In her illustrated talk, Jennifer Antill will reveal the pleasures, conundrums and pitfalls encountered when researching and writing her historical novel, Small Acts of Kindness: a tale of the first Russian Revolution. The book tells a story of love, mystery and adventure, set against the events surrounding the Decembrist uprising of 1825. The action takes place both in St Petersburg and the Russian provinces. In addition to discussing the problems of reconciling ‘historical truth’ with the demands of engaging storytelling and the avoidance of historical blunders, Jennifer will talk about the initial inspiration for the book, the creation of an authentic sense of time and place, and the challenge of drawing strong female characters within this historical context. Jennifer’s talk will be illustrated with relevant art works and photographs, and extracts from contemporary sources.
Jennifer Antill has a degree in Russian Studies from UCL, SSEES. She is a researcher and writer, and gives cross-cultural talks about Russia. After a career as an equity investment analyst in the City of London, for several years she wrote and edited ‘On the House’ for Gainsborough’s House Museum and served as a local councillor. Her novel, Small Acts of Kindness: a tale of the first Russian Revolution, was published in November 2022, and a sequel is currently in final draft. Jennifer lives in Suffolk with her husband and has two sons.