Barbara Erskine’s THE STORY SPINNER has jumped straight to the Number 1 spot in the UK hardback Original Fiction bestseller chart, achieving a clear lead after just three days on sale, with Waterstones and the independent bookstores playing a big role in this success. THE STORY SPINNER was published by HarperCollins on 1st August and is the ninth of Barbara’s novels to become a Top Ten bestseller.

As the Bookseller wrote: ‘Historical fiction legend Barbara Erskine has scored her first number one since accurate records began’, with her record launch week sales for THE STORY SPINNER adding to a very happy birthday week for the author!

Read more about THE STORY SPINNER here in Barbara’s interview with Rest Less and you can find more interviews and news on Barbara’s Facebook page.

THE STORY SPINNER is a spellbinding tale of love, ambition, and secrets that have lain silent for over a thousand years…

The land of the Silures, 382 AD. Elen is a princess promised to a general of Rome. Macsen came to Wales seeking an alliance that would advance his quest for power. Despite warnings her marriage is destined for heartache, Elen is determined to honour her vows. But this union will change her destiny forever…

Camp Meadow, 2024. Cadi is a writer who has discovered Elen’s lost story. As she puts pen to paper, she hears the sound of ghostly marching feet. Opening the gate to the ancient meadow behind her cottage, could the secret behind Elen’s fate lie closer than she thinks? But someone is desperate to keep the past buried, plotting to destroy the meadow… Can Cadi uncover Elen’s story before it’s lost to time?

THE STORY SPINNER was a hit with early readers, garnering high praise from authors:

‘THE STORY SPINNER is another delicious feast of love, drama, suspense, mystery, history, and a ghostly magic that is Barbara’s alone. She’s simply unputdownable! I think this book is very special.’ – Santa Montefiore

‘Barbara Erskine has triumphed again. With her usual consummate skill, she has brilliantly crafted an enchanting story from myths, legends and fragments of history, set in Wales’ distant past. Beautifully written and vividly evoking the magic of lost worlds, this novel is so breath-taking in its scope that it left me longing for more.’ – Alison Weir

‘Barbara Erskine is the Grand Dame of the time-slip novel and this is her best yet. Gripping, constantly intriguing and brilliantly satisfying.’ – Peter James

‘A thoroughly enjoyable novel – this is Barbara Erskine at her best. Both stories were so absorbing and so well intertwined. I looked forward every day to my reading time knowing this was waiting for me – what a treat! Definitely going on my best books of the year list.’ – Elizabeth Chadwick

‘What a wonderful book! Unputdownable. It has all the ingredients Barbara Erskine’s fans would expect; real history, myth and mysticism all sewn together into a gripping plot. I love timeslip novels and this is one of the best… Cadi and Elen are fantastic characters, each distinct and belonging to their respective periods, and I was particularly fond of Uncle Meryn!’ – Deborah Swift

‘I have long been an admirer of Barbara Erskine. Her magical stories rise effortlessly off the page and this one, so aptly titled, THE STORY SPINNER, is no exception. There is romance, mystery, history, long-buried feuds and secrets all wrapped up in Barbara’s marvellously evocative descriptions. She sets her scenes so vividly that you can hear the trees whispering in the wind, the horses whinnying as they appear like phantoms from out of the mist... For lovers of top-quality historical and time slip fiction, I highly recommend THE STORY SPINNER.’ – Carol Drinkwater

‘I enjoyed THE STORY SPINNER hugely. Intriguing, dramatic, beautifully researched, with characters that bring past and present alive, it shows Barbara Erskine on excellent form.’ – Rachel Hore

‘Barbara Erskine is a divine storyteller, a clever spider who spins a golden web around her readers. This is a glorious dual-narrative tale, full of wonderful characters, atmosphere and magnificently researched history. I absolutely loved THE STORY SPINNER: one of her very best books.’ – Jane Johnson

THE STORY SPINNER is the first in two Barbara Erskine historical novels recently acquired by HarperCollins. The second, THE VALLEY OF RAVENS, will be published in print, ebook and audio in 2026.

About the Author

Historian and novelist, Barbara Erskine was the first writer to become a major bestseller with dual time period novels. Her first novel, LADY OF HAY, catapulted her to international success and has been constantly in print for 38 years. Often imitated, never equalled, Barbara’s work is published all around the world in English and in 26 other languages. Her books are regular Sunday Times bestsellers in both hardback and paperback, with millions of copies sold.

Barbara Erskine has 16 novels and 3 original short story collections to her name. Euromedia published ‘The Best of Barbara Erskine’ short story collection in the Czech Republic in October 2020.

She lives in an old police station in Hay-on-Wye, the setting of LADY OF HAY and SLEEPER’S CASTLE, and near Offa’s Dyke, a key location in THE DREAM WEAVERS. Wales is also the setting of THE STORY SPINNER and the forthcoming THE VALLEY OF RAVENS.

Praise for Barbara Erskine

‘Fascinating, absorbing, original. But perhaps the most suitable word is hypnotic.’ – SHE

‘Erskine never disappoints.’ — Historical Novel Society

'My perfect storm of escapist bliss.' – Saga

‘The acknowledged queen of the historical time-slip novel.’ – Daily Mail

‘Whether you class her as historical or supernatural, she is certainly a first-rate storyteller.’ – The Bookseller

Visit Barbara’s website.

Follow Barbara on Twitter.

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HarperFiction has acquired two new sweeping historical novels from multi-million copy bestseller Barbara Erskine. Kimberley Young, formerly Managing Director at HarperFiction, bought World English Language rights from Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency. Editorial Director, Belinda Toor, has taken on publishing Erskine following Young’s departure last year.

Erskine has been mesmerising readers for decades, combining her historical expertise with a hint of the supernatural to create dual timeline mysteries that stay with readers long after the final page. She is the bestselling author of sixteen previous novels, eight of which have reached the Sunday Times Top Ten, and three short story collections. Her first book, LADY OF HAY, is an enduring classic and has sold over three million copies worldwide. It has never been out of print since it was first published almost forty years ago.

The first book in the new deal, THE STORY SPINNER – Barbara’s twentieth book – will be published in hardback, eBook and audio in August 2024. A time-slip set in the heart of the Welsh countryside; the reader meets novelist Cadi Jones as she is researching her latest project – the tale of a Welsh queen, lost to the pages of history. As Cadi writes, she stumbles across an undiscovered story, one that takes the reader to Roman Britain, Arthur’s Legend and even the Holy Grail.

The second novel in the contract, THE VALLEY OF RAVENS, will be released in hardback, eBook and audio in 2026.

Belinda Toor said: ‘Barbara is a masterful storyteller, and her novels are timeless. She has been delighting readers for decades and THE STORY SPINNER promises to deliver all that readers love from her previous work and more. It’s brimming with rich historical detail and flavour, characters you champion from the first page, and a ghostly connection to the past that has become Barbara’s trademark. I couldn’t be more thrilled to work with such a master of the craft!’

Barbara Erskine said, ‘I’m so pleased to be heading off once more into the past with the wonderful HarperCollins team. THE STORY SPINNER has been enormously exciting to write and I hope my readers find it as compelling and intriguing as I did. I can’t wait to see it out there.’

Isobel Dixon said, ‘Barbara Erskine herself is a story spinner par excellence, and we all loved this story, right from Barbara’s first mention. The arrival of the manuscript was a moment of great excitement and the vivid characters and dual past-and-present worlds soon cast their totally absorbing spell. We can’t wait for legions of readers around the world to experience that Erskine magic again too.’

You can pre-order THE STORY SPINNER here.

About Barbara Erskine

Historian and novelist Barbara Erskine was the first writer to become a major bestseller with dual-time-period novels. Her debut, LADY OF HAY, catapulted her to international success and has been constantly in print for nearly forty years. Barbara’s work is published all around the world in English and in 26 other languages. Her books are regular Sunday Times bestsellers in both hardback and paperback, with millions of copies sold. Her nineteenth book, THE DREAM WEAVERS, was published by HarperCollins in April 2021 and flew straight into the Top 5 on the Sunday Times hardback bestseller chart. The paperback hit the Top 20 in its first week of sale.

She lives in an old police station in Hay-on-Wye, the setting of LADY OF HAY and SLEEPER’S CASTLE and near Offa’s Dyke, a key location in THE DREAM WEAVERS.

Praise for Barbara Erskine

‘Fascinating, absorbing, original. But perhaps the most suitable word is hypnotic.’ – SHE

‘Erskine never disappoints.’ – Historical Novel Society

‘Will thrill, enchant and intrigue those who love history and the supernatural. Barbara Erskine’s grasp of time, place and atmosphere is second to none, the storytelling a masterpiece.’ – Alison Weir

‘The acknowledged queen of the historical time-slip novel.’ – Daily Mail

Visit Barbara’s website.

Follow Barbara on X (previously Twitter) and Facebook.