‘Bygonese’ – Is This Really the Authentic Language of Historical Fiction?

Abstract

Writing historical fiction throws up unique problems for authors seeking to present their period with verisimilitude, especially in dialogue. This paper explores the roots of authenticity as a measure of quality in historical fiction and showcases three key strategies for presenting historical dialogue with reference to Ian McEwan's Atonement, Margaret Elphinstone's The Sea Road and Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall.

Keywords:

• historical
• fiction
• cant
• argot
• dialogue
• authenticity

Acknowledgements

Thanks go to Dr Rodge Glass and Dr Kerri Andrews for their invaluable guidance and support.