiential, and embodied methodologies. It offers insights into historical research methods and provides practical examples of doing history differently.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 12 July 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Historical research, a multifaceted endeavor spanning various disciplines, often necessitates speculation and imaginative exploration. However, it remains relatively uncommon for scholars to explicitly acknowledge and foreground these processes as a deliberate and conscious method in their scholarly pursuits. This unique volume, titled Historical Research, Creative Writing, and the Past, brings together a diverse group of researchers from diverse fields, including literary studies, history, ethnography, design, film, and sound studies. These scholars employ imagination, creativity, or fiction in their own historical scholarship or analyze the use of these elements to make historical claims by others.

The book is structured into four topical sections, each exploring different representations of the past. These sections include textual and conceptual approaches, material and emotional approaches, speculative and experiential approaches, and embodied methodologies. The chapters within these sections cover a wide range of temporal periods and geographical contexts, providing a comprehensive examination of the diverse ways in which history is interpreted and communicated.

Reflecting on the methodological, theoretical, and ethical underpinnings of writing history creatively or speculatively, the essays in this volume situate themselves within the ongoing debates surrounding epistemology and interdisciplinarity. They offer fresh insights into historical research methods, encompassing archival investigations and source critiques, while providing practical examples for readers to adopt different approaches in their historical inquiry.

By exploring the intersection of historical research, creative writing, and the past, this volume encourages scholars to push the boundaries of traditional historiography and engage with the rich tapestry of human experience in innovative and thought-provoking ways. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers, students, and anyone interested in the complexities of historical interpretation and the power of imagination in shaping our understanding of the past.

Weight: 660g
Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032180885