Current Projects
William
William, an 83,000-word historical novel, standalone with series potential. The novel forms part of a wider standalone historical sequence set across generations of the Birkett family. (currently under agent submission)
I Own You
An Historical novel in development, continuing a wider generational narrative exploring displacement, labour and survival in the Atlantic world.
The Innocents
A completed historical novel centred on the events and legacy of the medieval Children’s Crusade. (currently under agent submission)
Robert
A historical fiction manuscript continuing the unfolding Birkett family narrative across generations.
Hi
A writer of historical fiction
Dr Ian Loftus
Historical Novelist and Author of Smiler
About
Dr Ian Loftus is the author of four published books and a historical novelist whose work explores legacy, place and memory. His writing ranges from memoir and narrative non-fiction to long-form historical fiction. His memoir Smiler, reflecting on grief, family and the search for meaning after loss, reached the Amazon Top 10.
Current Work
Alongside his published work, Ian is developing a sequence of historical novels that trace the lives of ordinary people across generations, exploring how personal stories unfold within larger historical events.
His current projects focus on long-form historical fiction rooted in British and Atlantic history.
Background
Ian’s writing is shaped by a belief that storytelling can help illuminate difficult experiences and bring meaning to the darker corners of life, particularly in relation to grief and memory. More broadly, his work reflects a desire to leave the people and communities he encounters in a better and stronger position than before he met them.
He lives and works in the Lake District, a landscape steeped in history and literary tradition whose sense of place continues to influence his writing.
From My Journal
Writing in the Presence of Grief
Grief rarely arrives as a single emotion. When someone dies suddenly, especially a child, the mind does not move neatly from sorrow to acceptance. Instead, it travels through a landscape of conflicting states: depression, denial, anger, guilt, and a restless search...
Place and Landscape
Places carry memory. Long after the people who once lived there have gone, the land still holds traces of their presence. Landscape in my work is not simply a backdrop but part of the story itself, shaping how people live, travel and remember. Place is more than a...
Ordinary Lives Within Historical Events
History is usually told through the actions of leaders and armies. Yet most people experience historical change not through power, but through the disruption of ordinary life. My writing focuses on those quieter perspectives — the lives of individuals navigating...
