Carol McGrath

Following a first degree in English and History, Carol McGrath completed an MA in Creative Writing from The Seamus Heaney Centre, Queens University Belfast, followed by an MPhil in English from University of London


The Handfasted Wife, first in a trilogy about the royal women of 1066 was shortlisted for the RoNAS in 2014. The Swan-Daughter and The Betrothed Sister complete this highly acclaimed trilogy.

Mistress Cromwell, a best-selling historical novel about Elizabeth Cromwell, wife of Henry VIII’s statesman, Thomas Cromwell, is to be republished by Headline in 2020.

The Silken Rose first in a Medieval She-Wolf Queens Trilogy, featuring Ailenor of Provence, will be published 2nd April 2020 and 23rd July 2020 as a pb. by the Headline Group.

Carol is writing Historical nonfiction as well as fiction. She speaks at events and conferences and was the co-ordinator of the Historical Novels’ Society Conference, Oxford in September 2016. She is an avid reader and reviews for the Historical Novel Society. She is a member of both the Romantic Novelists’ Association and Historical Writers Association. Carol lives in Oxfordshire with her husband.

Amazon Author Bio

  • "Love, loss and longing being much the same now as in the 11th century, Carol McGrath’s Handfasted Wife has the same compelling hold on the reader as any contemporary novel, while remaining faithful to the mores of the time. What times they were, and what an achievement this book is!"

    Fay Weldon

  • 'A wise and lyrical evocation of the lives of women in the aftermath of the Norman Conquest, and high romance in the true sense of the word. A captivating read.'

    Sarah Bower, author of The Needle in the Blood and The Book of Love

Wrexham Festival of Words - 27th April 6.30

My Era is Better than Yours
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