HistorySmiths

History is the story of human endeavour. The best stories combine chronological elements with thematic reflection and analysis, creating a narrative bridge from the present to the past.

There are many different perspectives about history and historical events. The historian must read, research, listen, sift, think, analyse then write, taking into account these different perspectives. HistorySmiths regards the use of oral history as central to successful storytelling, especially when writing about recent history. We also regard it as important to collaborate with commissioning communities engaged in historical endeavour.

Writing history is also about making decisions — what to leave in, what to leave out, what else to read, whom else to speak to, how to make sense of difficult material, how to fill in the gaps — and writing history is about being sensitive to the past and its players, while bringing out its authentic living voice.