For the latest podcast Ali caught up with returning guest Olga Wojtas to talk about the latest in her Miss Blaine’s Prefect series of novels, Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Parcel of Rogues.
Olga explains the unusual premise of the series, and exactly who Miss Blaine’s Prefect, aka Shona McMonagle, is, and how she came to find herself (spoiler alert - not really) travelling time.
The two then discuss why Olga set this latest book in Enlightenment Edinburgh, writing about, and subverting, real historical characters including Robert Burns and Walter Scott, as well as other Enlightenment figures such as Adam Smith, Joseph Black, Henry Mackenzie, and Adam Ferguson, and why she wanted to investigate this time and place in particular.
They also talk about the changing face of Edinburgh as a city over the centuries, before Olga details the research behind the novel and what she learnt about her home city.
It’s always a pleasure to have a chat with Olga who is great company, and we hope this comes across in this episode. If you aren’t yet a fan of Miss Blaine’s Prefect then we hope this will convince you to get acquainted. And if you are already a regular reader then this will remind you why, and, as an enticement to listen to the end, we also get to learn a little more about Miss Blaine herself!
For full details, and all the ways to listen, head over to scotswhayhae.com
