Historical Fiction part 1: The Hyacinth Girl, and Space Songs for Ikeya-Seki

Two stories set in the 1960s, one in the context of the Vietnam War and one about the visit of an awe-inspiring comet. Credits: ‘The Hyacinth Girl ‘was written by Eliza Powers (1994), who was an Undergraduate visiting student from Pomona College, California.The narrator is Dr Matt Wilkinson, current Director of Studies in Natural Sciences at Jesus College, specialising in Zoology, and also a freelance popular science writer and speaker, voice artist, and actor. In 2024, ‘The Hyacinth Girl ‘ was awarded Best Fantastical Historical Fiction ‘Space Songs for Ikeya-Seki’ was written by April Egan (2021), who studied English at Jesus College. It was narrated by Arabella Jacobson (2013), stage and screen actor who studied Psychological & Behavioural Sciences at Jesus. In 2024, ‘Space Songs for Ikeya-Seki’ was awarded Best Descriptive Historical Fiction. Stories recorded at Pixiu Studio, 18 Charlotte Rd, London EC2A 3PB, and edited by Finn Ranson (2017). Episode introduction recorded at Jesus College, Cambridge, by Finn Ranson, and featuring the Master of the College, Sonita Alleyne, and Emily Winslow, author and teacher in Cambridge. Podcast project management Clelia McElroy and Sarah Richey.