About Justin

JUSTIN NEWLAND’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thrillers and magical realism. His stories explore the themes of war and religion, and speculate on the human’s spiritual place in the universe.

Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies.

The historical thriller, The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall.

The Coronation (Matador, 2019) was another historical adventure and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution.

The Abdication (Matador, 2021) is a supernatural thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith.

His most recent produce is a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it's an epic tale of England's coming of age. The Mark of the Salamander (The Book Guild, 2023) takes us across the open seas of discovery with Sir Francis Drake while The Midnight of Eights (the Book Guild, 2024) culminates the series with the repulse of the Spanish Armada.

Provisionally called The Spirit of the Times, his work in progress is a novel that explores the extraordinary phenomenon of Genghis Khan and the Golden Horde, a bunch of Mongolian shepherds who turned the world on its head in the 14th Century and bequeathed us a legacy that ranged from the terrors of the Black Plague to religious tolerance and the expansion of communications between East and West.

Author and broadcaster, Justin appears on LitFest panels, gives talks to historical associations and libraries and enjoys giving radio interviews.

Born three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.